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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
None; the conflicts are contractual and romantic
Language
A lot
Brooklyn-adult and teenage registers both carry regular profanity
Sexual Content
Very heavy
Kirkus points at 'hormone-addled teenagers' — the summer romance between Harry and Ruby, both around seventeen, is depicted, alongside adult affairs and a marriage in collapse
Substance Use
A lot
Lydia's death by overdose sits at the center of the plot, and the adults' own drinking and pot use is routine
Emotional Intensity
Some
Midlife disappointment, a marriage possibly ending, and parents mishandling their children's independence
What this book is about
Elizabeth, Andrew, Zoe and the late Lydia were in a college band; Lydia went solo, had the hit, and died. Now a studio wants the song and Andrew won't sign. Meanwhile their teenagers start sleeping together, Zoe considers leaving her wife, and Andrew joins something that is not quite a yoga studio.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sexual content involving teenage characters
Drug overdose death
Adult drug and alcohol use
Marital breakdown
Reader Verification
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