book review: valentine by elizabeth wetmore

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

(no star system)

STORY  ✔️

CHARACTERS ✔️

PROSE ✔️

Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: A violent act in the oil-booming town in West Texas brings some women together recognizing the similarities in their paths and the culture that keeps them pinned in.

One-sentence review: Gorgeous prose rising from the desert to show us how far women have come and how much is still left to do. 

Overall storytelling/structure: the story jumps from woman to woman, linked in the retelling of the community/culture’s trap set for them.

Writing style/prose: Just beautiful word smithing. As a Texan, the descriptions and references were relevant to my experience, but the beauty revealed a new way to look at the tired landscape. This is Elizabeth Wetmore’s debut novel...and sign me up for the next one!

Characters: all strong female protagonists trying to root their way in a community that does not value them. 

Mood: definitely heavy but smooth reading. 
Books Similar/Read if you like: The Book Women of Troublesome Creek, Infinite Country, Little Fires Everywhere, or Louis Erdrich.