When a book, such as this, gives me vibrant prose, but pairs it with a plodding pace, what am I to do? I, of course, persevered through the book, but I wouldn’t say that there was an innate draw to finish the book. This is a genre that I enjoy (one of my favorite reads is Leave the World Behind), so I’m not quite sure what the issues were. As others have said, I struggled to connect with the main character and generally just wanted more action, less talking (for lack of better words). My ambivalence notwithstanding, I would recommend this read, but it would have to be a reader that is in a certain mindset and open to the story and its characters.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

Cass is raising three small children in the city while her husband serves as a medic overseas. With supplies dwindling, viruses and wildfires running rampant, and unsafe air topping the ever-growing list of impending collapse, Cass feels restless and less safe in the city.

As attacks continue to occur around her, she decides to leave her home and head to the country to her mother-in-law's home. But the peacefulness of her surroundings belies the tension mounting in her new resting place. With her mother-in-law's erratic behavior and the terrifying hold she has on the children, Cass and her children flee for the coast. Will this new place finally allow her and her family some respite, or will she find herself yet again on the run?

This novel started pretty typical of your post-apocalyptic style plots. The only difference with this one is the lovely prose. Every sentence seemed carefully carved out, and nothing out of place. With the rich framework of the plot, the mesmerizing characters, and so many details packed into this novel, I truly felt as if I were watching a movie in my head.

Excellent and unique! I highly recommend it to the “end of the world” genre-loving bookworms.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I joke that my favorite genre is "post-apocalyptic novels with elements of resilience and joy" - think Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, The Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang, The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller (which has an uncannily similar cover design? but setting that aside...). All that to say, when I read the description of Briefly Very Beautiful, I requested it immediately, and I started reading as soon as I received it.

However, a week after finishing - to give myself time to process - my feelings are mixed. Here's what I think is at the core of my ambivalence: the prose is indeed strong, BUT I don't believe it's strong enough to justify the incredibly - and, I'd argue, unnecessarily - slow pace. I felt the tension-to-action ratio was skewed - imagine Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam but with 2-3x the amount of exposition and anticipation. I also struggled to get a clear sense for Cass, the protagonist; in particular, I couldn't find anything likeable about her husband Nathaniel, so I had a hard time believing in the stated strength of their connection. Overall, I wasn't as drawn to or invested in the story as I expected, but I'm very curious how other speculative fiction readers experience this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and ABRAMS (The Overlook Press) for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.