The Red Car: A Novel Paperback – September 12, 2017

I like her writing in Very Good, but this is more sparse almost like half hearted journal writing. I'm halfway thru and even though things briefly took a lighter and fantastical turn, I'm going to get rid of this book. It has a bad vibe, in many ways it's just gloomy and scary and the whole thing with the car and Judy is creepy enough to be horror. I feel the author has a responsibility to her readers , to not just play with peoples minds and trauma triggers in an irresponsible manner.

This is a book about a young woman who at age 33 has no sense of self, no idea what she wants in life and an intensely egocentric way of relating to others. I kept reading because I thought something would happen in the end that might tie things together. It didn’t . I am sure it would provide a good focus for a book club discussion or a nice case example for a psychology course on human development or psychopathology. But if you are not involved in either endeavor, I would not recommend this novel.

One of my two favorite novels of the year! So compelling, smart and well-written. Easily my favorite Dermansky novel. Sure I was a little surprised by some of the twists (well, really only one of them), but just go with it! Dermansky had earned my complete devotion by that point in the book. I first read a copy from the library but then bought my own to keep. It's a book I wish I'd written. Thank you! Can't wait for your next.

I love this author, you never know where she might take you

It was an odd book for me. I had trouble identifying with the main character who is a bit fragmented. While it often felt like a first draft (I kept wanting to correct the grammar) it was rather pleasant to read. I would recommend it if you are in the mood for something light.

I have loved Dermansky’s writing style since I first read Bad Marie. This just solidified how amazing she is, how she reads your mind and her mind and the character’s mind all at once. Her stream-of-consciousness no-frills style without being bothersome and boring is rare to find. Her realness is a breath of fresh air for an old millennial like me. She speaks my language 100%.

Leah is living in Queens with a possessive husband she doesn’t love and a long list of unfulfilled ambitions, when she’s jolted from a thick ennui by a call from the past. Her beloved former boss and friend, Judy, has died in a car accident and left Leah her most prized possession and, as it turns out, the instrument of Judy’s death: a red sports car. Judy was the mentor Leah never expected. She encouraged Leah’s dreams, analyzed her love life, and eased her into adulthood over long lunches away from the office. Facing the jarring disconnect between the life she expected and the one she is now actually living, Leah takes off for San Francisco to claim Judy’s car. In sprawling days defined by sex, sorrow, and unexpected delight, Leah revisits past lives and loves in search of a self she abandoned long ago. Piercing through Leah’s surreal haze is the enigmatic voice of Judy, as sharp as ever, providing wry commentary on Leah’s every move.My Thoughts: The story of Leah’s life, with the good and bad choices, kept me engrossed as it jumped from college days, to six years later, and then ahead ten years.Trailing along the path with her, we see how some of her most significant times involved working as an assistant to Judy in a San Francisco company. Judy was a mentor, guiding her, a voice in her head. And Judy had purchased a red sports car, a prized possession.So now that Leah is in a marriage with a possessive man named Hans, there is hope for change when she gets a call about Judy’s death…and that Judy has left her the red car. But Leah will have to go to San Francisco to claim her legacy.I hated how Hans reacted when she insisted on going alone. And after she goes, he bombards her with so many e-mails that it would be impossible for Leah not to see his reaction as a serious red flag.Reconnecting with old friends, taking a trip to Big Sur, and attending the bat mitzvah of Judy’s niece in Philadelphia, as requested by Judy…all of these events help Leah to rediscover who she was. Meanwhile, why does Leah keep hearing Judy’s voice in her head, like a ghostly presence? And why does the red car seem to have a mind of its own?Would Judy’s ongoing guidance, as well as the antics of the car, help Leah make the right choice going forward? The right choice would seem obvious, but we won’t know for sure what she decides until the very end.  The Red Car: A Novel  earned 4.5 stars from me.

Though well written, I hated the thoughtless...dreamlike way the main character aimlessly plodded through her life. The car did the same....it just irritated me.