Book Review: Exquisite | Sarah Stovell

I must admit that when I read reviews that say the less I know about the book, the better, I find them to be frustrating. Sometimes I want a bit more than what the blurb says, and my favorite reviewers are the ones who are able to pull me into the book with more detail, and still avoid spoiling anything major.

Now that I’ve read Exquisite, I understand some of the hesitancy of reviewers to say too much. That being said, I think there is actually quite a bit revealed in the book description that does not spoil the book whatsoever. So with that I give you a spoiler-free teaser to the book…

About the Book

The book is about the close relationship that forms between successful writer Bo Luxton and misguided millennial Alice Dark. Alice is a lost soul. She is in an unfulfilling relationship with a struggling artist who is honestly more “struggle” than he is “artist”. She lost her mother after years of not speaking and a somewhat dark childhood relationship.

But Alice is a writer, and she applies to a writing workshop. The novel begins with Bo reading Alice’s short submission to the workshop, and identifying something great in Alice and her work. Bo offers a scholarship to cover Alice’s attendance at the workshop, and the two meet…

But what develops is a close mentoring relationship that embodies the passion that only true artists have. But how healthy is this relationship? Is it possible for a close relationship to be truly symbiotic? That is what you are left to explore throughout the book.

Reflection

True to itself being a book about writers, the literary aspects to this book are very rewarding. Stovell is excellent with words and descriptions. She reveals just enough about the characters and their surroundings to intrigue you to know more. Though I found the beginning of the book slow, without noticing it the book took hold of my mind and I had trouble putting it down.

This is not a fast-paced thriller, this is almost feminist noir (is that a thing?). It is a steady read without many twists and turns. This is a book that has momentum through the character-development, not necessarily through the plot or the story itself (though that is quite wonderful).

This is a story of how all humans in a sense use one another, and this may not always be a bad thing. But of course, sometimes it can be. I once read that some people in our lives are only meant to be short stories, and I found it beautiful. Some people we “use” in our lives only for a time we need them most. We may need them to learn a lesson, or to repair us when damaged. We may need them to get momentum to make a change. Or we may simply need them as a tool to get what we want. Relationships can be toxic.

I will not say anything about what happens at the ending, but I want to say how much I enjoyed it. The way Stovell writes the ending is so wonderful, because it makes you rethink the entire book. I finished this two days ago, and I’m still mulling over what I think about the line between truth and lies in my own life, as well as in the book. I wish I could have read this with someone, because I have so many things to discuss and ponder over. But! I would like this review to be spoiler free, so I’ll leave you with this:

Read this book.