Edgar and Lucy (Lodato) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
[Lodato's] captivating debut novel, Mathilda Savitch, featured the 13-year-old heroine of the title as its fierce, brokenhearted narrator. In Edgar and Lucy, he switches things up a bit. Grief is still the heart of the matter here, but Lodato is working in a broader register that includes other, mostly adult, points of view. Still, he repeats the impressive trick of creating a character so peculiar, vivid and appealing (think of Owen Meany minus the messianic complex) that Edgar becomes this ambitious novel's enduring reward…On every page, Lodato's prose sings with a robust, openhearted wit, making Edgar and Lucy a delight to read.… What makes this disquieting exploration of love and mourning bearable is that Lodato works from a place of compassion. Even in the darkest moments, when his characters are being their worst selves, Lodato bathes them in tenderness and understanding.
Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney - New York Times Book Review


Wonder-filled and magisterial.… Lodato's skill as a poet manifests itself on every page, delighting with such elegant similes and incisive descriptions…His skill as a playwright shines in every piece of dialogue.… And his skill as a fiction writer displays itself in his virtuoso command of point of view. The book pushes the boundaries of beauty.
Chicago Tribune


Edgar isn't like other boys and Lucy isn't like other moms, but grandma Florence keeps them tied to reality. And then their lives take a sharp turn.… This otherworldly tale will haunt you
People


A stunningly rendered novel.
Entertainment Weekly


The novel has the plot of a much briefer book, and, while some readers may revel in its rich description, others will find it self-indulgent. Secondary characters come across as more quirky than credible, and the introduction of the point of view of a ghostly character disrupts the flow of the narrative.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Flirting with danger on many fronts, this second novel from the author of the award-winning Mathilda Savitch is perceptive, compassionate, and humorous, drawing readers into the lives of these quirky yet recognizable and sympathetic characters. —James Coan, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.
Library Journal


[C]haracters hurtle toward a climax that begins to defy plausibility—the author ties things up with a jarring change in voice at the end—but readers who make it that far are apt to be enraptured already. A domestic fable about grief and redemption likely to leave readers emotionally threadbare.
Kirkus Reviews