Christina's Review of *Amy & Isabelle* by Elizabeth Strout

         This is not by far the worst book I have ever read in my life, but, with all due respect to Elizabeth Strout, it has to be up there as one of the most disgusting.  There is a scene in there where Amy goes to a restaurant with a boy and the boy licks the condiment bottle, and that is just a small sampling of what you’re in for the minute you open this book.  That scene was just nasty!

        I’m not going to really go that much in depth into what the story is about, other than to say that it’s about a mother and daughter and the summer that changed their relationship forever.  This is a good book for those who are very interested in reading about complicated, love/hate mother and daughter relationships involving petty, narcissistic characters (and who doesn’t want to read about those kind of people?  Really?)

        I have to say it was well-written. The author certainly made good use of the five senses what with her vivid descriptions of unsanitary things.  Thumbs up there.  I really liked the use of setting;  I could picture the small, mill town perfectly.  And there was the interesting subplot involving a missing girl.  I didn't completely get what the point of that subplot was other than to suggest (on page 157) that even murdered girls can’t compare to what Amy and Isabelle were dealing with at home.  And truly, is there anything more horrifying than what goes on between a mother and a daughter during a hot, stifling summer in the privacy of their own little world?  Maybe not.

Maybe not. 



***Two and a Half Stars***