Writers & Lovers Book Review

There’s always a book about the life of a writer, how being young sucks, and/or both. Some may come off with the oh-woe-is-me mentality. I guess some of it is warranted, but others are smart enough to focus on the actions of the protagonists. Writers & Lovers by Lily King is a case of the latter. It can come off as depressing at times, but it’s worth the read because of its compelling main character and its focus on how she pulls through.

Writers & Lovers is about Casey Peabody – a 31-year-old struggling writer. After the sudden death of her mother and end of her most recent relationship, Casey arrives in her home state of Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan and with piles of student debt. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage while trying to pen a novel that she’s been working on for the last 6 years. At her age, Casey holds on to what her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls in love with two different men, her world falls apart even more. Casey’s fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

This is a compelling character study. Even though not much happens throughout a good chunk of the book, I find Casey to be an interesting character. At age 31, she’s still trying to figure things out, while everything falls apart around her. This explains why she’s stuck in a rut. I think some readers might be annoyed with her since she doesn’t do much. At the same time, she’s experiencing a big writer’s block, so it’s understandable why she’s incapable of doing a whole lot outside of work. Also, she can be snarky and cynical, but these are mainly defense mechanisms from getting too vulnerable with others.

Another thing that makes Writers & Lovers stand out is the financial aspect of writing. Unless one makes it big, writers don’t get paid a whole lot of money, so it’s easy to comprehend why Casey is in $73,000 in debt from student loans. It would be so logical for her to give up writing and get a real job like a lot of her other writer friends have done. And yet, she has one, and she hates it. Much like a lot of young people these days, she wants to find a career that makes her happy, and writing does that since it provides an outlet for her emotions stemming from trust and abandonment issues.

Also, the two men that Casey falls in love with couldn’t be more opposite from one another. In one corner is Oscar – a successful author with two sons, and he adores her. The other is Silas. He’s Casey’s age and is also trying to figure out life. However, he is full of mixed signals. This is especially apparent when he drives across the country on the day of what was supposed to be their first date. There would be a clear choice, but once Oscar shows more of his true colors to Casey, she expresses her dislike pretty quickly. I won’t reveal which guy she ends up with, but all I’ll say is I would’ve been okay if she ended up with neither of them.

The one potential pitfall of the novel (depending on who you ask) is that it can feel depressing during the first third. Casey has a lot of anxiety attacks, bad days at the restaurant she works at, is deep in debt, and to top it all off, she discovers she has health issues through a good chunk of the book. This can be off putting for some who want a simple feel good story. Luckily, introducing Oscar and Silas reinvigorates her drive to finish her novel as well as to focus on her health and overall well-being. From then on, each of the burdens is slowly lifted from her shoulders, and she has a great payoff at the end. I was rooting for her throughout despite that oh-I-am-suffering aspect in the beginning.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Stacey Glemboski. Glemboski is a professional audiobook narrator who has recorded books from a variety of genres. In 2020, she was a Sovas finalist for Audiobook narration–fiction–best voiceover for this title, and I can see why. From the moment I heard Glemboski speak, I immediately imagined Casey being Charlize Theron in the movie Young Adult. This is very fitting since that movie also tackles the struggles of trying to figure out one’s life while in their thirties. Additionally, this vocal performance provides Casey’s snarky and vulnerable sides effectively. As for the other characters, Glemboski does a fine job distinguishing among them like Harry – Casey’s gay friend from work – with a posh British accent, Oscar with a Pierce Brosnan charm without the dialect, and Silas with a slightly slower and rougher tone. I can see why Lily King recruited her again for the audiobook of her 2021 collection of short stories Five Tuesdays in Winter. Overall, it’s the strongest vocal performance I’ve heard in awhile.

All in all, Writers & Lovers by Lily King is a good story about trying to figure out how to live the most creative life possible while tackling the obstacles that get in the way. Casey is a highly interesting character, and I would like to see her in future novels. Also, I enjoyed how the book discusses the financial aspect of writing. I recommend this novel for those who like reading stories about writers and writing, love triangles, and how being young sucks.

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