Giving up on this one

I rushed to my computer to get this book as soon as I read a review in The Swarthmorean, our small-town newspaper - yes, that Swarthmorean, which figures in a major plot point. I'm actually surprised she called our town by its real name, because it signaled a work of autofiction and made me wonder, of course, how many of the other details came from McCarthy's life.

The Swarthmore descriptions were all amazingly accurate. I too was in a car accident on that "fishhook" that is Yale Avenue. The Swim Club; the manager of the Swim Club, "pleasantly weathered by sun and cigarettes." That she was. Evocative descriptions: one of the book's major strengths.

I read it as obsessively as Rose thinks about her best friend Lacie. But I never quite got Rose. She's very unlikable, seducing both of her best friend's boyfriends. I can appreciate a book even if the characters are unpleasant, even immoral, especially if the writing is so beautiful. But why? She's supposedly obsessed with Lacie, borrowing her clothes and reading her diary. But to me the obsession was more pronounced with the boyfriends. Why all the sex with Ian, unless she's just a sex addict? Why seduce Leo?

This is what makes me wonder if the explanation is that Rose is Kyle. Sometimes the most difficult motivations to understand are those within one's own psyche.

I do look forward to reading more of McCarthy's work, once she's purged the autobiographical instincts. ( )

I didn't care for any of the characters. I kept waiting for either a dose of karma or real shock value. I never received either. ( )

This book is about a toxic female friendship and obsession. It is a slow burn, and at times the descriptive writing felt like it bogged down the story instead of add to it. After you get into it , I had to know how the relationship with the characters panned out. Overall, worth the read . Unique writing style. ( )

Everyone Knows How Much I Love You is a book about obsession. Rose, a writer, has moved to NYC and accidentally runs into her former high school friend, Lacie. Their high school friendship was an uneasy and uneven one that ended in betrayal. Now, against her better judgment, Lacie agrees to help out Rose and invites her to live in her apartment. Unbeknownst to her, Rose has been writing a novel about their high school friendship and falling out. For a while life together is fine, but obsession runs deep and Rose, once again, begins to lose herself in Lacie’s life, making some of the same near-deadly mistakes she made in high school. We know it will not end well. Friendships can be messy, especially high school ones, but Kyle McCarthy takes her novel to a new level and I think it works. I found it appealingly creepy and sad. ( )