I’ve been struggling with writing this post since I finished reading the novel on Wednesday of this week. You see, I can’t completely figure out what I feel about the experience. As the weekend is coming to a close, my self-imposed blog deadline is quickly approaching. So….this one may be an adventure for both of us because I’m not entirely sure where this post will go.
Let’s start by setting the scene of the novel. April is a teenage girl living in upstate New York in a very challenging situation. She dreams of being a musician. Her mother left when she was very young, causing April to always wonder what she could have done to make her stay. April’s father is a bit of deadbeat, leaving April to live alone in a trashy motor home while he begins a “new life” with his girlfriend and her young son.
When April has finally had enough, she hits the open road with plans to begin a new life. She has no destination. She has very little money, no real education, and no place to lay her head. April lands in Ithaca, New York where she becomes part of a rag-tag “family” made up of the people that populate a local coffee shop. Once challenges arise that threaten to expose some of April’s secrets, she once again hits the road with little plan or preparation.
This becomes the formula for the rest of the novel. April runs from a problem, ends up in a new city with the hopes of a “new life” until she learns that her immature expectations cannot exist in reality. When April finally experiences a life changing event that demands she grow up quickly, she learns — along with the reader — that our true family is our chosen family, “the people we keep.”
Now, I’ll try to explain where my mixed feelings about The People We Keep come in. Once I finished the novel, I had to admit that it turned out to be a very good read and raised issues that I found interesting to consider. So I recommend the book as a whole now that I have finished it. However, I found myself constantly frustrated during the reading experience. The plot became formulaic because of April’s constant running. Very often, it felt as though I was reading the same story over and over again, just in a different setting with a slightly different cast of characters. It was hard to find any redeeming qualities in April (and, as a result, in the novel) until the end of the book.
So….all of that to say I don’t regret reading the book at all and think that anyone who manages to make it to the end will find a charming story. But I also think that there are other novels that were a much more enjoyable and entertaining reading experience. So don’t rush to your local bookstore to pick up this book. If you find yourself with a copy easily assessable, give it a look and see if it grabs your interest.
Reading for Me 