? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Is it love? Or is it just Exciting Times? Author Naoise Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times tells the story of a love triangle in the modern age featuring protagonist Ava — an Irish expat in Hong Kong — her unlabeled relationship with British banker Julian and her what-if with lawyer Edith. The story unfolds fairly slowly: Ava is a fun character to watch unravel, with her confident expression of her opinions, her desperate need to be liked, and glaring flaws presented in her low self esteem and being a pushover. The novel explores the characters’ relationship with class, capitalism, and relationships. “That tangle of revulsion and attraction to Ava’s perpetual ambivalence — and the accompanying desire to reach out from this side of the looking glass and gently assure her this is simply a condition of being human — is one reason to keep reading,” the LA Times wrote.

Tags: