SHAE by Mesha Maren is honest and heartbreaking, a tragic story masterfully told. What happens to Shae is completely outside my lived experience, but I felt connected to her from start to end and rooted for her at every turn.
I had intended to pace myself and only read a set amount of this novel each evening, but the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. I read most of it over the course of one day. The pace speeds up as the book progresses and the situation changes for Shae. Through it all, I felt like I was right there with Shae, pulled forward with her by the momentum of the choices she makes.
I would love to dissect this book and figure out exactly how the author achieved this effect. Whatever techniques Mesha Maren used were baked into the novel, everything working together perfectly. As a reader, I was never aware of what the author was doing to make me feel so invested in this story and the characters.
I was already a fan of Mesha Maren's writing, and this is my favorite novel of hers to date. I recommend this book 100%.
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