What's Left Unsaid

Solid Work of Fiction. This is a difficult one. There is so much “white people are evil” “racial discussion” through the first 2/3 of the book that at the time it looked like it would be my first ever 4* review for this author (and I've reviewed all of her prior books, either after publication or, as in this case, as advance reader copies). That noted, it did have a couple of moments of calling out the white guilt in ways I've often wanted to scream myself. Between these moments and the back third largely dropping these discussions in favor of more deeply diving into the substance of the tale at hand, the latest 5* review was indeed saved, as the story overall is in fact that strong - particularly that back third, when the various discussions and plot threads are woven together quite remarkably... and explosively. Indeed, while it is not known if the exact resolution of everything is real, one could very easily imagine it being so. I read for escapism, and if you're looking for that particular goal in the current environment... maybe wait a few years to read this one. But realize that this one was effectively finished (minus the polishing and publication mechanics) right as the race wars of the summer of 2020 were exploding, which alone provides a degree of context for much of those discussions. Overall a truly strong book for what it is, and still very much recommended.