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Await Your Reply

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'Await Your Reply' by Dan Chaon is a suspenseful novel that interweaves three separate storylines, each following characters dealing with identity crises and seeking to find themselves. The book keeps readers engaged with its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and unexpected twists that tie the stories together in a satisfying resolution.

Characters:

The novel features complex, well-developed characters who navigate personal crises and moral dilemmas, enriching the exploration of the theme of identity.

Writing/Prose:

Chaon's writing style is effective and direct, providing insight into characters' minds without overly ornate language, although it does vary in distinctiveness.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative consists of three interwoven stories that explore themes of identity, connection, and personal crises, ultimately revealing their intertwining nature in a surprising climax.

Setting:

The novel's settings range from small towns and motels to explorative journeys across America, effectively enhancing the themes of disconnection and identity.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, starting slower as the three storylines are established, but accelerates towards the end as the narratives converge.
Ryan is still aware enough that his father’s words come in through the edges, like sunlight on the borders of a window shade. His eyes are shut tight and his body is shaking and he is trying to hold u...

Notes:

The novel contains three main storylines that converge into a surprise ending.
Miles Cheshire spends ten years searching for his twin brother, Hayden, who is paranoid schizophrenic.
Ryan Schuyler learns he is not the biological child of the family he grew up with, leading him to drop out of college and get involved in illegal activities with his biological father Jay.
Lucy Lattimore runs away with her high school history teacher, hoping to find a new life, but ends up in a disturbing situation.
The themes of identity and the fluidity of self are central to the novel, exploring how characters reinvent themselves.
The writing is described as good with vivid and real characters, capturing psychological depth.
The author, Dan Chaon, uses different narrative styles for each character to reflect their unique perspectives and situations.
The book raises questions about identity theft in the digital age, relevant to contemporary society.
The ending features a twist that many readers found surprising, despite some hints throughout the novel.
Chaon demonstrates a blend of literary fiction with elements of thriller, captivating readers with suspense and emotional depth.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of mental illness, identity theft, crime, and violence, including graphic descriptions of injury.

From The Publisher:

The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways-and with unexpected consequences-in acclaimed author Dan Chaon's gripping, brilliantly written new novel.

Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can't stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who has been missing for ten years. Hayden has covered his tracks skillfully, moving stealthily from place to place, managing along the way to hold down various jobs and seem, to the people he meets, entirely normal. But some version of the truth is always concealed.

A few days after graduating from high school, Lucy Lattimore sneaks away from the small town of Pompey, Ohio, with her charismatic former history teacher. They arrive in Nebraska, in the middle of nowhere, at a long-deserted motel next to a dried-up reservoir, to figure out the next move on their path to a new life. But soon Lucy begins to feel quietly uneasy.

My whole life is a lie, thinks Ryan Schuyler, who has recently learned some shocking news. In response, he walks off the Northwestern University campus, hops on a bus, and breaks loose from his existence, which suddenly seems abstract and tenuous. Presumed dead, Ryan decides to remake himself-through unconventional and precarious means.

Await Your Reply is a literary masterwork with the momentum of a thriller, an unforgettable novel in which pasts are invented and reinvented and the future is both seductively uncharted and perilously unmoored.

Ratings (5)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (2)
It Was OK (2)

Reader Stats (9):

Read It (5)
Want To Read (4)

About the Author:

Dan Chaon is the acclaimed author of Among the Missing, which was a finalist for the National Book Award; You Remind Me of Me, which was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, San…

 
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