This was a DNF pretty early on for me. Just couldn't get into it. Nothing wrong with the writing, I just don't think it was the right book for me at the time I picked it up.

DNF

Pre-Read Notes:

I grabbed this one because I thought it was a short story collection, but it's a novel. I've just started this one, and learned one of the subplots is an investigation of the moth man myth. This is one theme I am just not into; in general, I'm not a cryptozoology fan.

Not sure if I'll finish this one. *edit I didn't.

Final Review:

I couldn't connect to this book because I didn't get along with the style, which seemed to cast constantly into a giant, undefined history. Despite a lot of activity on the page, the book hadn't yet indicated what it was interested in achieving when I left off with it at p77, and for me that translates to a plotless story. I really need character motivation and response in order to feel engaged, but I didn't find much of that.

Since I just couldn't connect, I decided to DNF, but dont let that dissuade you. Susan Coll is an author I will always try because of her expertise in fiction and what makes it good. As she is the president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, she impacts contemporary literary trends through her constant support of and advocacy for the contemporary literature community. Her insights alone make her worth reading.

So give her a try. I'm going to, again.

Reading Notes:

Four things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Am I the only one who's sick to eye-rolling suffocation of main characters who are writers? Let me guess– the authors are writing what they know. No, no, their trying to be Me-Ta. Whatever the purpose, to believe contemporary fiction, 80% of professional women are writers, either as a profession or hobby. Someone needs to tell writers who write writers that all that writing is really boring from the outside.

2. So, I'm not sure how much this book is going to have to do with the moth man myth, but I genuinely hope it's not a alot.

3. I'm sorry but this book is so slow. The opening of a book should be a hook, not 50 pages of back story.

4. Somehow, this text is both repetitious and convoluted. I'm 60 pages in and there's not a plot in sight. Just piles and piles of summarized back story. Yet, I hesitate to call this story 'character-driven'.

5. DNF @ p77 I'm just not connecting. But the author is the president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, so she knows good fiction. I'm going to try one of her other books.

<b>Rating:</b> DNF
<b[Recommend?</b>no, though my opinion is worth 💩 for this writer
<b>Finished:</b> Dec 28 '24

Thank you to the author Susan Coll, publishers Harper Muse, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of REAL LIFE AND OTHER FICTIONS. I found an accessible digital copy on Libby. All views are mine.
---------------

4.5★s
Real Life and Other Fictions is the seventh novel by American author, Susan Coll. It’s a mystery that has plagued Cassie Klein for as long as she can remember. When she was two, her parents died in the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Cassie was raised by her maternal aunt, Olivia Oliver, the only person who could shed light on why they were there, but has steadfastly refused to discuss it. Stories of a giant moth, a mothman, perhaps, seen just before the tragedy, is something else Cassie would like to make sense of, but that just irritates her aunt further.

How she comes to be in Point Pleasant, in the best hibachi joint in town, talking to a cryptozoologist, waiting to eat deep-fried Oreos, the day before Christmas Eve, is the result of a cascade of events. Perhaps it starts two years earlier when the career of her meteorologist husband implodes and he effectively cuts himself off to live and work in their basement. It is likely exacerbated by the empty nest created when her daughter, Vera goes away to college. The affair her husband has with a family friend doesn’t improve matters.

She packs up her rescue puppy, a white labrador called Luna, with a bit of husky, different coloured eyes, and a lot of naughtiness, and heads to the Delaware coast to spend the Christmas holiday with her aunt and uncle. An incident on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge prompts mention of her parents’ fate, Olivia clams up again, and Cassie decides the only way to learn more is a road trip to the scene of the accident.

While the cryptozoologist is interesting, especially his mentions of the mothman, Cassie doesn’t plan to stay long in Point Pleasant, but just to find out what she can and go. But then Luna, her only pair of glasses, a predicted extra-tropical cyclone with heavy snow, The Mothman Museum, and the presence of a bridge collapse survivor, all conspire to keep her there.

Will this impulsive trip furnish answers? Not before Cassie gets caught in a snowstorm, acquires another puppy, has Christmas lunch with a family of friendly strangers, and falls in love.

Coll’s narrator might not be wholly reliable: “I am aware that I am always on the lookout for coincidence, and that I sometimes behave irrationally in pursuit of making pieces of information conform to my theories and thereby make sense of my life. As a writing instructor, I operate on the possibly misguided assumption that every story must loop back neatly to its logical end” but she easily draws the reader’s empathy. There’s plenty of entertaining dialogue, endearing characters and lovable dogs. A very enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Muse.

I quite enjoyed this one, though I'll admit I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading.
Telling the story of Cassie who, after one dismissal too many, heads for West Virginia to the site of her parents' death. This aspect of the plot brings in lore around the Mouthman and strange happenings in Point Pleasant around the time of the bridge collapse.
Of course I recognised a lot of this from a movie which Cassie, and later, Ingram, reference throughout. This proved a little repetitive, especially as it appeared to be a primary source document for nearly everybody interested in the mystery.
That aside, I enjoyed the cast of characters we are introduced to and the pacing is good.
There were some serious leaps within the story at times that asked for a little too much suspension of disbelief - I won't spoil anything here but these reveals were a little too convenient for my liking.
In general though, this was a fun, easy read that has enough going on to keep you reading to the end.

My thanks to Harper Muse for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

This was a fast and fun read!

A unique and quirky novel with a touch of mystery. I loved the colorful cast of characters that Cassie met along her journey. The writing is witty and wise. The pacing can be a little bit slow at times but it is a worthwhile read.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse and the author for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I’d relate to the main character of Cassie, but I absolutely adored her. She felt so real, like a person I might meet in real life and who can blame her for obsessing over the event that claimed both of her parents’ lives as a toddler.

As Cassie embarks on a journey to escape her house with her train wreck of an agoraphobic husband, she is destined to learn more about her origin and what she wants in life.

The characterization in the novel was fantastic. I could picture each of these people in my head so easily from the Santa looking brothers owning the hotel, to the dismissive restaurant waitress to the moth man obsessed “writer.” 

Although it seems many readers had qualms about all of the Mothman facts, it didn’t particularly bother me so much. I don’t know much about Mothman so the facts were interesting to me and I lived in good old West by God. That being said, there were an awful lot of them.

My main issue with the story was how slowly it started. I’m glad I stuck with it because I really did enjoy it, but it was very hard for me to break into. I also have a difficult time sympathizing with people who have repeatedly bad days without doing anything to make changes. It’s definitely a huge irk of mine, so it took me a while to like Cassie.

I wouldn’t say this book was super surprising, but I did like that the author connected the little details throughout the the book. Sometimes the only way through trauma and grief is to look at dead in the eye. 

As for my ratings :
Excitement level: 3
Ease of reading level: 3
Overall rating : 4

Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll is a compelling exploration of resilience and self-discovery, chronicling one woman’s quest to reclaim her life and uncover the truth about her past. By her 50s, Cassie has faced unimaginable challenges—from losing her parents in a tragic accident to navigating the complexities of a failing marriage. The weight of her experiences is beautifully captured in this heartfelt narrative, making her journey both relatable and inspiring.

Cassie’s decision to embark on an impulsive road trip is a bold move that symbolizes her desire to break free from the constraints of her life. As she sets out without a clear destination, readers are invited to join her in a transformative adventure that blends humor, introspection, and the thrill of the unknown. The open road becomes a metaphor for her quest for answers and her journey toward healing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. There was so much going on in this book it was hard to keep track of what genre it was. I am giving it two stars. The best part about a book is that every book is someone's favorite book. And this is not mine and that's okay!

Not exactly a beach read, but verging on light fiction. The unfolding discovery which explains the protagonist’s fascination with moths is what propels this story. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved loved this book the writing the storyline.Will be recommending it as soon as it’s published.#netgalley #harperfocus

I just finished this book and even though it is not my normal reading material, I really enjoyed it. It was very good read and did learn a lot . The fact that the bridge falling was set in WV really helped it along. Cassie had to go there just to find out how and why her parents died. she also learned a lot about herself and her Aunt Olivia and Uncle Harry , who raised her. There also was a little romance involved.

Cassie Klein is a fascinating enigma. Her marriage has fallen apart, her child has left for college, and she wonders what she will do for the rest of her life. To say the book centers around a "road trip" doesn't do it justice. Cassie is on a search for meaning in her life and she goes down some confusing pathways in search of enlightenment. The complex, layered character of Cassie keeps the story on track and the reader is swept away on a search that is sometime surreal, sometimes pragmatic, but always fascinating.

This was my first by this author and it was not my favourite. I didn’t see the point of the story, but kept reading hoping it’ would get better. The main characters were believable but the lie behind why Cassie’s childhood and parents was not. The unexplained phenomena was too far fetched.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll weaves together several narrative threads, some of which focus on elements that tend to reliably deliver a very enjoyable reading experience for me—middle-aged characters, supernatural beings, a journey-of-self-discovery plot loosely based on an actual event that promised to not take itself too seriously, a familiar setting, later-in-life romance, and a sweet human-animal bond.

I enjoyed the novel but only became fully engaged in the author’s world at about the midway point. I think the issue was that the opening part was structured to provide “breadcrumbs” about the mystery at the core of the plot, but these clues (the moth, the Gumby doll, the prickly relationship with Aunt Olivia) didn’t cohere for me at first. I couldn’t quite track what was going on or why. (I only understood their significance as breadcrumbs in hindsight after finishing the book.) What kept me intrigued at this early point, though, were the rich and comical details surrounding Cassie’s marriage and the associated weather commentary, especially the details of her husband’s viral downfall. (Seriously, what took her so long to leave him?) All that said, the novel picks up terrifically after Cassie arrives in West Virginia, meets Ingram, and dives into the Mothman mystery and her quest to unravel the dark secrets of her childhood trauma.

I rated the book four stars because of the strong second half. It’s well worth wading through the first part to get there. All told, an enjoyable and memorable read. As someone who grew up in DC and spent countless perfect days at Rehoboth and meandering through the areas where the book takes place, I enjoyed the rush of good memories and nostalgia from the author's descriptions. I will definitely be stopping in Pleasant Point next time I’m in West Virginia to visit the museum.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC.

This one ended up being a DNF for me. While Cassie's story was well written and the puppy was cute, I just couldn't relate to the heroine. And It most likely was the fact that I'm not at the age or life stage of the heroine. But I do think readers at that stage and age in life will love this one.

A clever and thoughtful read about growing older and learning about yourself in the process. Humorous and sentimental, this book is a solid pick for summer reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Muse through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed the story here. I didn't know that mothman was a real prophecy while reading this book, so that was interesting to learn! The characters were mostly unlikable, honestly. But I feel like the story and suspense kept me interested enough to not mind as much. Luna was of course my favorite. 🥰

I felt the vibe of the story didn't fully line up with what I expected based on the cover and title. I'd give it a solid 3 and 1/2 stars.