California by Edan Lepucki | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

“Time moved forward, but the mind was restless and stubborn, and it skipped to wherever it pleased, often to the past: backward, always backward.” 

Edan Lepucki is really on a roll with her novels. Although California was-at times-slow to the point, the prose was incredibly haunting and moving. Unlike most dystopian novels, this one felt... I want to say organic? Like many in the genre, it had its flaws--its bad guys, its struggles, its accusations, but it felt far more real/emotional than many other releases out there. This is entirely due to the velvety smooth and deeply moving way Lepucki has with words--her prose feels like something more than you can explain.

I really enjoyed the concept of it: from the state of the world, to the communities, to the Group*. It is compelling and mysterious, atmospheric and lively. Moments go by and it's almost dreamy in a spooky sort of way. I think that's what strikes me most about California: it is laid back and yet there's still some high stakes going on that you wonder what's really boiling beneath the surface as the plot unfolds.

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

The first thing you should know before diving into Woman No. 17 is that Edan Lepucki's prose is velvety smooth; dark, delicious, humorous. What makes the entire novel is the way the story is told. The narration as it unfolds is something spectacular, even if the story is not. Something in the way she writes is a breath of fresh air and rings true to day-to-day life, making the connections and plots (or lack thereof) all the more stunning. Edan Lepucki writes the way all novels should be told; the characters and relationships complex but beautifully crafted.

Needless to say: her prose enchants the reader and the experience of reading. What you can most expect is two narrators, two incredibly different woman, and the friendship* that blossoms one year. Both woman have flaws that tug at your heartstrings and simultaneously make you both sympathetic and skeptical of their reliability. Something about the summary and premise made me think: this is going to be a thriller, but I wouldn't be go so far when typing up a genre. Woman No. 17 is mysterious and fascinating, thoughtful and dark, but it never quite picks up the pace you'd expect.

Does that make it a bad novel? Absolutely not. I enjoyed it and finished it in under a day; it is the type of book that you indulge in and either connect with it or don't. Both Lady and S have a lot of baggage between the two and often don't do the right thing (or, you know, at all) but this is what makes reading them so captivating. As far as leads go, they are highly developed and will continue to push readers into compulsion. You love them, you hate them, it is all part of being a solidly written character. I felt Lady to be the most developed of the two but there's something darkly intriguing about S and her art.