You Again by Debra Jo Immergut

☆☆☆
ebook, 282 pages
Expected publication: July 7th 2020 by HarperCollins Publishers, Ecco
About the Book:
Abigail Willard first spots her from the back of a New York cab: the spitting image of Abby herself at age twenty-two—right down to the silver platforms and raspberry coat she wore as a young artist with a taste for wildness. But the real Abby is now forty-six and married, with a corporate job and two kids. As the girl vanishes into a rainy night, Abby is left shaken. Was this merely a hallucinatory side effect of working-mom stress? A message of sorts, sent to remind her of passions and dreams tossed aside? Or something more explosive and life-altering? As weeks go by, Abby continues to spot her double around her old New York haunts—and soon, despite her better instincts, Abby finds herself tailing her look-alike. She is dogged by a nagging suspicion that there is a deeper mystery to figure out, one rooted far in her past. All the while, Abby’s life starts to slip from her control: her marriage hits major turbulence, her teenage son drifts into a radical movement that portends a dark coming era. When her elusive double presents her with a dangerous proposition, Abby must decide how much she values the life she’s built, and how deeply she knows herself.

The tenderness I felt, standing over her. This wayward being. It was like seeing a wild bird trapped in my room.
Debra Jo Immergut sure can write, but I struggled with this book. I disliked the woman protagonist so much that it made the book very difficult for me to get through. But I will say the plot and characters were richly drawn and reflective of the author’s talent and sure hand. Still, I cannot say I enjoyed the book, because of my struggles with the main character. It’s very important for me to feel a connection or sympathy that carries me through a book, even with a character who is flawed. Here I simply didn’t find anything to sympathize with, much less empathize with, about the main character or most of the other characters. So for talent the book might deserve a four but for pleasure in reading I can’t go there and it’s probably a two so I’ll give it an average of three stars. Please note that my rating system means a three star book is a good book.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, Ecco and Debra Jo Immergut for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#YouAgain #NetGalley