I caught two mistakes in the iBooks edition: one spelling error, and two, the character names were switched at one point. But that’s not why I gave it a two-star review. I really like contemporary Japanese and Korean literature; they have a certain bluntness and simplicity to them I haven’t found elsewhere. That being said, oftentimes I just found this book shallow. It relies on the architect friend to move the plot along at times when I feel like the characters should be as stumped as us. It bothered me how he just got everything. He looked at floor plans and uncovered a child murder cult plot. Seriously? I also found the writing to be weak at times, I failed to relate to the characters, and felt the family dynamics were poorly explored—the relationship between the author and friends as well. The positives were that I enjoyed the unique format of storytelling and the general idea of the plot, even though I think it was poorly executed. The author is creative, but needs to become a better writer; or find a better editor.

SO GOOD!! I love romance, but I rarely read it. That being said, Deep end might have changed everything. I had no expectations going in—but I definitely did not expect something so heartwarming and deliciously dirty!! It sent me on an Ali Hazelwood rampage, since then I’ve read two more of her books.

I bought this book for the afterword, but of course, I should have known that any book loved by Donna Tartt would be loved by me. What an incredible Wild West story. This is true Americana literature. The best of the best. It was fast paced, exhilarating, and just so freaking funny.

A new favorite that’s for sure! Tartt is a genius, and if you did not enjoy The Little Friend there is, with all due respect, something seriously wrong with you. To be fair, the book is dense and slow. But it is dense and slow for a reason. The curtains aren’t blue ‘just because’. This was a wonderful treat, I had to force myself to slow down my reading pace to make it last longer. It is so rare to find a book that accurately portrays the queerness of Mississippians and the stillness of the Deep South. It is very clear Tartt is a local from the get go.