Leslie Gray Streeter does a fantastic job in writing this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to know the main character. The plot worked well overall and was hooked from the first page. The overall feel worked with the type of story and was glad everything worked overall. I hope to read more from Leslie Gray Streeter as this was a fantastic read.

Family and Other Calamities was the perfect read to pull me out of a slump. With sharp, witty dialogue and deeply relatable characters, the story of Dawn returning to her hometown of Baltimore to face family drama, grief, and unresolved emotions is both funny and heartfelt. I loved how the book portrays Dawn’s tendency to run from her problems—something I could really relate to—and how it captures the messy, beautiful reality of family life.

That said, the ending felt a bit rushed and didn’t provide the closure I was hoping for after such a complex build-up. Still, this book was a wonderfully engaging reminder of how chaotic yet meaningful family can be. It’s a quick, emotionally resonant read that left me reflecting on the ties that bind.

"Family and Other Calamities" was the perfect book to pull me out of a reading rut. This book is full of sharp, witty dialogue that paints realistic, flawed characters that immediately connect with the reader emotionally. Faced with a confluence of events that pull her back to her hometown of Baltimore where Dawn encounters grief, shame, guilt, truth, and all the feelings that come along with being a part of a family. With the exception of a couple of flashbacks that slow the pace, this book moves quickly through a complicated web of events that don't slow down until the very end.

I really love how deeply I can relate to Dawn and her perpetual habit of running when things feel like they've become too much. Returning to the pieces she left behind is messy, and I think that mess is beautiful and relatable. The only part of the book that felt lackluster was the ending. While I like things to be resolved neatly, I got to the last two chapters and wondered how everything would be pulled together. In my opinion, the ending feels a bit rushed, which detracts from the complexity of the intricate web that had been woven throughout the book.

All-in-all, this book made for a lovely morning of allowing humor to remind me of the ways that family is messy, but they are family nonetheless.

Great book. Relatable characters and plot. The book was the correct lengthy to adequately tell the story.