Today I’m sharing my review of The People we Keep by Allison Larkin.
Synopsis
Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at Margo’s diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.
As April moves through the world, meeting people who feel like home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes and discovers that where she came from doesn’t dictate who she has to be.
This lyrical, unflinching tale is for anyone who has ever yearned for the fierce power of found family or to grasp the profound beauty of choosing to belong.
Why I Decided to Read this Book
The premise was so intriguing to me. I also love reading books set in the 90s.
Rating
4.5 Stars (Check out my rating system!)
My Thoughts
I finished this book and I just wanted to give it a big hug! This is the kind of character driven books that I love. It is a character driven coming of age story set in the 90’s over the span of a few years. I enjoyed the character development, the plot and the themes throughout the book. You can’t help it but root for the main character April. It is a heartfelt story and one that I’ll think about for a long time.
I made the mistake of finishing it while on a plane and I cried at the end. It is a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed the ride. This is a story that is both sad but also hopeful. It is a story about the people we cross paths with and the impact they have in our lives. There are so many great characters that will stay with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Emotional Abuse, Addiction, Cancer
Who I Recommend this Book to
If you were drawn to Where the Crawdads Sing and Educated you’ll like this book. It reminded me of those books but its also nothing like them.
Get the Book!
Did this review of The People We Keep convince you to read it? Check out the links below to order it from Bookshop.org and libro.fm. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
>>Shop on Libro.fm (I just saw that this one is narrated by Julia Whelan!)
If you’ve read this book let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Oe, I liked both Educated and Where the Crawdad Sings a lot! Thank you for sharing. This book will go on my “want to read” list.