book blurb: family & other calamities by leslie gray streeter

thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

As a reader with a background in journalism, I adored this premise. Combined with Dawn's grief journey and road to self-discovery, "Family and Other Calamities" was a raw, funny reflection of life. Streeter crafts an honest, compelling family dynamic, that feels authentic. The emotional undercurrent paired with the journalistic main plot made for an engaging, fun read.

That being said, the only caveat of this book for me was the tone. While the structure of the book (much of which was told through flashbacks) was interesting, some of the flashbacks seemed like easy ways out for exposition. Additionally, the first-person, conversational tone was a little bit too informal for my personal taste, but I can see how it would appeal to other readers.

Overall, this was a funny, compelling and heartfelt novel that I enjoyed reading.

Family & Other Calamities will be released on May 13th, 2025, and is available for pre-order here.