Slow Reveal is the debut novel by writer Melanie Mitzner from Inanna Publications – a multi-generational family drama, set in New York in the 1990s; amid art, addiction and the meaning of love and family. It centers around Katherine, her husband Jonathan, her adult daughters Ellie and Bridgette and her lover Naomi. It looks at the importance and relevance of art and poetry and the risks of love. A quiet page-turner filled with difficult people.
“A quiet page-turner filled with difficult people.”
There was something about this story that just didn’t connect with me. It was too busy, and there was a lot of jumping around quickly between the characters’ heads without much warning. It would confuse me for a moment as I tried to piece together which character we were reading this viewpoint from.
There were some minor characters that I thought were very charming and wish we could have seen more of them. Mandy, Jonathan’s father was a real stunner and Andrew, Katherine’s gay brother seemed very interesting. I couldn’t really seem to picture or care about anyone else in the book. Yet, as someone who has seen family members struggle and die from addictions, I appreciated the look into the struggles of that disease and the realities and truths.
I also just think that the melodrama of privileged white people tends to not be my go-to genre. This book was a little bit of a slow burn for me but if you’re into the connections between art and love, meaning and relationships this would be a great read for you. If art is something that really speaks to you, it would be interesting to read how these artists work and create meaning.
There are some fascinating themes explored like long term relationships, addiction and family but ultimately the book just didn’t grab me the way I wanted.
Melanie Mitzner is a Montreal/New York writer. She is an Edward Albee Fellow and a finalist in four fiction and screenwriting competitions. Former journalist and publicist in tech/broadcasting and co-founder of The Groovy Mind, Melanie’s work focuses on political, social and environmental justice. Slow Reveal is her debut novel. She is also toiling away on a controversial new book, The Expat.
- Publisher : Inanna Poetry & Fiction Series (May 3 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 314 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1771338989
- ISBN-13 : 978-1771338981
Laurie Burns is an English as additional language teacher to immigrants, literacy volunteer and voracious reader living in Dartmouth.
