Very, very strong, though I prefer the ping-ponging perspectives of the wonderful NORMAL PEOPLE. Rooney has such an uncanny knack for love squares and cliffhangers, and you'll fly through this, as I did. Her affectless prose is startling, though CWF has a few linguistic flourishes, especially toward the end, that slightly imbalance the text. She is a master of plot, of the importance of gestures, and desire. The one other thing about this book is that the lead repeatedly makes the same mistake in each of the 4 plot centers (health, father, ex-gf, potential bf) of the novel - she doesn't communicate. Though this is a consistent character trait, I found myself wishing for a bit more variety. I see why this debut brought Rooney attention - she's a star.
