The Book of Speculation: A Novel

I enjoyed this book a lot, though it was a bit slow to start. The characters were believable, the setting was realistic, but the magic and mystery of the tarot cards and book was excellently written. The perspective change throughout the book was very well done and it all came to tie together very well in the end.

This book was intriguing and well-written. I'd be willing to try more fiction by this author.

Disappointed it didn't really have mermaids in it.

So much about this book resonated with me, from the oceanic setting, the nuanced characters, the subtle magic, to the dark and enchanting past that catches up with the ever-intensifying present. One of the most enjoyable reads I’ve experienced in a while.

I loved the author’s choice of words. There was something so enveloping, wholesome, and tangible in her writing; I wished this story could continue on past the “The Mermaid Girl” short story.

( 4...read more

First of all, the language, emotions, and moods in this book are beautiful. In particular, I liked how the book approached and tried to explain the feelings of grief, otherness, and loneliness. How otherness can make you lonely and how loneliness can make you other. How family and family history affect both. How losing family makes you both. The feelings involved in trying to carry family even when they refuse to be helped.

There are a lot of thin...read more