Book Review: "Marilou is Everywhere" by Sarah Elaine Smith
“Marilou is Everywhere” by Sarah Elaine Smith
Synopsis:
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.—Penguin RandomHouse
Rating (out of 5): 4
Review: I had seen this book on the indie fiction table at The Strand (I miss you so so so so so much, old friend), and was lucky enough to grab this from the library the last few days it was open before more aggressive social distancing began. It actually bears a lot of similarity to “Stay and Fight,” which I reviewed last week. I’m so excited by young women writing these hauntingly powerful, daring novels that veer from the traditional. I wouldn’t recommend this as a casual, lighthearted read (which is why it took me a week to get through while I’m stressed during social distancing).
This is certainly not a typical missing-girl mystery, and so one should prepare themselves going in that there will be no formulaic setup here. Cindy, neglected by her mother, runs almost feral with her two older brothers, one of whom makes repeated attempts to assault her. Any other life seems appealing to her, and when local teen Jude Vanderjohn disappears, Cindy slips into her place. Jude’s alcoholic mother Bernadette is experiencing dementia, and falls in and out of lucidity when Cindy is around—often mistaking her for Jude.
The warmth Cindy draws from this maternal relationship turns dark when Cindy makes questionable decisions that imperil Jude. Smith’s writing, however, doesn’t demonize any of her characters—we empathize with everyone, even when they make horrible mistakes.
Though due to the extenuating circumstances in the world I struggled to make it through the book in a reasonable amount of time, it is truly an excellent novel. The writing about rural Pennsylvania is unromanticized but not effete. It is a powerful and engaging read about the power we all hold, even when we feel powerless.
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, violence against women, child neglect and abuse
TL;DR: An inventive and affecting novel by a new and compelling voice. This is no beach read, but you’ll be better off for having read it.
If you liked this, try:
“Stay and Fight” by Madeline ffitch (my review here)
“Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng
“Dare Me” by Megan Abbott
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
