Kirkus
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A young woman confronts her demons in the months after the restraining order against her abusive ex-boyfriend expires. On the day before Halloween, 33-year-old Clarice sees her ex, P.T., flirting with a bartender at a place called Afterlife—or so she thinks. A search of his social media, however, reveals only thin evidence that he’s left his home in New York City for Los Angeles, where Clarice has been living for the two years since her now-expired restraining order against him was put into effect. Clarice left P.T. on Halloween, and in the three years since, strong memories of him have arrived every October along with anxiety, “piles of pumpkin-shaped Snickers, Jason masks at CVS, and the massive, pointedly metaphorical skeletons Angelenos love to have stationed on their porches.” So Clarice has some doubts that she truly saw P.T., or that he’s the person leaving strange objects outside her apartment, but the stakes in knowing for sure are high. Whereas during their yearlong relationship, P.T. frequently disappeared or failed to show up for a date, in the months after the breakup, he harassed her with persistent calls and messages, bizarre gifts, messages to friends and family with his “worries” that Clarice has borderline personality disorder, and occasional stalking. P.T.’s abuse is depressingly familiar, but Clarice is a winning heroine, with a keen, biting humor that brings levity to a harrowing tale that begins with childhood trauma and involves a lively cast of characters, including family, friends, allies, and a few disturbed neighbors. Clarice’s resourceful determination to prevail over her worst fears gives the novel a propulsive energy, and the conclusion deftly reveals the scope of her triumph—worthy of her namesake, Clarice Starling, the bravest woman her horror-loving father could think of. The narrator’s resilient spirit powers this troubling tale. A compelling debut. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.