Beautiful writing with a slightly less beautiful story. I enjoyed it very much, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Marilou is Everywhere is beautifully written and so, so grim. From the blurb I expected a quirky, somewhat lighthearted book. This is not that. Cindy lives an aimless life - her mom has left and she lives with her brothers. Food and love are scarce. When her neighbor Jude disappears, Cindy slowly slips into Jude's life, as her mother has lost touch with reality and doesn't realize Jude is gone. This book is set in Western Pennsylvania fracking country, and it was really recognizable to me, as someone who lives nearby. Wanting to know what would happen propelled me through the book, but it was a really tough read.

What a remarkable book. The synopsis more or less covers the plot, but it isn't exactly accurate.

Smith is a real wordsmith -- some sentences were so powerful and beautifully written -- but she is a new writer that still has that "MFA" sheen on her.

I'm going to be chewing on this one for a bit.

A masterpiece. Please see my attached review and author interview in The Pittsburgh Current. It is attached below.