This book was one of the first books I have read in a long time that I found myself unable to put down. The friendship of Irene and Luce consumed me and I felt like I was on the journey with them. I felt each choice that they made and the pain that they felt. Despite this being a complex and heavy book, it still had parts that made me smile and was very easy to get consumed by. I really connected to this book because I live in a community like the one it describes. Rural Appalachia is beyond beautiful but, it also has a history of poverty and drug abuse. Bewilderness gave humanity to the characters facing these issues. So many other books try to strip that away. This book is one that will stick with me forever and that I will recommend to everyone I know.

BEWILDERNESS is an intense peek into the life of addiction. Karen Tucker's novel focuses on small town North Carolina (which really could be swapped out for so many towns in America) and highlights the affects of addiction, and more specifically, the opioid crisis on a group of young adults. Irene and Luce are good friends who spiral more and more into (and out of, and into again) addiction together. They are incredibly close, and then Luce begins seeing a young man who is in recovery. This complicates the relationship as Luce begins to spend more time with her boyfriend and they start to develop plans to start a new life in Florida- without Irene.

Tucker begins the novel with a stage in Irene and Luce's life where they have been clean for a while and doing well. A triggering event causes a cascade of bad decision making, and in addition, Tucker provides flashbacks to show where Luce and Irene got to where they were. It is a unflinching and tough, but unsurprising read on what individuals will do when they are in the throws of addiction. I also appreciated the undercurrent of the complexity in the relationship between the two women. While they are close, Irene is laser-focused on how Luce is doing at all times, to the point of codependency. It is fascinating to watch how their relationship changes over time. While there have been several (great) books out on the opioid crisis, I have read more on the nonfiction/historical front, and this is a good, fast-paced novel to highlight what it might look like with fictional characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Catapult for this advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I had high hopes for this book but I unfortunately just was not a fan. I finished almost all of it but I really could not get through the rest. The story line drags on some and it was hard to keep my attention. This might be a book others enjoy but it didn't keep my attention.

I just finished Bewildered. I read it through in one sitting. I have not had a book hold my attention in that way for a long time. The book is raw; it is sad and it makes you think. As a nurse, I have seen so many addicts come through the doors of the Emergency Room. They are from all walks of life but the ones that really touch me are the younger people with their whole life ahead of them. This book is about 2 girls, early twenties who just started out using opioids to party. They soon were enjoying it so much. It made the harder things in life not so bad—until using takes over their life. I have heard lots of stories, lots of sad stories about addiction. This book seems to be very true to life. This book may be a culture shock for readers; to others it may be unbelievable. It’s true. It’s sad. The book is well-written and fast paced. It seems to be written from the heart. I give it 5 stars. I was provided an advance copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really astounding account of.addictuon, recovery and friendship. I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I could know these women and wanted to help them.

I couldn't recommend this book enough! This book has everything! Struggles. Friendship. Addiction!
This story was enough to draw me in and not let go!
I loved the characters. They are some strong ladies!
Absolutely a beautifully written book.

This book blew me away! It’s about friendship and family and the choices we make. Set in North Carolina surrounded by drug abuse that’s real and authentic. Luce is the main character and throughout she is put to the test against poverty, love and trying to stay clean.

This novel is powerful and beautiful and definitely one I’d recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced ebook copy.

To say this is a cautionary tale about addiction would be true, but it wouldn't be fair. Bewilderness is a poignant novel that is as much about friendship, found families, and how the choices we make can reverberate across a lifetime - as it is about drugs. Set in rural North Carolina, Irene narrates her intense friendship with Luce in nonlinear fashion over the course of multiple years. She is darkly funny, surprisingly insightful, and as addicted to Luce as she is to other substances.

Rarely is female friendship portrayed accurately without veering into well-worn "Mean Girls" territory, but Tucker paints a portrait so authentic that it made me ache for friends I've long since drifted apart from. Throughout the novel, Irene and Luce's intimate bond is tested by abject poverty, new boyfriends, and the wavering will to stay clean. Yet, despite their faults, you never stop rooting for these two young women and the friendship that both destroys and sustains them.

Bewilderness is a beautiful, painful novel that strikes at the heart, without any trace of syrupy "after school special" prose. This is Tucker's debut novel and I'm already anticipating her next one.

CW: drug abuse, drug overdose, parental neglect, death, sexual assault/harassment, physical assault/ harassment