Waiting for Tomorrow

by Nathacha Appanah, Geoffrey Strachan (Translator)

Anita is waiting for Adam to be released from prison. They met twenty years ago at a New Year’s Eve party in Paris, a city where they both felt out of place—he as a recent arrival from the provinces, and she as an immigrant from the island of Mauritius. They quickly fell in love, married, and moved to a village in southwestern France, to live on the shores of the Atlantic with their little girl, Laura.

In order to earn a living, Adam has left behind his love of painting to become an architect, and Anita has turned her desire to write into a job freelancing for a local newspaper. Over time, the monotony of daily life begins to erode the bonds of their marriage. The arrival of Adèle, an undocumented immigrant from Mauritius whom they hire to care for Laura, sparks artistic inspiration for both Adam and Anita, as well as a renewed energy in their relationship. But this harmony will prove to be short-lived, brought down by their separate transgressions of Adèle’s privacy and a subsequently tragic turn of events.

With the careful observation, vivid description, and emotional resonance that are the hallmarks of her previous novel, The Last Brother, in Waiting for Tomorrow, Nathacha Appanah investigates the life of the artist, the question of cultural differences within a marriage, and the creation and the destruction of a family.

Genres: Fiction, France, Mauritius, African Literature

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2015

About the author

See also: Nathacha Appanah-Mouriquand

Nathacha Devi Pathareddy Appanah is a Mauritian-French author. She comes from a traditional Indian family.

She spent most of her teenage years in Mauritius and also worked as a journalist/columnist at Le Mauricien and Week-End Scope before emigrating to France.

Since 1998, Nathacha Appanah is well-known as an active writer. Her first book Les Rochers de Poudre d'Or (published by Éditions Gallimard) received the " Prix du Livre RFO". The book was based on the arrival of Indian immigrants in Mauritius.

She also wrote two other books Blue Bay Palace and La Noce d'Anna which also received some prizes for best book in some regional festivals in France.

In 2007, she released her fourth book " Le Dernier Frère " Ed de L'Olivier. This book won the Prix FNAC.

Reviews

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've waited seven years for Natacha Appanah to publish another book following her remarkable debut with 'The Last Brother', a novel I read and cherish still. 'Waiting for Tomorrow' doesn't disappoint in any way. It is a deep and poignant observation of family, culture, cultural differences, art, and friendship. It is also an exploration of the ever-present and precarious nature of time and how things change through our choices, actions and inactions. Each moment lived is a moment gone.

Adam and Anita meet at a New Year's eve party in Paris when they are 24. Each feels like an outsider and Adam tries to disappear by hiding on a couch. He repeats out loud, "I don't belong here". Surprisingly, he hears a response, "Welcome to the club my friend". The response is from Anita who has been hiding under the coats strewn on the couch. Adam is from the provinces and loves it there. Paris is a torment to him. He has forgone his love of painting to become an architect. Anita is a brown skinned woman from Mauritius who has dreams of becoming a writer. Together, they forge their lives, marry and make a family.

Both Adam and Anita aspire to become something great, believing that together they can achieve a special place in the world of art and culture. Adam decides that they will move to the provinces where he will use his hands to build their home and make things they will use. He is still an architect but he has bigger dreams of what he can do with his abilities. Anita tries to be a good wife and do all the 'womanly' things like cooking, cleaning, and waiting on Adam. When their daughter Laura is born, Anita tries to be a good mother and make her home life all-important. However, something is missing because Anita wants to write again, an activity she put on hold when they moved to the provinces. She manages to get a job as a stringer for a local newspaper but initially finds it difficult to get stories as the people she meets view her as an outsider because of her accent and the color of her skin. Anita "feels both poor and rich, both adored and neglected. She has all she could wish for and is alone".

As Anita is doing her journalism work, she meets Adele, also from Mauritius. Adele has a history she is trying to bury, a story that she does not want to tell. It is partly her mysteriousness, along with Anita's feeling that she is knowable, that draws Anita towards her. Adele, for her part, feels for the first time that she may have found a comrade soul in Anita. Anita takes Adele home with her and Adele becomes Laura's nanny. However, her role in the family is much bigger than that. She becomes the muse for Adam's paintings and Anita begins to write again. "Since Adele came everything has changed. She looks after Laura when Anita and Adam are working; she cooks, she sews, she encourages, she mends, she loves them. She bathes the house in a serenity that was hitherto lacking."

With Adele present it is as if every moment is precious and filled with meaning. There is a now and a tomorrow. There are visions of hope and aspirations to create. A gallery owner who views one of Adam's paintings appears to understand what Adam is trying to say with his work. "This painting is an extract, it begins somewhere else, it does not end here. This painting is an interpretation of the present in its infinite complexity; an individual and shared present that is not static, a present filled with a thousand instants, coming and exploding on the surface."

As the family connections evolve, as Anita absorbs Adele's story and history as her own, as Adam's paintings and architectural renderings raise to new heights, it seems that inspiration and hope lie in every corner, carefully doled out to everyone. However, it is rare that life ever proceeds so smoothly. Currents and eddies abound and if one is not careful, there will always be a vortex that will suck you in and under. Thus, at the most inopportune time (as if any time is the right one), tragedy strikes and this family, so blessed, so close, so alive, must now face a future very different from the one they've cherished.

Ms. Appanah writes poetically and with brilliant insight. Characters become alive and we can imagine ourselves in their skin, feel their hearts beating in our own chest. This book is magical and part of this magic comes from Geoffrey Strachan's flawless translation. This is one of those rare books that let me understand how great literature is akin to a blazing north star.

[Britta Böhler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Jerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had strong writing, but the story is a bit depressing. A young couple have artistic dreams that they struggle to realize while raising their child and working their normal jobs. They are in a rut until they hire a nanny that inspires them both. An unfortunate accident, however, changes their lives abruptly and quashes their artistic goals.

[Yajna Gvd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: 3.5/5
As for the other books of Nathacha Appanah, you can recognise her distinct narrative style in this book as well! It does a very good job in keeping your attention and is a page-turner. It is a simple plot with 3 main characters whose lives are intertwined through either marriage, or common origins. Hints of two themes that I enjoy reading were present throughout the book: the integration process of a foreigner in France, and the references to Mauritius. Despite this, I related much less to this book than I did with Les Rochers de Poudre d'Or, le Dernier Frère or even Blue Bay Palace. I'd say that it remains a nice and enjoyable book with many reflections on the married life, the feeling of being out-of-place, the experience of foreigners in a foreign land.

Even though this is not central to the plot (and I'm not sure if it was voluntary on the author's part), there is an interesting juxtaposition of the two Mauritian women who seeks two different outcomes from being in a foreign land. On the one hand, Anita (the wife of the French-born Adam, and mother of Laura) looks for a complete assimilation into this community, wants to be seen as no different from a French, and goes out of her way to dissimulate her differences (erasing her accent, changing the way she dresses..). She constantly suffers from being "invisibiliser" by society. On the contrary, Adèle, came to France exactly to "disappear" and to be invisible to society.

In terms of the plot, the ending is laid down in the first couple of pages and the whole intrigue of the book is to understand how the characters end up in these positions. I felt that there was a nice pace all along, except for the last part of the book. The end felt like a rush to fit everyone in the position they were set out to be in, which I feel did not do justice to the character development throughout the book.

In all, it was a quick and enjoyable read! As in Blue Bay palace, the story is pretty grim (you get the flavor from the first couple of pages) and is not what I would normally read, but I make an exception in the case of Nathacha Appanah.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Jean-Pascal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Une enfilade de clichés tendance adolescente pour certains parisienne pour d'autres. Une histoire déjà lue ou vue dix fois et à laquelle on ne croit pas.

[Miki]

I started this story at least four times. I couldn't get into it. So I found a copy of the audiobook on Scribd, and gave it another shot. Having both the physical copy, which I borrowed from the library, and the audiobook was helpful and that's how I read the entire thing.

While I feel that having both the audio and physical copies of the book made the reading experience more enjoyable, I don't like the fact that I needed both to feel the momentum of the story.

The story was enjoyable, but I have this awful feeling that I'm not going to remember it. The journey is clearly more important than the ending as the ending was rushed. I love shorter fiction, but this is one instance in which I feel the story would have benefitted from another 10 to 20 pages.

If anyone can recommend another of Appanah's books that they think I might enjoy more, I'd appreciate it!

[Audiobook, Scribd; physical, borrowed from library]

[Gin Jenny (Reading the End) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the themes this book was exploring, but docked it a star because of the way it handles disability, treating it as an explosive plot device rather than exploring disabled lives in any thoughtful way.

The climactic incident of the story involves -- among other things -- a little girl hitting her head on a pole and falling into a lake. Though she is rescued from the water, she has brain damage afterwards. The author doesn't really grapple with the life Laura has after this accident: We hear a litany of things she CAN'T do, and that's it. Her disability is treated as ~~tragic~~ without any consideration of how actual disabled people live their actual lives.

[Ghassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’est ma deuxième lecture de Nathacha Appanah, après Tropique de la violence, et ce livre, malheureusement, n’est pas au même niveau. Ce n’est pas à dire qu’il s’agit d’un mauvais livre ; loin de ça. Il y a beaucoup de bons éléments dans En attendant demain. L’auteure a construit des personnages très intéressants, à qui on s’attache facilement, y compris les personnages secondaires (les passages sur Cecilia Lesparet et Christian Voubert sont absolument magnifique !). La description des images et émotions est aussi admirablement maîtrisée. Néanmoins, je suis un peu déçu par la fin. Elle m’a semblé forcée et peu convaincante. Malgré ce bémol, ma lecture était très agréable, car le livre est plein de belles phrases et images, et il aborde des thèmes importants et intéressants qui mérite de réflexion. Il me semble que Nathacha Appanah est une auteure à suivre.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does an amazing job of presenting the story of relationships, families, and how circumstances can alter lives in a moment.

Anita and Adam are married and have a daughter, Laura. Adele is a woman of mystery who enters their lives to make a monumental change. I kept thinking about karma, and how life can change in an instant.

Appanah writes with polish and makes her character live.
Read this one.

[Deborah Bluminberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide how I feel about Anita and Adam. Their love story had so much potential, but they became dissatisfied and careless with their lives (which is so easy to do). I had read a review that billed this as a mystery, but the only mystery to me was why Adam went to jail. What did he and Anita hope to accomplish, regain, atone for, by his jail sentence. But, this was a very satisfying read for me.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After their youthful dreams of becoming creative urban artists, Anita and Adam fall into the boring but stable provincial lifestyle. First, dating in Paris, their differences are charming but later, as a married couple in the country, the differences create a tension in their marriage. The novel explores the imbalance in relationships between husband and wife and then with the nanny they hired to care for their beloved daughter in an attempt to find domestic balance. The exploitation of Adèle is similar to Leila Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny and like it, the exploitation ends in tragedy. The mother and nanny also are both exotic immigrants who are revered for being different yet also belittled for it. I like that the author keeps a distance between the characters and the reader because it depicts the distance among them and it is effective in implying the insecurities each character holds.

[Kurt Kemmerer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of every long-term relationship, though I’m sure some would not want to recognize their relationship in this story. The ebb and flow, the sadness, the rediscovery, the fear, the humanity. It’s a brilliant book about faults, tragedies, and the small triumphs that keep us going.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Found some passages very nicely written. Perhaps it’s a me-problem, but I was expecting something Noir-er.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve long felt that this author needed to redeem herself. She “owed” me and the rest of reading mankind a good book after her AWFUL novel, “The Last Brother”. She may now consider her debt paid. This was a good book.

An engaging story, and characters I didn’t mind spending time with. I always add a star for the translator, and I’ve done so here, but this novel borders on a solid four without that bump — it just doesn’t quite make the case for garnering 5.

I will keep on the lookout for this author’s next project. She went through all the trouble of writing something that would mend the rift between us... The least I can do is show my confidence that she’s got another good novel in her.

[peg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shortlisted for the 2019 Albertine prize which is sponsored by the French Embassy and rewards a book originally in French that has been translated into English. http://www.albertine.com/albertine-pr...

The writing style is in my opinion the best thing about this book. The story about a mixed race couple and the nanny they hire seemed to me overwrought and badly paced.

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This book had a lot of promise with Appanah really being effortless but clearly working hard (and impressively) to make her characters seem so complete. The way she introduces her characters and gives them depth, dreams, and renders them so vividly is actually an enviable writer’s trait that she possesses. When characters Anita, and Adam meet, there is a tender sense of immediate nostalgia that hits, and while these characters are so specific, they also serve as excellent reminders of youthful desires and hopes. The story of a couple who does truly love each other is less the focus; the novel is more about the ways in which people, as they age, find themselves disappointed in what they have become, haunted by their visions of who they were going to be when they were young. It’s about disappointing the younger version of you–the you of 20 years old with ambition, promise, and unwritten potential. There is a scene where Anita digs through boxes in her attic that her parents kept for her so she can get closer to the person she was when she was younger, to find out what her true identity is, to get close to that version of her: “She studies everything attentively and absorbs her own dreams, her own desires, her own fantasies, so as not to lose touch completely with that other Anita, the one who wanted a career out into the world, the one who wanted to write a novel.”

With that, Appanah offers this exploration of the dangers of nostalgia for a youth that is gone, a youth punctuated with artistic purity, and she does that by offering the doubling figure of Adele. Adele functions as Anita’s double in a sense and inspires everyone to create; she is a stunning muse who saves, and breathes life, but she herself is without identity, and overcome with sorrow. Adele allows for a fair and balanced view of Adam and Anita, as we see the ways their middle class and privilege are able to shield them. Appanah seemingly argues that one cannot be comfortable and middle class and be a true avant-garde artist. Entry into middle class respectability demands a compromise of vision, a blurring of edges.

All of that is great and Appanah is concise, but even with that there were so many moments in the short book where I was left wondering as to why she included certain details if not to solely get an emotional rise out of readers (like the whole thing with the childhood friend getting bone cancer). The ending also undid the quiet and mundane nature that the rest of the book worked so hard to capture with a melodramatic loud climax that was unnecessary for the characters to have the revelations and to show their true colors to themselves. I grew frustrated at the ending as it seemed cliched, rushed, and so unfair to the character of Adele, leaving her feeling more like a plot device than a fully formed human being. The book played with the objectification and humanization of Adele and seeing her done like that just made me question the craftsmanship of the other parts of the story.

[SabirSultan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be easy to dismiss the novel on spec. The plot verges on trite – a young couple meet, they have artistic passions and ambitions of greatness, time disabuses them of the optimism of both, they fall into a staid and domestic life. Moreover, an incident with their nanny is the crux of the unraveling of their lives. You’ve read that book. I’ve read that book. And yet, dismissing this novel would be a mistake.

It is the level of craft evident in this novel that takes it somewhere else. The writing is urgent and rhythmic. Lyrical passages and sentences are interposed with terse passages and terse sentences in a way that pulls your eye across pages. The writing is majestic;

“Adam is thirty-five. Unaware of the cruel way time chips away at things, he is not affected by reality. He is here and now. He draws. He paints. He makes things. He makes things. He imagines. He designs. He sands and polishes. He works at his art, at what he is creating, without asking himself questions, without a mountain to climb, without a jungle to cross, without any obstacles. Moments before he had been the disgruntled husband, quarreling with his wife, breaking a plate, arguing with her. Moments before, too, he had been that man seeking the warmth of a desired body, the comfort of being loved and desired in return. Now all he is is this man preparing a canvas, mixing pigments with linseed oil. He is nothing more than his painting and his painting is his alone. He is without fear, without guilt, without a path to follow, no meals to prepare, no laundry to hang, no shopping to do, no child to amuse. There is nobody whom he has to convince of his right to be where he is, with no sound in his ears, no sunlight coming in to interrupt his train of thought. He is creation itself.”

That is a mic-drop of a paragraph. That is the level of skill Appanah (and her translator Strachan) bring to bear. Consider how the repetitions build on each other and respond to each other, how the passion of artistry is evoked, and the key details given that manifest the nature of Adam’s domestic life. That paragraph is transcendent and the writing often operates in that near operatic key.

Appanah also has a pitch-perfect eye for detail. The novel is short – it isn’t even 150 pages. Brevity does not take away from the fullness of the main characters. Through the details they notice, through the telling details that secondary characters notice about them, the characters are fully fleshed out. You cannot help but fall a bit in love with them. They are so human they demand your empathy.

Waiting For Tomorrow was completely unexpected. It was a delight to read. Structurally it plays with time in interesting ways. It engages with ethnicity and class and the urge to assimilate in a manner, that while not new, is felt. The ending had such a finely tuned sense of tension, at 4:00 AM I was still uttering, “just one more chapter.” Most importantly, the writing is beautiful.

[Meghan Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at my local bookstore as I was nearing my end of year challenge and still needed a few (thin) books to read. I’m glad I did.

A very atmospheric book that follows the lives of two artistic and free-spirited young people, Anita and Adam, in France as they meet, fall in love, get married, have a child and struggle with their marriage as their child ages. The plot reaches as pinnacle when Adéle (Melody) enters their lives. An (illegal) immigrant from the same country as Anita, enters their lives. Unable to cope with life after her husband and young son die in a car accident, she buys a one-way ticket to Europe and vanishes into the background. She does odd jobs, working bars and working as a nanny. She comes into the employ of Anita and Adam but their lives entangle. Adam sleeps with her in a moment of sadness and needing comfort. Both Anita and Adam have used her captivating stories for their own gain—Anita writing a novel based on her life, and Adam painting works. It’s as though they could not find inspiration any longer in their own lives but their creative genius is stoked by the mystery that is Adéle. Adéle discovers Anita’s work. Already unhinged by the interaction with Adam, and already planning to meet her husband and son in the afterlife, she goes to a jetty on a cold lake and dissolves her problems, leaving behind a gap and problems for Anita and Adam—Adam goes to jail. 4 years later, their lives start over.

An interesting and slow moving plot, but I loved this book for its vivid description, not just of place and setting, but of people and their emotions and reactions. Would recommend!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is effective in creating plot tension and pulling me into the story, but I don't find myself thinking much about the story since finishing it. What was missing for me was a deeper development of the relationships between the characters and more time spent on the inner life of the characters.

There are elements of the story that almost work all the way but are lacking in some way - the reality of being in a biracial marriage in a small French town, the challenges of being an immigrant, the demands of parenthood, the strains that marriages face several years in, the struggle to maintain one's individual identity as a person and as an artist in particular within a family unit. These are all massive topics, and I feel like they are swimming beneath the surface without enough time fully out in the air. The most interesting conflict, of course, is how two married artists appropriate the tragic life of an undocumented immigrant woman and the very uncomfortable lack of boundaries in that odd trio.

The author is very skillful at creating mood and tension, and the writing flows with an almost fabulistic, lyrical yet not frilly quality, but I felt like the plot got in the way in the story which should have - in my opinion - focused sharply and unforgivingly on the relational conflicts.

[Jessica Woofter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange little book.
First of all, I appreciate that it is not too long. It was a little more than 4 hours as an audiobook. Almost every modern novel I read could be cut by 100 pages without suffering and possibly resulting in improvement. This was not belabored.
However, sadly, maybe this one could have used a little more? The end felt very rushed. I have absolutely no idea why Adam and Anita felt the need to make up a story about how Adele/Melody drowned -- a story that was way worse than what actually happened and resulted in Adam being in jail.
I love books that take place in France, and I liked the added tidbits about Anita's Mauritian background/culture, and the glimpse into Adele/Melody's previous life. I would have liked more about Adele's life as an undocumented immigrant in France. But one of my favorite kinds of books are ones that evoke a time/place/experience with brevity and ...whimsy? elegance?...I don't know the word, but this book did that. Maybe I wanted that without the storyline or tragic ending. Just a glimpse into these people's lives.

[Alex-Mot-à-Mots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que j’aime vos romans, Natacha Appanah. Un univers différent à chaque nouveau texte, je découvre vos anciens livres avec délice.

J’ai aimé ce couple qui se rencontre sur un canapé vert ; qui quitte Paris pour l’océan ; qui crée un cocon pour leur fille Laura.

J’ai aimé Anita et sa façon de pleurer son père ; ses robes et ses colliers colorés ; son envie d’écrire.

J’ai été intrigué par Adèle, son deuil, sa passion pour les enfants.

J’ai été moins sensible à l’aspect création artistique du roman. Même si la description du tableau d’Adam m’a paru magnifique.

Mais l’amour au sein de ce couple est tellement beau.

L’image que je retiendrai :

Celle de la couleur jaune omniprésente.

http://alexmotamots.fr/en-attendant-d...

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam, a French architect from the countryside who would love to be a painter, meets Anita, from Mautitius,who would love to be a writer. They marry, have a child, Laura, and live in the southwest of France, close to a village. They learn to compromise in order to live their new life ,each yearning for who they thought they might have become . ...Then they find a childminder ,the mysterious Adele, and she gives them the inspiration to become painter and writer again. But by not telling her that Adam is painting her story or that Anita is writing it, a series of tragic events unfold which can never be forgotten. Wonderful writing, insights into racism, the monotony of daily life, dreams not fulfilled.

[Alissa Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written. It doesn’t waste any words and has a prose like flow, even though it’s sparse it’s a rich, beautiful, complicated world that has been created.

I feel like this is the 3rd post in a row where I am reviewing a heartbreaking beauty. But here we are again. You know from the first page that this is true.

A slim book and fast read, though you’ll certainly reread certain sentences to enjoy the wording.

While it is complete, I find my self wanting to spend more time with the characters and their lives. And maybe savor the moment of joy and balance in their lives when Anita, Adele, Adam and Laura are all together.

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so not sure where to begin with this. The writing style for me didn’t totally work and I don’t know if that was because of the translation or if that is how the author wanted it. I felt like everything was told to me. Every detail of the room including the measurement of the room is told to you. There was no room to let your imagination take something and run. I enjoyed the characters for the most part but for me the writing style didn’t work. But I’m so glad I was able to try out some more translated work!

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5
J’ai adoré. Deuxième livre lus de cette autrice, deuxième claque.
Un court roman à l’écriture incisive, plein de détails, de sensations, de douceur et de dureté.
Je me suis retrouvée dans nombreuses des pensées et des d’émotions que traversent les personnages. L’autrice fait d’une histoire à priori assez simple (bien qu’avec une chute dramatique qui plane tout le long du livre ) un récit plein de complexité.
Le seul petite déception pour moi fut la fin, qui, attendue depuis les première lignes, retombe un peu après tout le suspens construit autour. Néanmoins, un gros coup de cœur.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across the book by accident, with no other recommendation than the synopsis. I am so glad I picked it up. It would be a quick read because it is not a long book, but you want to stop often and savor the sentences. The descriptions in this book take you right into the story time and again. It was such a "true" book, like this really could happen, does happen, will happen in real life. I love the way the author carried me along on the story's ride. Highly recommend this book.

[Joanna P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This writing is so beautiful. Comparing the droplets of rain to uncooked rice falling into a boiling pot! Ah! The importance of names and the changing of them! The ethics of art and what is inspiration versus stealing! It’s all so good.
My only qualm might be that Laura seems to only be a character to prove the consequences of her parents’ actions, and not because she’s a true human character. But…I guess you could really say the same about Adele as a plot device?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel begins with Anita waiting for Adam to be released from prison, and as the story unfolds, we find out why he has been serving time. The story unfolds in alternating chapters, as time shifts back and forth. This is a haunting novel- some reviews call it a thriller, but I found it more of a complicated love story.

[Linda Stack-Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moments of interiority in this are gorgeous and charming and honest. The descriptions of the everyday and the contradictions inherent to personal growth really shine. That being said, the "suspense" of the central event in the story is not well handled, and the "plot" per se falls apart ~2/3 of the way through. HOWEVER, judging for the writing not the plot I would still recommend it