Fiction Fridays: This Must Be the Place

It always amazes me how I sometimes completely just stumble upon unbelievable writers and books that I have never even heard of before. I was in the library last week (had ran out of internet usage, so had to go jump on theirs) and decided to pick up a few books. I picked up Claire Cook's first novel, Ready to Fall, Book Doctor by Esther Cohen but first decided to read Racculia's This Must Be the Place.
The characters are so multi-layered, vulnerable, and flawed that you can't help but root for them all. Even after one of the characters, Amy, does one of the most despicable things a human can do, you still don't hate her because Racculia has built up such a great case for Amy that you isolate the mistake and don't let it define who she is overall. A truly great character development feat if you ask me.
Part of the reason why the character development is so great is the structure of the novel. Kate has four subplots isolating each character's lives interwoven in a way that makes me wonder how in the world she wrote this novel. It's written so smoothly despite the constant jumps between the character's stories and backgrounds. Yet, you don't feel like you get whiplash because the character's lives directly relate to the lives of the other three characters. And it's not like some novels with various perspectives were you just want to skip one or more of the characters' stories to get to your favorite subplot. Each is fascinating on its own and at times heartbreakingly beautiful, showcases the fragility of life and relationships.
The seemingly invisible connections between two of these main characters emphasizes the mysterious nature of life and of course, love. This book made me ponder all the invisible connections in my life--friends of friends, family members I have never met, writers I may never meet yet still feel strongly influenced by, and even kindred spirits that I would get along smashingly with if we only got the chance to meet.
This is one of those books that I feel 100% lucky to have found and would have been angry if I never read it. Well-written, philosophical,and analytical of the intricacies of the human mind. Simply superb.