Book 30 - Fat Black & Fat White

Title: The Arrangement

Author: Sarah Dunn

Genre: Domestic fiction/comedy

I have to say, my expectations of this one were pretty low. The premise sounds kind of contrived -after reading the synopsis, I heard a goofy inner voice go, "wHaT cOuLd Go WrOoOoOnG?!"

But, I am pleased to say I was completely wrong.

Dunn's writing is delightful. DEE-LIGHT-FUL. She's taken what could have been a very overplayed, whitesuburbanmommy fiction sort of story and turned it into this lively, ridiculous, and overall wonderful romp. The characters are so vibrant, the dialogue jumps off the goddamn page, and all the kids and the parenting stuff that would normally bore me out of my tree was handled in such a down-to-earth way. Another thing handled well? Lucy and Owen's "spectrum-y" son. The challenges of raising a child on the spectrum are there, but so are the wonders; despite everything, their son is really, at the end of it all, a kid. I grew up in a relatable situation, so I appreciated representation that captures the hilarity and heart-stopping love involved when you're blessed with someone in your life who sees the world through an entirely different lens.

This book would have been a flop for me if Dunn hadn't proven to be such an excellent writer. The POV shifts are a bit jarring at first, and I found myself wondering why the hell I should care about all these tangential characters and their lives...But, by the end, I was totally engrossed in every single one.

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓🍓