Writers & Lovers (King) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
A comic and compassionate novel…. It shares with [Euphoria] a fascination with the difficulty of defining the worth of one’s life when the familiar markers of adult achievement are slow to materialize. With wit and what reads like deep insider wisdom, Ms. King captures the chronic low-level panic of taking a leap into the artsy unknown and finding yourself adrift, without land or rescue in sight.
Maureen Corrigan - Wall Street Journal


King has created a woman on the cusp of personal fulfillment and strong enough to stand on her own…. The novel is a meditation on trying itself: to stay alive, to love, to care. That point feels so fresh, so powerfully diametrically opposed to the readily available cynicism we’ve been feasting on…. King wants us to keep trying, through whatever means necessary, to beat the odds.
Boston Globe


This smooth, deliberate chronicle of creation keeps the men in their place and Casey firmly rooted at the center of her own story. Instead of casting her as a woman torn between archetypes of male creativity, Writers & Lovers portrays her as a woman in thrall to her own generative processes, a devotee to the art of (her own) attention.
Los Angeles Times


King captures the agita of an early-life crisis and the eccentricities of a writer’s life, spiking the narrative with wit, sumptuous imagery and hilarious skewerings of literary elitism.
People


[I]ntimate and vulnerable…. Lily King's novel follows a deeply relatable protagonist navigating a whole menu of crises surrounded by a cast of genuine, vivid characters…. [T]he book occupies a small space, but packs it to the brim with humanity.
Entertainment Weekly


A knowing look at the pursuit of a life in the arts, with a protagonist you'll root for.
Marie Claire


[E]legant, droll…. While King’s resolutions of Casey’s financial, emotional, and creative challenges don’t feel uniformly convincing, the nimble, astute narration appeals. This meditation on the passing of youth is touching and ruefully funny.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review) [Written] with the skill and assurance…. [T]he book is also funny and romantic and hard to put down, full of well-observed details of restaurant culture and writer's workshops. It's hard to imagine a reader who wouldn't root for Casey.  —Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis
Library Journal


(Starred review) King leaves no barrier between readers and smart, genuine, cynical, and funny Casey. A closely observed tale of finding oneself, and one's voice, while working through grief.
Booklist


(Starred review) [T]his charmingly written coming-of-age story would be an impressive debut novel. But after the originality and impact of Euphoria, it might feel a bit slight. Read this for insights about writing,… losing one's mother,… [and] dealing with a cranky sous-chef.
Kirkus Reviews