Having too many options for books to read and then write about is ultimately a good problem to have, but it is still a problem. One recent decision I had to make between two new novels resulted in today's selection, Ava Robinson's Definitely Better Now, coming out on top. When a recovering alcoholic manages an entire year sober, she believes life will be less complicated, but somehow the opposite proves true.
The Situation: Emma has been sober for a whole year, 52 weeks, and she is now getting ready to attend her one-year celebration at Alcoholics Anonymous. For the past year, Emma has been making better decisions, and focusing on holding down her office job, and generally building a better life for herself. And now, with 12 months of sobriety added to her accomplishments, she feels like she is ready for new challenges, such as dating. And Ben, the IT guy at work, is not only cute, but also a little flirty. Unfortunately for Emma, having made it past the one-year mark does not magically make everything easier, or better.
The Problem: While Emma wants to believe she is ready to date, what she is not ready for is the attention of one of her slimier coworkers, Mitch. But after a nomination from her supervisor, Emma not only has to work on the company 'Fun Team' (a.k.a. party planning committee), but the other members of that team include slimy Mitch, cute Ben, and an annoyingly gossipy woman from human resources. If the work drama was not enough to deal with, there is also Emma's distant father, her separation from which has defined much of her life. Not only has she known for a long time that he is also an alcoholic, but he has always denied it, and was not exactly a pillar of support when his daughter decided to stop drinking. The first 12 months of sobriety may have been difficult, but it does not look like the path forward is going to get any easier any time soon.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set in and around modern-day New York City. Twenty-six year-old Emma is one-year sober, but still very much taking everything one day at a time. There is a good amount of discussion about who Emma was before she decided to stop drinking and doing drugs, and how there are some things in life she is simply not sure how to do sober. And one of those is dating. She has managed to hold down a respectable job, stay committed to an AA group and sponsor, and has even started making new friends, but despite expectations, life has continued to get more complicated, and social situations more difficult to navigate. Emma's trials and journey will be relatable to many, with or without a history of addiction, as life is often messy, and impossible to control.
My Verdict: For me, this book was a little bit all over the place most of the time, but somehow managed to pull it all together in the end. There are the complications of dating; difficult relationships with parents; the struggle of making friends as an adult; dealing with cringey coworkers; and for Emma, being a recovering alcoholic in the middle of all of it. There were moments when I forgot about other aspects of the plot until they made a sudden reappearance in the story, as if the author briefly forgot about them too. And while I would not classify the ending as an ambiguous one, as everything comes to a mostly satisfying conclusion, there are still some loose threads and unanswered questions.
Favorite Moment: Emma's AA sponsor, Lola, means well, and does everything an AA sponsor is supposed to do. But there is a moment when Emma finds the need to stand up to her and stand firm in something, and it feels necessary.
Favorite Character: Cute IT guy Ben is a good guy. But not an overly sweet and unrealistic guy either. He seems like a real person, and someone worthy of one-year sober Emma who is doing her best.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow.
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