The characters seemed so real that I am almost convinced of their existence. As is typical in any of Walker's works, the themes are feminism, sexuality, empowerment, race and spirituality. With great honesty, this book provides a heart-wrenching view of Dolan's grief after his brother's tragic and untimely death. A must-read for anyone interested in exploring sibling relationships and the ties that bind them. Many events and characters featured are real, but Monroe's dialogue throughout the book is, of course, imagined.
Oates writes tense, taut prose that lends to an overall feeling of impending doom and failure.
I'm not typically a fan of anything that so greatly blurs the line between fact and fiction, but Oates does so in a way that is highly engaging.