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Marilou Is Everywhere
Consumed by the longing for a different life, a teenager flees her family and carefully slips into another -- replacing a girl whose own sudden disappearance still haunts the town.
Fourteen-year-old Cindy and her two older brothers live in rural Pennsylvania, in a house with occasional electricity, two fierce dogs, one book, and a mother who comes and goes for months at a time. Deprived of adult supervision, the siblings rely on one another for nourishment of all kinds. As Cindy's brothers take on new responsibilities for her care, the shadow of danger looms larger and the status quo no longer seems tolerable.
So when a glamorous teen from a more affluent, cultured home goes missing, Cindy escapes her own family's poverty and slips into the missing teen's life. As Jude Vanderjohn, Cindy is suddenly surrounded by books and art, by new foods and traditions, and most important, by a startling sense of possibility. In her borrowed life she also finds herself accepting the confused love of a mother who is constitutionally incapable of grasping what has happened to her real daughter. As Cindy experiences overwhelming maternal love for the first time, she must reckon with her own deceits and, in the process, learn what it means to be a daughter, a sister, and a neighbor.
Marilou Is Everywhere is a powerful, propulsive portrait of an overlooked girl who finds for the first time that her choices matter.
Fourteen-year-old Cindy and her two older brothers live in rural Pennsylvania, in a house with occasional electricity, two fierce dogs, one book, and a mother who comes and goes for months at a time. Deprived of adult supervision, the siblings rely on one another for nourishment of all kinds. As Cindy's brothers take on new responsibilities for her care, the shadow of danger looms larger and the status quo no longer seems tolerable.
So when a glamorous teen from a more affluent, cultured home goes missing, Cindy escapes her own family's poverty and slips into the missing teen's life. As Jude Vanderjohn, Cindy is suddenly surrounded by books and art, by new foods and traditions, and most important, by a startling sense of possibility. In her borrowed life she also finds herself accepting the confused love of a mother who is constitutionally incapable of grasping what has happened to her real daughter. As Cindy experiences overwhelming maternal love for the first time, she must reckon with her own deceits and, in the process, learn what it means to be a daughter, a sister, and a neighbor.
Marilou Is Everywhere is a powerful, propulsive portrait of an overlooked girl who finds for the first time that her choices matter.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2019
249 people are currently reading
10729 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Elaine Smith
1 book71 followersSarah Elaine Smith was born and raised in Greene County, Pennsylvania. She has studied at the Michener Center for Writers, UT-Austin (MFA, poetry); the Iowa Writers' Workshop (MFA, fiction); and Carnegie Mellon University (BA, English and Creative Writing). She has worked as a metadata analyst (signed an NDA & shall say no more!), a college teacher, a proofreader/copyeditor, design consultant, waitress, and ghostwriter. Her work has received support from the MacDowell Colony, the Rona Jaffe Wallace Foundation, and the Keene Prize for Literature, among other generous entities.
Her first novel, Marilou Is Everywhere , is forthcoming from Riverhead Books in summer 2019. She is also the author of I Live in a Hut , 2011 winner of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center's first books prize, selected by Matthea Harvey. Her work has appeared in publications like FENCE, jubilat, Tin House, and Gulf Coast, among others.
These are some of the things you will find in her work: a goat named Panda Jane, a cam girl named xVapeQueenx, Appalachian country-time sadness, the pony of darkness, angels that can't get their heads out of the hole, pills made out of Sunday afternoon football crowd sound, gin staircases to the moon, a monastery full of sidelined henchmen, shitty candy, Sissy Pecjak's gas station, seers who live in the halfway house and paint manicure tigers in exchange for Red Bull, and much more.
Her first novel, Marilou Is Everywhere , is forthcoming from Riverhead Books in summer 2019. She is also the author of I Live in a Hut , 2011 winner of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center's first books prize, selected by Matthea Harvey. Her work has appeared in publications like FENCE, jubilat, Tin House, and Gulf Coast, among others.
These are some of the things you will find in her work: a goat named Panda Jane, a cam girl named xVapeQueenx, Appalachian country-time sadness, the pony of darkness, angels that can't get their heads out of the hole, pills made out of Sunday afternoon football crowd sound, gin staircases to the moon, a monastery full of sidelined henchmen, shitty candy, Sissy Pecjak's gas station, seers who live in the halfway house and paint manicure tigers in exchange for Red Bull, and much more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
October 8, 2019
Marilou is Everywhere by Sarah Elaine Smith is a 2019 Riverhead publication.
An offbeat, but effective debut novel
Fourteen - year old Cindy is virtually abandoned by her mother, leaving her at the mercy of her older brothers, one of whom is sleazy and quite inappropriate. The conditions in which Cindy dwells is horrifying and sad.
Jude Vanderjohn, a girl who occasionally dated Cindy’s brother, goes missing while on a camping trip with her friends. Jude’s mother, Bernadette, is a full fledged alcoholic, suffering from an unnamed brain malady. After Jude’s disappearance, a fact, her mother has no real awareness of, Jude quietly moves in with Bernadette, and slips into Jude’s shoes.
This wasn’t a premeditated quest on Cindy’s part, she just capitalizes on an opportunity. From here, Cindy lives a life she could only have imagined before. So desperate is she to be loved, and cared for, she continues the ruse, rationalizing away her actions, but knowing deep down that what she is doing is morally wrong. However, there will come a time when her rationale crosses more than a moral line…
"My life was an empty place. From where I stood, it seared on with a blank and merciless light. All dust and no song."
It is difficult to describe the atmosphere of this novel. It’s an odd story, full of moral dilemmas blended with unvarnished reality, but written with such a beautiful prose, it gives various sequences a surreal quality. At times the writing did overpower my ability to connect with Cindy, who is our narrator, and keeps the remaining characters at arm’s length. The profound writing also worked to introduce dark, gritty, very uncomfortable subject matter forcefully, but without a razor sharp edge, which softens the impact.
I was simultaneously horrified and saddened by the actions and circumstances of the characters and the plot, which left me feeling melancholy and unsure of which emotional box to check.
Although, I am mesmerized by the writer’s turn of phrase, I also appreciated the hands-off approach, allowing the reader to digest the facts without leading me in a set direction. The story is poignant, bittersweet, and truly a surprising gem.
I’m not sure how the masses will feel about the book, or if it will appeal to a broad, mainstream audience, but I am very impressed with this debut novel and am excited to see what Sarah Elaine Smith will do next.
4 stars
An offbeat, but effective debut novel
Fourteen - year old Cindy is virtually abandoned by her mother, leaving her at the mercy of her older brothers, one of whom is sleazy and quite inappropriate. The conditions in which Cindy dwells is horrifying and sad.
Jude Vanderjohn, a girl who occasionally dated Cindy’s brother, goes missing while on a camping trip with her friends. Jude’s mother, Bernadette, is a full fledged alcoholic, suffering from an unnamed brain malady. After Jude’s disappearance, a fact, her mother has no real awareness of, Jude quietly moves in with Bernadette, and slips into Jude’s shoes.
This wasn’t a premeditated quest on Cindy’s part, she just capitalizes on an opportunity. From here, Cindy lives a life she could only have imagined before. So desperate is she to be loved, and cared for, she continues the ruse, rationalizing away her actions, but knowing deep down that what she is doing is morally wrong. However, there will come a time when her rationale crosses more than a moral line…
"My life was an empty place. From where I stood, it seared on with a blank and merciless light. All dust and no song."
It is difficult to describe the atmosphere of this novel. It’s an odd story, full of moral dilemmas blended with unvarnished reality, but written with such a beautiful prose, it gives various sequences a surreal quality. At times the writing did overpower my ability to connect with Cindy, who is our narrator, and keeps the remaining characters at arm’s length. The profound writing also worked to introduce dark, gritty, very uncomfortable subject matter forcefully, but without a razor sharp edge, which softens the impact.
I was simultaneously horrified and saddened by the actions and circumstances of the characters and the plot, which left me feeling melancholy and unsure of which emotional box to check.
Although, I am mesmerized by the writer’s turn of phrase, I also appreciated the hands-off approach, allowing the reader to digest the facts without leading me in a set direction. The story is poignant, bittersweet, and truly a surprising gem.
I’m not sure how the masses will feel about the book, or if it will appeal to a broad, mainstream audience, but I am very impressed with this debut novel and am excited to see what Sarah Elaine Smith will do next.
4 stars
March 29, 2020
For all its pretty and cheery cover, and the quirkiness almost every reviewer mentions, this book made me really sad. It’s about a young girl named Cindy who’s so deprived of love, care and attention in her dysfunctional family—with her mostly absent mother, and two older brothers busy with their own lives (one of them is quite abusive too)—that she decides to slip into the life of her neighbour (Jude, who’s called the titular Marilou as a nickname sometimes) who’s gone missing, so that she could experience the motherly affection she’s longed for. It started with her simply playing along with the missing girl’s mother’s belief that Cindy is her daughter, because the mother has a mental illness that causes her to lose her memory for prolonged periods, and she refuses to believe her daughter is actually missing. So Cindy starts staying in the mother’s house and calling her “Mom,” basically pretending she is Jude.
It’s an interesting premise that you could call quirky and eccentric, and those two descriptions sometimes turn me off a book because such writing often tries too hard, for me. In the case of this book, which is literary fiction btw, the writing style clearly says “MFA” but doesn’t scream it. There are many poetic and “quirky” metaphors and expressions, but they’re not gratuitous. I’m also glad the story went deeper with some social commentary. It discusses class divides (Cindy’s family is much poorer than Jude’s) and racism (Jude being black and mixed race factors into how the community and the police treated her missing person’s case).
Ultimately, I really connected with the story and Cindy. Cindy’s an unlikeable character and i mean she did some really awful, shameful stuff. And it makes me sad and scared at the same time. I really empathised with Cindy’s aching longing for affection and love, especially from family, and how her trying to satisfy that longing could lead to actions that hurt others. I feel like i can see some of myself in her, or an ugly side of myself and what it could become if i act on it, and that is scary. I really appreciate this book for making me think deeper about myself, and feel less alone in having such uglier thoughts.
Thanks to Times Distribution Singapore for sending me an ARC!
It’s an interesting premise that you could call quirky and eccentric, and those two descriptions sometimes turn me off a book because such writing often tries too hard, for me. In the case of this book, which is literary fiction btw, the writing style clearly says “MFA” but doesn’t scream it. There are many poetic and “quirky” metaphors and expressions, but they’re not gratuitous. I’m also glad the story went deeper with some social commentary. It discusses class divides (Cindy’s family is much poorer than Jude’s) and racism (Jude being black and mixed race factors into how the community and the police treated her missing person’s case).
Ultimately, I really connected with the story and Cindy. Cindy’s an unlikeable character and i mean she did some really awful, shameful stuff. And it makes me sad and scared at the same time. I really empathised with Cindy’s aching longing for affection and love, especially from family, and how her trying to satisfy that longing could lead to actions that hurt others. I feel like i can see some of myself in her, or an ugly side of myself and what it could become if i act on it, and that is scary. I really appreciate this book for making me think deeper about myself, and feel less alone in having such uglier thoughts.
Thanks to Times Distribution Singapore for sending me an ARC!
January 9, 2020
“Marilou is Everywhere” is the story of loneliness, sadness and confusion of an isolated and abandoned teenage girl. The narrator is 14-year-old Cindy who lives in rural Pennsylvania with her two older brothers. As the story opens, a charismatic 18-year-old neighbor goes missing after a graduation celebratory camping trip. This girl, Jude, has always been an attraction to Cindy because she possesses all those things that Cindy covets: popularity, boldness, intelligence, attractiveness, and confidence. Added to that, Cindy’s older brother dated Jude on and off for a while, so Cindy was able to observe her a lot.
When Jude goes missing, Cindy’s brother visits Jude’s mother to help. Jude’s mother has her own issues; clearly, she has memory issues that are exacerbated with drinking. Cindy’s brother asks Cindy to help by cleaning Jude’s house. This is at the same time that Cindy’s mom disappears, yet again. She does it a lot. The boys try to keep the house together in minimal squalor, taking odd jobs for food money. Cindy is discouraged from going to school, which is alright with her since school is a social scene that she does not understand. In fact, through Cindy’s narration, the reader learns of her confusion and loneliness. Her other brother touches her inappropriately, although Cindy is confused in that if feels wrong, but she’s not sure. What she is sure of is that she doesn’t like it. But she has no one, no one to help her.
While Cindy is helping Jude’s mother, the mother’s addled brain confuses her with Jude. It is then that we learn how difficult Jude’s life must have been.
Although Cindy has a feeling that it’s wrong to allow the mom to think she’s Jude, she cherishes the motherly attention, even when it’s uneven and a hug can quickly turn into a slap. At least she pays attention.
It’s a sad story that brings the reader into Cindy’s dark world. Poverty is a dark hole that sucks in the innocent. This is a heart-breaking read.
When Jude goes missing, Cindy’s brother visits Jude’s mother to help. Jude’s mother has her own issues; clearly, she has memory issues that are exacerbated with drinking. Cindy’s brother asks Cindy to help by cleaning Jude’s house. This is at the same time that Cindy’s mom disappears, yet again. She does it a lot. The boys try to keep the house together in minimal squalor, taking odd jobs for food money. Cindy is discouraged from going to school, which is alright with her since school is a social scene that she does not understand. In fact, through Cindy’s narration, the reader learns of her confusion and loneliness. Her other brother touches her inappropriately, although Cindy is confused in that if feels wrong, but she’s not sure. What she is sure of is that she doesn’t like it. But she has no one, no one to help her.
While Cindy is helping Jude’s mother, the mother’s addled brain confuses her with Jude. It is then that we learn how difficult Jude’s life must have been.
Although Cindy has a feeling that it’s wrong to allow the mom to think she’s Jude, she cherishes the motherly attention, even when it’s uneven and a hug can quickly turn into a slap. At least she pays attention.
It’s a sad story that brings the reader into Cindy’s dark world. Poverty is a dark hole that sucks in the innocent. This is a heart-breaking read.
August 15, 2019
For fans of "I Have An MFA and so I can write novels with meandering 'plot' served with a dollop of 'gritty realness.'"
November 25, 2019
Wow, what a weird, original, quirky and strange little novel, brought alive by the gorgeous writing! I thought it was going to be one of those identity switch books that have been everywhere but this is more intangible than that. With close to feral teens and broken down parents, the atmosphere reminded me a bit of My Absolute Darling, though nowhere near as controversial. Powerful writing and a skewed vision make this stand out in a sea of similar books: a title and an author to watch.
ARC via NetGalley
ARC via NetGalley
March 4, 2022
I am not sure what to say about this book. I thought the characters were well drawn and interesting. The story was original and drew me in. However, and this is a big however, I was not a huge fan of the author's writing style. It felt to me like it was intended to be artsy and unique, but it left me confused and fell flat a lot of the time. I may very well be in the minority on this one, and I'm totally fine with that. Not every book is for every reader, after all. From the first page:
Before that summer, the things that happened to me were air and water and just as see-thru. They were real but I didn't care for them much. I did not care for the real. It didn't seem special to me, whatever communion I could take with the dust spangles, or the snakes that spun in an oiled way along the rotting tractor tires stacked up by the shed, or the stony light that fell in those hills and made the vines and mosses this vivid nightmare green. None of it had a purpose to me. Everything I saw seemed to have been emptied out and left there humming. ... You get to know things this way by looking at yourself. You know the world by the shape of what comes back when you yell.
April 25, 2019
Smith’s voice reminded me of Lauren Groff’s in her Fates and Furies, even though Smith’s story took place in Pennsylvania, it had that same gritty, tarnished southern realism. Both have an isolated ruralism that that reveals a sort of feral nature in our protagonists.
Most of Marilou is Everywhere is told in retrospect from our main character Cindy as she recounts her life from when she was 14yo. After Jude, a neighborhood girl, goes missing, Cindy slowly replaces the missing girl in Jude’s mother’s household. Because Cindy is telling the story in retrospect she can tell us the factual events alongside her perception of them, which I really enjoyed. Cindy never really felt like she had a self to erase, a concept that should be dull, but instead endeared me towards Cindy. Though her mother comes and goes for months at a time, Cindy’s relationships to the other girls and women in her life are complex and are the ones that allow Cindy to grow, even if they don’t nourish her in the healthiest ways.
Every time I picked up the book to read it I couldn’t put it down, but I would have trouble finding the drive to pick it back up after I had stopped reading. I think I lost focus because honestly I’m not a fan of child narrators. But Smith’s voice is so full, I was immediately rewarded every time I fell back into this wild story.
Most of Marilou is Everywhere is told in retrospect from our main character Cindy as she recounts her life from when she was 14yo. After Jude, a neighborhood girl, goes missing, Cindy slowly replaces the missing girl in Jude’s mother’s household. Because Cindy is telling the story in retrospect she can tell us the factual events alongside her perception of them, which I really enjoyed. Cindy never really felt like she had a self to erase, a concept that should be dull, but instead endeared me towards Cindy. Though her mother comes and goes for months at a time, Cindy’s relationships to the other girls and women in her life are complex and are the ones that allow Cindy to grow, even if they don’t nourish her in the healthiest ways.
Every time I picked up the book to read it I couldn’t put it down, but I would have trouble finding the drive to pick it back up after I had stopped reading. I think I lost focus because honestly I’m not a fan of child narrators. But Smith’s voice is so full, I was immediately rewarded every time I fell back into this wild story.
November 1, 2018
If you love well written, well conveyed emotional family stories – this one is perfect for you! It has a quiet sadness that only allows you to care about these characters in a frank and deep way.
Vergil, Clinton, and Cindy Stoat are the center is this story ~ if you enjoyed The Mothers, or My Absolute Darling you’d enjoy this too, not for their plot intensity but rather their shared style of yearning to see the young female protagonist strive beyond their hunting existence.
Jude (Marilou) and Bernadette also share a broken path that makes the story what it is.
I’m sure like many who adore Cindy and Bernadette’s relationship; it’s resounding, giving both characters something they didn’t know they always could have.
Galley borrowed from the publisher.
Vergil, Clinton, and Cindy Stoat are the center is this story ~ if you enjoyed The Mothers, or My Absolute Darling you’d enjoy this too, not for their plot intensity but rather their shared style of yearning to see the young female protagonist strive beyond their hunting existence.
Jude (Marilou) and Bernadette also share a broken path that makes the story what it is.
I’m sure like many who adore Cindy and Bernadette’s relationship; it’s resounding, giving both characters something they didn’t know they always could have.
Galley borrowed from the publisher.
February 11, 2020
A novel in the style of the “here’s-my-mess-you figure-it-out” school of writing, of which I’m no devotee. This sort of nonsense sets my teeth on edge.
February 22, 2019
I've read more than my share of coming-of-age stories, but this one was absolutely stunning. The main character, Cindy, is a girl from an impoverished family, desperate for a change in her deteriorating home situation. A local girl has gone missing, captivating their rural community, and Cindy decides to step into her life. She moves in, dyes her hair, and even wears the missing girl's clothes.
I know what you're thinking – this sounds crazy. In fact, Smith brings such a distinct and understated quality to Cindy's voice and personality that the story moves smoothly and quickly through a year in rural Pennsylvania, as she settles into her new life. The events that sound so crazy in summary are made natural and inevitable in the novel, not bizarre but beautiful. I only had one scene that made me stop for a moment, and it was as intended, a shocking, debilitating moment that floats by, leaving you short of breath. But the story keeps moving.
Marilou is Everywhere is a brisk, heartfelt novel of growing up, finding family, and finding yourself. I would definitely recommend it.
I know what you're thinking – this sounds crazy. In fact, Smith brings such a distinct and understated quality to Cindy's voice and personality that the story moves smoothly and quickly through a year in rural Pennsylvania, as she settles into her new life. The events that sound so crazy in summary are made natural and inevitable in the novel, not bizarre but beautiful. I only had one scene that made me stop for a moment, and it was as intended, a shocking, debilitating moment that floats by, leaving you short of breath. But the story keeps moving.
Marilou is Everywhere is a brisk, heartfelt novel of growing up, finding family, and finding yourself. I would definitely recommend it.
February 24, 2019
A stunning sticky book that will distract you from the cold sweat you accumulate while you read. Unforgettable.
August 3, 2019
Brutal, beautiful, magic. 10/10 would definitely sob my eyes out to this again
August 14, 2019
Here is yet another remarkable first novel. Sarah Elaine Smith is a published poet and I think it shows in the vivid prose of this book, but this is her first work of fiction. It is a work of empathy and compassion for the flawed characters within it. Even when they behave badly or stupidly, their creator enfolds them in her generous understanding and, with that, she encourages her readers toward the same attitude. "See?" she seems to say, "they are only human and they are doing the best they can, just like all of us."
Her narrator is a 14-year-old outsider named Cindy Stoat. Cindy lives with her two older brothers, Virgil and Clinton, in a ramshackle house in rural Pennsylvania. The father is absent. They have a mother but she comes and goes and is seldom on the scene. The electricity has been turned off because of unpaid bills. They are basically on their own and frequently hungry. They live a feral existence. (Shades of Where the Crawdads Sing!)
They have neighbors named Jude and Bernadette Vanderjohn. Jude is the teenage daughter of Bernadette. When Jude was fourteen and Virgil was a senior in high school, they were a couple. They called themselves Marilou and Cletus. Now Bernadette has descended into alcoholism and has only a tenuous grasp on reality. Jude is a popular teenager with a wide circle of friends. When she disappears after a weekend with some of those friends, her mother doesn't even realize she is gone. Her friends miss her and call the police but the trail is already cold.
Virgil takes it upon himself to check on Bernadette daily and, after a while, Cindy goes along with him. She is overwhelmed by the riches contained in Bernadette's house, especially books. She had been an inveterate reader of catalogs because they were all that were available to her. Now she has access to actual books! Riches beyond her wildest imagination.
Then a strange transformation begins. The confused Bernadette starts mistaking Cindy for Jude. Finally, Cindy plays along with her and pretends to be Jude.
But what of the real Jude? What has happened to her? Is she even still alive? That is the mystery at the heart of this story. And what will happen to Cindy and her brothers if the mystery is solved?
Smith had me from the very first of this novel right through its ending. Her prose gives the reader entry into this strange but tender world. From the beginning, we feel a part of it and we understand Cindy's feeling of being an outsider and never quite being good enough. We understand her longing to be like Jude and finally to be Jude. It is, as I said in the beginning, a remarkable accomplishment in a first novel.
Her narrator is a 14-year-old outsider named Cindy Stoat. Cindy lives with her two older brothers, Virgil and Clinton, in a ramshackle house in rural Pennsylvania. The father is absent. They have a mother but she comes and goes and is seldom on the scene. The electricity has been turned off because of unpaid bills. They are basically on their own and frequently hungry. They live a feral existence. (Shades of Where the Crawdads Sing!)
They have neighbors named Jude and Bernadette Vanderjohn. Jude is the teenage daughter of Bernadette. When Jude was fourteen and Virgil was a senior in high school, they were a couple. They called themselves Marilou and Cletus. Now Bernadette has descended into alcoholism and has only a tenuous grasp on reality. Jude is a popular teenager with a wide circle of friends. When she disappears after a weekend with some of those friends, her mother doesn't even realize she is gone. Her friends miss her and call the police but the trail is already cold.
Virgil takes it upon himself to check on Bernadette daily and, after a while, Cindy goes along with him. She is overwhelmed by the riches contained in Bernadette's house, especially books. She had been an inveterate reader of catalogs because they were all that were available to her. Now she has access to actual books! Riches beyond her wildest imagination.
Then a strange transformation begins. The confused Bernadette starts mistaking Cindy for Jude. Finally, Cindy plays along with her and pretends to be Jude.
But what of the real Jude? What has happened to her? Is she even still alive? That is the mystery at the heart of this story. And what will happen to Cindy and her brothers if the mystery is solved?
Smith had me from the very first of this novel right through its ending. Her prose gives the reader entry into this strange but tender world. From the beginning, we feel a part of it and we understand Cindy's feeling of being an outsider and never quite being good enough. We understand her longing to be like Jude and finally to be Jude. It is, as I said in the beginning, a remarkable accomplishment in a first novel.
January 20, 2020
I grew up in Greene County, Pennsylvania, the setting for this novel. However, I lived in "town," otherwise known as Waynesburg, which consisted of approximately 4,000 people. My father taught English and German at West Greene High School, the high school mentioned throughout the novel, for 40 years. So I can attest to the accuracy of the author's portrayal of Greene County, its landscape, its culture, its poverty, its drug problems, its broken families, its left-behind children, its hopelessness, and its despair. I can attest to all of the reasons that caused me to do all I could to get out.
While my connection to Greene County (which is hardly ever represented in fiction, or non-fiction for that matter) inclined me to like this novel before I even started it, one aspect of it prevented me from truly enjoying it: the narrator's voice. No one, let alone a young teenager who has failed ninth grade due to poor attendance in a rural corner of Appalachia, would tell a story in the literary, poetic style the author gives her with metaphors and similes in practically every paragraph. It is so inauthentic that it turned me off from the beginning.
I was hoping that something in the novel would explain it, like she successfully finished high school despite the various obstacles before her, went far away for college, and studied English literature. But there is nothing to explain her choice of language. It was like the author had a hard time choosing between her preferred narrator (i.e., Cindy) and the literary, poetic style she favors so she chose both. It just doesn't work.
In fact, I often found myself re-reading sentences, or even full passages, to try to figure what the author is trying to tell me, only for me to yell to myself, "No one in Greene County would speak like that!" As a result, Cindy's voice is truly lost. Using the local dialect would not have diminished the impact of the novel at all. It would have made the novel even more powerful in my opinion.
Still, I give the author kudos for shining a light on the substantial plights of this often-forgotten corner of America and the complicated lives of its inhabitants.
While my connection to Greene County (which is hardly ever represented in fiction, or non-fiction for that matter) inclined me to like this novel before I even started it, one aspect of it prevented me from truly enjoying it: the narrator's voice. No one, let alone a young teenager who has failed ninth grade due to poor attendance in a rural corner of Appalachia, would tell a story in the literary, poetic style the author gives her with metaphors and similes in practically every paragraph. It is so inauthentic that it turned me off from the beginning.
I was hoping that something in the novel would explain it, like she successfully finished high school despite the various obstacles before her, went far away for college, and studied English literature. But there is nothing to explain her choice of language. It was like the author had a hard time choosing between her preferred narrator (i.e., Cindy) and the literary, poetic style she favors so she chose both. It just doesn't work.
In fact, I often found myself re-reading sentences, or even full passages, to try to figure what the author is trying to tell me, only for me to yell to myself, "No one in Greene County would speak like that!" As a result, Cindy's voice is truly lost. Using the local dialect would not have diminished the impact of the novel at all. It would have made the novel even more powerful in my opinion.
Still, I give the author kudos for shining a light on the substantial plights of this often-forgotten corner of America and the complicated lives of its inhabitants.
August 24, 2019
I still don’t know why they called her Marilou.
September 6, 2019
Bleak, strange, and a dirty-sticky-ugly kind of beautiful.
June 30, 2019
This book was unique and complex and unlike anything I’ve ever read. The narrator had such a strange and stilted way of thinking and telling this story so it was by no means an easy read, but it was definitely worth the work. It’s hard to say whether her relative isolation has made her dumb or wise beyond her years. There were so many odd similes and lines of dialogue that I often found myself having to pause and dissect what had just been observed. My favorite line that I’ve remembered over the few days since I’ve read it was when Cindy and Bernadette are talking and Cindy narrates, “Just like that, she was peeling an orange.” It was hard to gauge the time period that Cindy and her brothers were living in, so when WiFi was mentioned it was almost a pleasant surprise to know that these kinds of characters could exist in the near present. The kidnapping resolution was a little underwhelming upon reflection, but I didn’t really mind it, given that it was just a means to an end to allow Cindy and Bernadette’s bizarre relationship to come to be. I know that I’ll be thinking about this one, both for its stylistic choices and unusual characters, for a while.
August 17, 2019
What a strange, wonderful book. This is a slow burn of a novel. You really get immersed in the boredom of the main character's existence in rural Pennsylvania. And yet, her inner life is so rich and complex, it's like a prism, breaking up everything and reflecting it back at you. I felt like I entered into a bit of a trance state while reading this, and then suddenly, Sarah Elaine Smith writes a scene that zings with electricity. There were some scenes in this book that made my hair stand on end. And then it was back to that slow, meditative pace. Just incredible. I can't wait to read more of her work!
September 14, 2019
Well, this one had some wonderful written word in it, but it just did not grab me like I wish that it would have. Ms. Smith can definitely write a novel, but the book is laden with such prose that is decadent, that it gets lost in translation. Decent story, which could have been done a bit better. I found this to be a bit disjointed at times. I did not care for the characters. I loved the scenery. I wanted this to flow better. Meh.
September 7, 2019
What a sad and pathetic story. The summary of this story is inaccurate. Where was this overwhelming maternal love ? The prose is forced and schizophrenic not beautiful.
July 30, 2019
Thanks to Riverhead Books for the advance copy of this book.
Cindy lives a near poverty-level existence with her family in rural Pennsylvania. When wealthier local teenager Jude disappears while on a camping trip, Cindy helps her brother take care of Jude's mother, Bernadette. When it becomes clear that Bernadette's memory is shot, Cindy moves in and assumes Jude's life.
MARILOU IS EVERYWHERE is a stunning novel. This one's for fans of Lauren Groff, for people who wanted MY ABSOLUTE DARLING to be better (Me. That's me.), for people who want to see the world through someone else's eyes.
Cindy is an incredible character. She somehow makes observations only a child or teenager could make, but that are also phrased in ways you've never heard before. So many sentences in this book are total nonsense when taken out of context, but within the frame of the story are some of the most beautiful, unique sentences I've ever read.
I'll be clear, this is the kind of book whose writing announces I Have An MFA. I think a lot of people will be turned off by that, and maybe also by the hazy, heavy way the plot proceeds. If you're up for that, though, I think you're in for a treat.
Cindy lives a near poverty-level existence with her family in rural Pennsylvania. When wealthier local teenager Jude disappears while on a camping trip, Cindy helps her brother take care of Jude's mother, Bernadette. When it becomes clear that Bernadette's memory is shot, Cindy moves in and assumes Jude's life.
MARILOU IS EVERYWHERE is a stunning novel. This one's for fans of Lauren Groff, for people who wanted MY ABSOLUTE DARLING to be better (Me. That's me.), for people who want to see the world through someone else's eyes.
Cindy is an incredible character. She somehow makes observations only a child or teenager could make, but that are also phrased in ways you've never heard before. So many sentences in this book are total nonsense when taken out of context, but within the frame of the story are some of the most beautiful, unique sentences I've ever read.
I'll be clear, this is the kind of book whose writing announces I Have An MFA. I think a lot of people will be turned off by that, and maybe also by the hazy, heavy way the plot proceeds. If you're up for that, though, I think you're in for a treat.
July 1, 2019
Most books I read in order to finish. I enjoy them, but I want to know the end. In this book, I slowed myself down and read every word. Enjoy the journey here. This one is not about the destination. Loved it. Absolute beauty. Perfect capture of, what,? Life? Just wonderful.
October 1, 2019
A magnificent book with a pitch-perfect ending.
September 21, 2019
While on the surface, the plot of this book seems relatively simple, it is actually a complex layering of thought and action. Which I'm not sure I really expected, to be honest.
Our main character, Cindy, comes from a very poor family, and lives mostly with her two brothers while her mother is gone for a job. Their mother is gone for a long time, and while she is gone, a young girl, Jude, disappears on her way back from a camping trip with friends. Cindy becomes obsessed with Jude's disappearance, and eventually winds up staying with Jude's mother, Bernadette.
Cindy's narration is what makes this book what it is. Her personality shines through in every sentence, and while this is a story of herself and Jude, it is also a clear representation of all that Cindy is. She flits from topic to topic at times, offers rather deep observations, and examines her own actions in hindsight. Cindy offers us her immediate recollection of events as well as her thoughts on it later, giving us an interesting dual perspective at times.
I think Cindy's self-reflection was what appealed to me most about her. While I can't understand many of her decisions, since she lives in a way so different to myself, her own explanations and reflections of her behavior made me respect and understand her in a new light. She understands and looks down upon her own poverty (of money, intellect, exposure to culture, etc) in a variety of ways, and offers some really unique observations that made me think, and also made me sad to witness.
This book is startling in its honesty. We see true poverty, and the dire situations that Cindy lives through with general apathy. She is so wrapped up in her own mind that sometimes she doesn't notice physical surroundings that would disgust most of us. Her situation is simply her situation, and while she expresses a desire to leave, learn and see more, she chooses to manifest that in her mind, her daydream that she concocts in the aftermath of Jude's disappearance.
Marilou is Everywhere has many layers, and is a story that is hard to examine or describe. It is confusing at times, and quite shocking and sad at others. But overall, it is a story of a girl growing up, understanding the world she lives in, and realizing how her actions affect others. I didn't find this book gripping, but it immediately wrapped me up in Cindy's world. I think it is a very unique and interesting examination of girlhood, isolation, and the powers of our own mind, and if that at all sounds interesting to you, I'd definitely pick this up!
TW for kidnapping.
Thank you to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character, Cindy, comes from a very poor family, and lives mostly with her two brothers while her mother is gone for a job. Their mother is gone for a long time, and while she is gone, a young girl, Jude, disappears on her way back from a camping trip with friends. Cindy becomes obsessed with Jude's disappearance, and eventually winds up staying with Jude's mother, Bernadette.
Cindy's narration is what makes this book what it is. Her personality shines through in every sentence, and while this is a story of herself and Jude, it is also a clear representation of all that Cindy is. She flits from topic to topic at times, offers rather deep observations, and examines her own actions in hindsight. Cindy offers us her immediate recollection of events as well as her thoughts on it later, giving us an interesting dual perspective at times.
I think Cindy's self-reflection was what appealed to me most about her. While I can't understand many of her decisions, since she lives in a way so different to myself, her own explanations and reflections of her behavior made me respect and understand her in a new light. She understands and looks down upon her own poverty (of money, intellect, exposure to culture, etc) in a variety of ways, and offers some really unique observations that made me think, and also made me sad to witness.
This book is startling in its honesty. We see true poverty, and the dire situations that Cindy lives through with general apathy. She is so wrapped up in her own mind that sometimes she doesn't notice physical surroundings that would disgust most of us. Her situation is simply her situation, and while she expresses a desire to leave, learn and see more, she chooses to manifest that in her mind, her daydream that she concocts in the aftermath of Jude's disappearance.
Marilou is Everywhere has many layers, and is a story that is hard to examine or describe. It is confusing at times, and quite shocking and sad at others. But overall, it is a story of a girl growing up, understanding the world she lives in, and realizing how her actions affect others. I didn't find this book gripping, but it immediately wrapped me up in Cindy's world. I think it is a very unique and interesting examination of girlhood, isolation, and the powers of our own mind, and if that at all sounds interesting to you, I'd definitely pick this up!
TW for kidnapping.
Thank you to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2019
Once I was about halfway through this book, it took on a pace that made me keep reading until it was done because I had to know what happened — it’s rare that a book does that to me lately, and this one kept surprising me. It’s weird and has a kind of magical quality in its voice that I wish I could steep and slowly sip on for more and more hours. This is a book about finding a place for yourself when it seems there are no paths to do so, about growing up and trauma and desolate towns and goat care. I really enjoyed living in this author’s head for a moment.
July 31, 2019
Heartbroken I read this so fast. Maybe I can muster a review after I digest. It was quietly complex and bleak and zany and wonderful.
August 29, 2019
Wonderful Story!
I was hooked on this book the minute I started reading it. I fell in love with the characters and the suspense of what would happen next! I can't imagine living the way this family lived but I'm sure there are people that do exist this way. A must read for those that want to broaden their perspectives on human nature and decisions we make that affect us and those we love!
I was hooked on this book the minute I started reading it. I fell in love with the characters and the suspense of what would happen next! I can't imagine living the way this family lived but I'm sure there are people that do exist this way. A must read for those that want to broaden their perspectives on human nature and decisions we make that affect us and those we love!
August 22, 2019
My Thoughts: When I read the premise of this book, one teen slipping into another teen’s life, I was completely intrigued. How could this possibly happen? How could both families allow it? I needed to understand HOW! Fourteen year old Cindy had grown up with a mother who was frequently absent and not much of a parent when she was there. As the story opens her mother was once again gone and Cindy was relying on her two older brothers, Virgil and Clinton, to keep a roof over their heads and some food on the table. When Virgil’s ex-girlfriend, Jude, disappeared Cindy began helping out around Jude’s house and the story took off from there. I don’t want to give anything away, so that’s all I can say. Just know that eventually my questions were answered.
However, a whole new set of questions arose. There was so much about Marilou Is Everywhere that I liked, especially Cindy in her fragility and confusion. Cindy told the story as an adult looking back on what had happened with her 14-year old self and that perspective was excellent. Still, I think I’d have enjoyed this book more in print than on audio. Too many times I had questions and wanted to look back, or the writing was so beautiful that I wanted to go back and savor it. That’s harder to do on audio. I also didn’t love the resolution of the story, not for what happened, but for those new unanswered questions. Grade: B
“The very world met me where I was and it was shadow and horrible light, with not a great deal of the between. I have never again been so old as I was that spring.”
However, a whole new set of questions arose. There was so much about Marilou Is Everywhere that I liked, especially Cindy in her fragility and confusion. Cindy told the story as an adult looking back on what had happened with her 14-year old self and that perspective was excellent. Still, I think I’d have enjoyed this book more in print than on audio. Too many times I had questions and wanted to look back, or the writing was so beautiful that I wanted to go back and savor it. That’s harder to do on audio. I also didn’t love the resolution of the story, not for what happened, but for those new unanswered questions. Grade: B
“The very world met me where I was and it was shadow and horrible light, with not a great deal of the between. I have never again been so old as I was that spring.”
December 3, 2019
2.5 rounded down
Whether you enjoy Marilou is Everywhere will probably hinge on your propensity for this kind of prose - quite MFA-y, lots of description and a tilt towards what I'd describe as "flowery" writing. There also isn't a whole lot of plot, so if you're not a fan of that then probably steer clear.
That said, Smith's debut novel is a quick and breezy read, despite what could be quite heavy content. When teenage Jude Vanderjohn goes missing on a trip with friends, Cindy (a young girl whose brother dated Jude) visits Jude's mother - and when Jude's mother mistakes Cindy for her daughter, Cindy keeps up the pretense.
Where this novel excels is the claustrophobic, musty setting of rural America. Many reviewers have compared Smith's writing to Lauren Groff - so if you're a fan of her this might be worth checking out, however unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for this reader.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Whether you enjoy Marilou is Everywhere will probably hinge on your propensity for this kind of prose - quite MFA-y, lots of description and a tilt towards what I'd describe as "flowery" writing. There also isn't a whole lot of plot, so if you're not a fan of that then probably steer clear.
That said, Smith's debut novel is a quick and breezy read, despite what could be quite heavy content. When teenage Jude Vanderjohn goes missing on a trip with friends, Cindy (a young girl whose brother dated Jude) visits Jude's mother - and when Jude's mother mistakes Cindy for her daughter, Cindy keeps up the pretense.
Where this novel excels is the claustrophobic, musty setting of rural America. Many reviewers have compared Smith's writing to Lauren Groff - so if you're a fan of her this might be worth checking out, however unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for this reader.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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