Melissa Broder is back with yet another book that is gleefully shocking, darkly hilarious, and supremely insightful about human nature. No one else is doing it like her! She hits it out of the park yet again with Death Valley. I’ll be recommending this until everyone I know has read it!

Melissa Broder has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and how easily she incorporates magical realism into her stories. Her characters are also always so flawed and yet I find myself relating to them and rooting for them. This story was no different, i like the main character even though sometimes i wanted to scream at her to get it together.

This is a solid 4.5 stars, without a doubt. I only subtracted half a star as it got a bit self-conscious and Big Lesson-y to me in ways I don't really jive with (but plenty of people will). Nevertheless, that wasn't enough for me to downgrade it much — this is my first Melissa Broder (I know, I know, but my TBR list is long!) and it won't be my last.

The first half of "Death Valley" was better for me than the last. It was more fast-paced, flippant, and quite funny. Obviously, the second half shifts since that's where the Big Lessons come in. That being said, this was clearly an intentional shift on behalf of the writer rather than an accidental loss of momentum. It was also really necessary to bring the story full circle, and despite meandering a bit (literally and figuratively), it still kept me glued to every page wanting to see what happened next.

There were so many thoughts and sentiments that work as real gut punches throughout in this book. Broder seems to have a knack for getting you right in the feels even when she's being off-handed, which somehow makes it even more effective. Needless to say, I'm a fan.

"I need to talk to someone. Who? I guess I have people I could call, but I can't think of anyone who won't hold me to a feeling. People are such a commitment. I would 'reach out' more often if everyone promised not to check in again later. That's how they get you. Your tragedy = their ticket to texting every day. Then it becomes about their drama. It's always the people you don't want to be there for you who are there for you."

Eesh.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

This is not the type of novel I normally read so I wasn't sure if I would like it but, as it turns out, I could not put it down. The story follows the meandering path of the main character as she navigates her father's near-fatal accident and her husband's long-term illness. To clear her mind and take a break while she works on her next novel, she leaves LA to visit Death Valley and stay in her very favorite hotel chain, the Best Western (this alone should give you some insight into her wit and humor).

I loved the main character and found her to be genuine and perfectly relatable. The relationships with her mom, sister, and father are complex but heartwarming. Many times I found myself laughing out loud as she would describe her current situation and her perspective on nature, animals, and the people she meets. The conversations between her and her husband covered a variety of topics and emotions ranging from annoyance to digestive issues to gratitude and back again. This novel is really about family, marriage, mid-life, and grief. It was the perfect read at the perfect time!

Thank you to Melissa Border, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

I feel torn on reviewing this book, I think because I am such a big fan of Milk Fed. Broder is a smart, talented, and funny writer, and I think I'll probably always enjoy her books. But this one doesn't hit the way Milk Fed did, and I have to admit, it felt a touch disappointing. The prose in this one felt less polished, and I can see that as an intentional choice in style and voice, but the effect was meh to me. Death Valley has some lovely surrealism and smart and thoughtful images surrounding grief and caretaking. It also has a bisexual protagonist which is always fun. But overall this one just didn't land for me the way Broder's past books did; it felt a little more like reading a very voicey novel from the POV of a character who wasn't fully developed, and while it is clearly labeled as fiction, I kept wondering if I was supposed to be getting auto-fiction vibes from this particular narrator. This might work great for some people, but it kept me chewing and asking questions about what the plot was doing and *why.* Overall, this was still a great, fun read and entertaining, so I'd still recommend it, but I can't say it's my favorite from Broder.