Emily, Alone

This book is all character based. There is no plot. Which is fine, except the character you are following around is quite boring. Nothing actually happens nor does the character help you to feel what she is feeling. It’s like reading a food diary.

I actually bought this book without knowing it's a sequel to O'Nan's earlier work Wish You Were Here. I almost didn't read it because of this, but I'm glad I did. I was able to easily follow the story with zero prior knowledge of the characters. O'Nan takes what seems like a mundane concept - the day-to-day life of an older lady living on her own - and turns it into a surpisingly relatable story that is full of humor, sadness, and insight. You will never be bored while reading this book. Seriously, it's more of a page-turner than most thrillers I've read. It's not too long, but has a great deal of substance, which makes it a great leisure read. You should definitely pick up this book.