I could not relate to the writing or have any reason to continue reading it past 20% as I was bored. Excuse my Irish tongue for saying the story and narrative was SHITE. This was a bummer and a big one.

i very much enjoyed this prickly coming-of-ageish book, where everyone makes bad choices and is hurtling towards disaster and all you can do is watch.

The synopsis does a massive disservice to this book in my opinion. Described as ‘sexy’, ‘dark’, ‘humourous’, ‘daring’, ‘psychologically razor sharp’ and ‘charged with menace’….this book was none of those things (in my opinion).

Instead this book follows an 18 year old girl who goes to work as a baker and housekeeper on a remote Alaskan homestead, is obsessed with ‘sleaze’ and what is considered sleazy, and becomes obsessed with her aunt’s stepson after meeting him once. I actually enjoyed the main character and all of her strange, perverted and niche thoughts and interests, but the rest of this book was extremely plotless and I felt like her whole theory of ‘sleaze’ and why she was interested in it would’ve been interesting to explore more.

The author does a brilliant job at creating this setting of Lavender Island and describes the surroundings in beautiful detail, but unfortunately that was the only thing I truly loved about this book.

While the side characters had potential, most of the time they just felt like stereotypes and one dimensional, and the ‘danger’ element has no build up throughout and kind of falls flat at the end.

I definitely didn’t hate this book and am really glad I read it, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t read the synopsis first and wasn’t expecting a lot more menacing, sexy and humorous read.

Definitely read this book if you enjoy books with a strong sense of place, slow paced books with short chapters, character and tourist observations, horny teen narrators and slightly quirky reads!

Young adulthood, the perils and the sweetness of it. The melancholy and the facets of it quite beautifully expressed in the book. Strange to read however it's very enjoyable. I loved reading the book.

This quirky book was published today and it’s a tricky one to review. While the writing is excellent, the story didn’t do it for me.

Mira is a young girl obsessed with “sleaze” who heads off to Alaska for the season to work in the Lavender Island Wilderness Lodge, run by Stu and Maureen, whose lodge (and marriage) is failing. Mira is in pursuit of Ed, a young fisherman she is a little obsessed with, but gets caught up with the sleazy goings-on at the lodge.

I loved the writing and the homestead setting in Alaska but that’s where my enthusiasm for the book begins and ends. It was described as “hilarious, sensual and charged with menace” - to be honest, it was more a case of moderately quirkily funny and slightly, oddly perverse. I would read whatever Rukeyser writes next and I think there’s a cohort of people who would love this (it’s pitched at Ottessa Moshfegh fans).

I’m putting this squarely in the “weird little book” category - I know there are a few of you who will immediately think, ooh that’s for me 😅. 2.5/5 ⭐️

*The Seaplane on Final Approach is published today 9 June by @grantabooks. Many thanks to the publisher and @netgalley for an advance digital copy of the book. As always, this is an honest review.*

First - know that Mira, the narrator, is not as libidinous as the promo materials suggest and equally importantly, this isn't exactly hilarious. That said it's a well written and intriguing coming of age story set over several months at an Alaskan lodge. Mira, who has struggled at home, found she loved Alaska when she was sent to live with her aunt as a sort of punishment. She also fell for Ed, who becomes a sort of obsession who she hopes to see again. Her aunt has died and now she's spending the summer as a baker for Maureen and Stu. Rukeyser does a great job with the day to day of working at a resort and creates terrific characters in the visitors (the Swedes! the Vermonters, and so on). Erin and Polly, the other two young women who work there know something Mira does not and it is this that creates the tension in the novel. Mira imagines their futures, as well as those of Maureen and Stu- and includes what really does happen to them. The ending of this feels abrupt until you realize that it has been building all along. Mira's got a strong voice, the writing is good, and the storytelling is terrific. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

This was a great read that was well written with an engaging, agst ridden and humourous storyline and well developed characters. I havent read anything like this I dont think

Strange, melancholic yet often very funny book about adolescence, desire and dissolution on an Alaskan homestead. Very distinctive, inimitable protagonist, accomplished voice. Reminded me of Nell Zink.