Review: In Every Way by Nic Brown

Chapel Hill college student Maria finds herself in a difficult and familiar predicament—unexpectedly pregnant at nineteen. Still reeling from the fresh discovery of her mother’s diagnosis with cancer, Maria’s decision to give her daughter up for adoption is one that seems to be in everyone’s best interest, especially when it comes to light that the child’s father hasn’t exactly been faithful to her following the birth of her daughter. So when her mother proposes an extended trip to sleepy coastal town Beaufort—the same town that the adoptive couple Maria chose for her daughter just happens to live in—Maria jumps at the chance to escape.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Maria finds herself listless and bored soon after her arrival in Beaufort, and a summer job seems like a cure. She has kept close watch on the couple she chose to adopt her daughter—they live mere blocks away—and, as fate would have it, accepts a position as their nanny. Maria ingratiates herself into the family—hesitantly, at first, and then with all the heartbroken (and eventually self-destructive) fervor of a mother separated from her child.

In Every Way is a heartfelt novel that brings to light the unknowing destruction that heartache can manifest, and the redemptive power of new beginnings.

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: February 10th 2015 by Counterpoint 

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I am not going to sugar coat this one because I can't. It was not a good book and I really disliked it. Numerous times I thought about giving up on it but it is not in my nature to do that. I wish I had because it didn't improve.

What did I hate so much about the book? That's an easy question to answer. I hated Maria at the beginning, middle and end of the book. I have not come across a character more shallow, immature and unlikeable in a really long time. She was 20 going on 12. The first time I considered not finishing it was when she made out with a 15 yr old. Really? I kept waiting for her to redeem herself or at least become enlightened but it never happened. Lessons were not learnt and there was no growth although I think an attempt was made by the author. It didn't fly with me and I found it really apparent that it was not written by a female. The emotions and turmoil were just not captured in a way that I, as a female, could even fathom or relate to. Also, the plot was messy and all over the map.

I disliked this book so much that I will not be recommending it to anyone.

About the Author

Nic Brown is the author of the novel Doubles and the story collection Floodmarkers, which was selected as an Editor's Choice by The New York Times Book Review. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Harvard Review, Glimmer Train, and Epoch, among many other publications. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Columbia University, he has been the John and Renee Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi and an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Currently he is an assistant professor of English at Clemson University.

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