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343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2024
All the shit inside me hardens.
But my blood pauses in my arteries.
All my blood heats up and pulses through my pores.
But an odd feeling, like my arteries have switched directions, bubbles in me.
My stomach turns to acid.
My heart, insides, and entire being hardens.
I'm so embarrassed my vagina hurts.
"Hope This Finds You Well" may be marketed as a hilarious satire, but it's a hard-hitting yet tender story that candidly describes the workplace culture. Its clever portrayal underscores the brutality of corporate environments that act as a survival pit where only the gritty ones and, quite frankly, the sycophants remain. At its core are the eclectic mix of characters, each with their narrative and agenda, and how the book's protagonist, Jolene, struggles between isolation and the need to belong. There's a diverse array of dynamics between Jolene and her mom, her co-workers, her twelve-year-old neighbor, and the memories of her past that illustrate her complicated emotional landscape.
More than just Jolene's self-actualization, this debut novel delves deep into the importance of managing anxiety, guilt or false guilt, and other mental and emotional burdens. It's a refreshing take on the novel's championing of mental health issues, addressing their importance to one's holistic well-being. Despite an easy-to-follow trajectory, the actual conflict resides in the consequences of Jolene's accidental spying and how I had to brace myself for its impact when everything started falling apart.
For a debut novel, "I Hope This Finds You Well" isn't perfect, yet there's no denying that every predicament in the narrative rings true. A funny, at times absurd yet insightful read, this book is a must-read for anyone who wonders how it would bring about a kind of power that can be abused or used for good when given a chance to spy on others.