Read with Fern

“Since she first picked up a copy of the Herald, Alex was a religious reader of Dear Constance. She doesn’t know how anyone could not be drawn to Francis’s column. That special way she had of perceiving things about people by reading between the lines, things that they probably didn’t even know about themselves. Despite her ability to understand what a person should do in any given situation, her advice was never preachy, never condescending. Francis’s words felt like those of a true friend, one who innately understood you, who would do whatever was in her power to make sure you succeeded.“

I Need You to Read This, Jessa Maxwell

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

If you love Only Murders in the Building, you’re going to like this. It’s got that classic NYC charm built from a cast of unlikely friends, regal old buildings, a diner everyone frequents, and of course, murder.

I loved the set-up for this book. As a kid, I read my mom’s Real Simple every month, and then told her what seemed actually worthwhile to read. They had 2 advice columns, one for etiquette & social situations and one for cleaning tips. And as a nosy busybody, I loved the etiquette column. If 10-year-old me had access to an actual advice column like Francis Keen’s, I would’ve been just as obsessed as Alex. 

I also loved that Alex got the job after Francis’s death. The first few chapters of this book were equally terrifying and so exciting as we followed Alex on her first few days at an actual newspaper, diving into the thousands of letters written to Francis. The intensity of the plot kept the pacing at a steady and quick pace for me. I was dying to know what was really going on, but also wanted to spend every second I could at the newspaper offices and at the diner. 

Maxwell nailed the ambiance and mood of a NYC murder mystery. There were moments of grit with dark alleys and haunted staircases. There was a sense of community with the diner patrons and other commuters heading home with Alex. There were jumpscares and slow, drawn-out moments of panic. There were bits of fun and moments of absolutely melodramatic ridiculousness.

And unfortunately, the melodrama was my downfall. It had gotten to a point where I had suspended all my belief, and the plot was still getting more ridiculous. Instead of tearing through the pages, I had to take a moment to pause, sigh, and go back in. I really liked the way Maxwell was combining the two timelines together for a big final twist, but it felt extremely unoriginal compared to the lead-up of the entire book.

Overall, this was an extremely fun read that skewed on the ridiculous side. There was a darker tone throughout that I wish had been explored more, but I enjoyed the book as is. This is more of a murder mystery than a true thriller, but it’ll still have you on the edge of your seat!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!