I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars if it were an option. The writing is clearly strong and the author is talented. Some aspects of the book, I really enjoyed; the repetition of something bad happening, and the way what the bad thing was is revealed, worked really well for me. I appreciated the look into how parents can act and feel when their child is away for the first time. I also appreciated the nonchalance of the husband's internet affair. On the flip side, I struggled with how cis and hetero-centric the book is, especially when it comes to discussions of assault and roles in families. When queer people do come up, it's because the narrator mocks a fellow teacher's coming out, or when the narrator strangely seems to suggest someone's gender identity might change. This is also a book where, to me, I fall into feeling frustrated that the characters simply don't have actual conversations about things; the book could have started with the husband leaving, as he does at the end, and in some ways might have been more compelling and surprising for me. All of that said, I can imagine plenty of people will relate to these themes and the concerns of the book in a way that just doesn't work for me. I'm not the best reader for this book, but the author is certainly talented and I can imagine this one will be a real hit.

An engrossing story of an ambitious woman, grappling with a lull in her 20-year marriage, the ache of being an empty-nester, the anticipation of a New York Times review of her latest book of poetry, and more.

Our protagonist tells us her story in a stream of consciousness fashion. We follow her as she works, thinks, and takes refuge in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We learn that something terrible has happened and slowly, we begin to understand what was that terrible thing…

The writing is beautiful and I was captivated by the unfolding of events, and also nervous, frustrated, and surprised. I will be thinking about it for a long time. I recommend The Deceptions to anyone looking for a smart, tense, emotional portrait of a woman beginning to unravel while trying to keep it all together.

Thank you very much to Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This book felt too stream of consciousness for me to get into. I struggled to find the plot and it seemed at times a bit all over the place.

this was a beautifully done portrait of a psychological fracture of a woman, it had a great story-line and felt like a realistic human drama. I loved the way Jill Bialosky wrote the story and there was never a dull moment. I really felt for the main character. I look forward to reading more from Jill Bialosky.

". I’m sorry you’re suffering. Do you think it’s because the twins are gone? I say, as an afterthought. Is this when it all started? Maybe. I thought it would get better, that we’d spend more time together, get closer"