I was excited to read this because I loved the author’s previous book, The Town of Babylon. Middle Spoon was not at all what I expected and is written entirely in drafted emails. Nearly all of the emails are to the narrator’s significantly younger ex-boyfriend. He has a currently husband and family, and seems to be largely ignoring them while he writes fake emails. We’re led to believe he has written hundreds of pages in the days/weeks after the breakup, many of which he is explaining events that happened between him and the ex, to the ex. The narrator’s thoughts are insufferable to follow, wallowing in self-pity, and going off into rambling tangents of his thoughts on pop music, who should’ve won what Oscar, etc. This was a chore for me to finish and I wouldn’t recommend.

I obviously couldn't resist reading a book about queer polyamory titled MIDDLE SPOON. I mean, come on! The epistolary format works so well here to showcase the protagonist's endearing and eccentric qualities. I was hooked right from the start by the narrative voice, and the ending is absolutely perfect. An excellent literary read about the contemporary world of queer love.

I really enjoyed this even though it wasn't at all what I expected. I will say that I REALLY wish the description of this book mentioned that this is an epistolary novel. I think that would have given me a much clearer idea of what I was getting into. Since I was expecting a more traditional narrative, I was kind of thrown off that the entire book was written in the form of emails and centered around the main character's reflections of events rather than having the reader experience any of the events through anyone's point of view.

That aspect made this book take me much longer to get through because I naturally wanted to take this book in smaller chunks as I absorbed the main characters reflections in each email. This slowed my whole reading life down a bit which made my experience less enjoyable but I'm still rating this book 4.25 stars because I'm fairly certain

Because of the epistolary format of this book, I'm struggling to figure out how I feel about the plot and pacing. Both of which are present in this book, but they unfold in a slightly more atypical way. I certainly have not complaints about either facet though as I just allowed myself to be happily carried on for the ride.

Again, because of the format, we didn't really get to know any of the characters very deeply outside of the protagonist, but we got really interesting insights into them through the protagonists' eyes and really interesting insights into all the protagonists' different relationships. I felt like both the snapshots we got of the side characters and the protagonist himself showed really flawed but relatable people. I loved that the author was able to give up clearly flawed characters without making them unlikable which I find somewhat rare in literary fiction. Which is another complaint I have about this book's marketing. This really strongly felt like literary fiction, but is not labelled as such.

The prose in this book really reminds be of the way many journalists write. That's not to say that this read like a non-fiction article, because it did not. I've just noticed some stylistics tendencies in modern journalism that I also found in this book. The epistolary format, again, may have contributed to it. It also makes sense since I'm fairly certain the author has written for a fair number of newspapers, magazines and journals. But I felt that it really added to the story and I enjoyed that about the prose. It really gave the MC a particular kind of New Yorker personality; one he describes himself as within the book: liberal, middle-class, middle-aged, educated and queer person or color. It all fits in a sincere way with who this person, and in fact, the author himself, is.

In short, this is a good book with a lot of really interesting things to say, but it really needs a new PR team.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes reflective and wandering books with an interest in hearing some experiences and insights into polyamory.

4 ⭐️. I too enjoy a PS.....and a PPS.

TY to Viking Penguin Books and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

As the main character confronts middle age, he finds he wants more from his largely happy life with his husband, two children, and fulfilling career. So he explores a nontraditional arrangement. But when that arrangement ends, he finds himself bereft and writing a series of unsent emails to try to try to understand how he got to this point — and where he wants to go from there.

Touching, insightful, and thought-provoking, this an interesting novel about aging, family, and the push and pull of expectations.

Middle Spoon is formatted as emails sent to an ex as our narrator works through their breakup. I personally am not a fan when authors use extravagant words that normal everyday people don't use, and I'm also not a fan of this style of writing with the emails being our only insight into the characters and their lives. It leaves me wanting the other side of the story,

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A refreshingly unique love story from one of the more promising queer writers working today. Middle Spoon will make you laugh, tear up, and, just fleetingly, want to pick up the narrator and shake him until he gets it together. Glitteringly brilliant in its best moments, the dull ones are few and far between and as our protagonist would sagely remind us, those too might also be Reagan’s fault.
(minor spoilers below)

Our anonymous, polyamorous, narrator feels his world shatter around him when his boyfriend, Ben, ends the relationship. Despite still having a wonderful and supportive husband, fulfilling career, and reasonably well adjusted children, life’s just not the same without Ben. Added to our protagonist’s grief and confusion are the complexities of explaining polyamory to well-meaning but often misinformed friends and family. The novel takes the form of emails written, but unsent, to Ben in which the narrator vents his grief, anger, confusion, and hilarious pop culture observations.

This was a compelling and entertaining book. The premise alone sold me from the get go and the novel mostly had a steady, building pace which I appreciated. Honestly I never saw the end coming but I’m so happy with how things turned out! The narrator’s voice is vibrant and engaging, even in mundane matters. Since the novel is mostly nothing but his voice, this is definitely a good strength to have. The wit and aesthetic sensibility of our lovelorn hero never falter and indeed lend the whole novel a level of piquancy and verve you don’t often see. It’s such a pleasure to read something with a sense of style.

Now for the things I didn’t like quite so much.

The author mostly does an adept job of sprinkling humor, alternative perspectives in the form of dialogue, and plot throughout. However, the book does stall a bit towards the halfway point. Even I can only care about gay relationship drama only so much. This isn’t Mean Girls; the limit does in fact exist.

While I generally appreciated the introspective and nuanced tone of the book, I did find myself wishing for some more dynamic action from time to time. Honestly when the possibility of the narrator and Ben getting back together was put on the table at about the ¾’s mark I felt a sense of exhilaration I wished had lasted longer. The story could have benefitted from a slightly prolonged “will they won’t they period”.

On the whole it was a very satisfying and amusing reading experience. I think the world needs more funny, insightful, nuanced stories about the benefits and challenges of polyamory.

“Middle Spoon” is the latest novel by National Book Award finalist Alejandro Varela. It explores the inner thoughts and ruminations of one man. Throughout the book, readers are treated to the humorous and obsessive reflections of a recently heartbroken narrator.

The narrator is in a long-term, committed relationship with his husband, and they are parents to two children. While they are content in their relationship, they have chosen to open it up to polyamory.

Recently, the narrator ended a relationship with his boyfriend, Ben, and is struggling to cope with the loss. To process his feelings, he writes letters to Ben—letters he never intends to send. In these letters, he shares insights about his life as a BIPOC gay man, as well as his thoughts on everyday life as a New Yorker working in public health. While grappling with society’s perceptions and his own biases regarding polyamory, he also addresses issues such as systemic racism, class struggles, and parenting challenges.

This novel strikes a humorous yet semi-neurotic tone. Readers will relate to the tendency to overanalyze everything during a breakup and heartbreak. I found myself questioning the reliability of the narrator; only a few details confirmed his perspective. I would have appreciated seeing portions of the novel from the viewpoints of the husband and/or boyfriend.

I would recommend this book, although it may be difficult to read in one sitting due to its all-consuming exploration of wallowing and heartbreak. The writing is clever and engaging, capturing the raw and authentic feelings associated with loss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advance reader copy.