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Vacuum in the Dark
By Jen Beagin
Scribner, January 2020, 240pp.

The Short of It:

This book continually snapped in my face to get my attention. It was unhinged and I kind of loved that about it.

The Rest of It:

Mona cleans houses for a living and she’s seen some things. People who defecate and leave little presents all over their homes for her to find. Soiled sheets (use your imagination). A person can tell a lot about you by the sheets you leave behind. Although she prefers to do her work in an empty house, sometimes her clients show interest or provide additional information to an otherwise confusing personal item.

She knows the bedroom habits of her clients. What’s happening, and what’s not. Her quiet, not adverse reaction to chaos draws people in. Enough so, that clients cross line entering her personal space and become something more. Exactly what, she’s not sure.

Everything has happened to Mona. She’s been raped, more than once but didn’t want to make a big deal of it. She’s been used as a muse for art, exposing her naked body for others to gaze upon and define. She’s had relations with married men and well out in the open. Open relationships should be less confusing. Right?

Although Mona seems to have done it all and doesn’t appear to be the worse for it, she’s suffering from a lack of self-worth and a deep yearning for home, whatever that is. Enter Claire, Mona’s mother who shacked up with some weirdo but has suddenly given up drugs and wants Mona to come for a visit.

Everyone in this novel is flawed beyond belief. They do despicable things and yet, you can’t hate them because of the honest way they just lay it all out. It’s like walking through a door and saying this is who I am, deal with it. Mona and many of these character experience life changing scenarios. Ones that initially confuse but eventually provide clarity.

I’ve been vague about the plot because you have to experience Vacuum in the Dark for yourself. It caught me completely off guard but I loved Beagin’s last book Big Swiss so I dived in.

This was a follow-up to another book but it felt like a standalone.

Read it.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Remarkably Bright Creatures
By Shelby Van Pelt
Ecco Press, 9780063204157, May 2022, 368pp.

The Short of It:

Delightful.

The Rest of It:

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. ~ from the publisher

I am not a fan of magical realism but when it’s done well? I can’t help myself. Tova, a lovely woman working at the aquarium befriends a large Pacific octopus. He escaped and got tangled in a bunch of cords so Tova came to his rescue. You see, Marcellus, is quite the adventurer. He escapes his enclosure nightly, gathers little things here and there but he has a secret that he’s been trying to share with Tova but she hasn’t quite caught onto it yet.

Tova is happy cleaning the aquarium and she enjoys her nightly visits with Marcellus and company, but after her brother dies, she begins to ponder her next step. Should she move into a retirement home? After spraining her ankle while tending to Marcellus, she comes to the conclusion that although she has friends, she doesn’t have anyone to care for her when that time comes. Life is nothing but a bunch of decisions, isn’t it?

Interwoven into this story is also Cameron’s story. A young man, unemployed and searching for the father he’s never known. Without any real ties, he heads north to look for his father. Luck is not on his side though. His bag is lost at the airport and inside it, the only chance he had at making a little money. Penniless, and desperate he calls his aunt, borrows more money and invests in a run down camper. Thinking, hey, at least I can live in it.

Although Cameron is used to living by slim means, he desires more. He desires a more stable life, and he hopes his father can be a part of that. What begins as a quest for an inheritance becomes something much more. While trying to make a living, he meets Tova at the aquarium.

Between the loss of Tova’s son Erik, the loss of her brother Lars, and the entrance of this young, wayward boy, Tova takes a liking to him and the two form a bond.

This is a beautiful story. There was one part where Marcellus’ secret hits me and I gasped. Out loud. Gasped. Nearly shed a tear. What a wonderful story! I had heard great things about this book but the magical realism turned me off. Boy, was I wrong. I ADORED this book. It will be on my fave list for sure but you all need to read it! It’s been out for a long time but hey, just pick it up. Trust me.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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