My thanks to NetGalley and Melville House for the opportunity to read this ARC of Carolyn Keebler’s Liquid, Fragile, Perishable.

This novel is probably going to show up on awards short lists and best of lists for 2024. Written in free indirect discourse, Kuebler immerses the reader in the small Vermont town of Glenville Vermont, and the lives of its inhabitants. Evoking Virginia Woolf’s ability in To the Lighthouse to move the reader through the interiority of a host of characters, Kuebler’s novel imagines the human ecology of the space, a human hive composed of work, mating, dying, coming and going, parents and offspring, delight and tragedy, fear and hope. There is no protagonist here, but Kuebler crafts a virtuosic glimpse into one slice of lives lived in America now, complete with extreme socioeconomic disparities, street drugs made, sold, and abused, families living together and all on separate paths, climate concerns, and more. I will read this novel again, and I will likely teach it. It’s golden and gorgeous and rich as the honey sold by one of the farming families in its narrative. Liquid, Fragile, Perishable will be one to watch for in Spring 2024!

The writing was strong enough to carry anyone who appreciates great writing through the end of the book. The multiple POVs could prove challenging for some readers but as someone who reads for language and vibes, this was a nice discovery.

A beautifully written novel about a community somehow isolated in Vermont, New England. We observe a life of various people, their daily lives, hopes and dreams throughout the year. And it would be perfect if not for the fact that with so many characters, so many different voices the writing seems to be chaotic. Too many characters make it hard to keep up with the story. Jumping from one character to another without clear marking makes the reader feel lost. The most interesting characters Nell and Joanie are somewhat underappreciated, I mean I would love to see this book focusing more on these two women, they´re so fascinating. Whereas the main story is supposed to be about teenagers, about whom I couldn't care less.
I think this book has the potential to become a hit, but it does need some changes and editing.
Anyway, Carolyn Kuebler is a name worth remembering, because she has a talent and a way with words that grabs your heart. Looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to Melville House and NetGalley for the chance to read and review Carolyn Kuebler's 'Liquid, Fragile, Perishable.'

A turbulent year in the life of a small Vermont town and it's natives and blow-ins told through the viewpoint of many characters. The transplanted New Yorkers, the local 'hillbilly' extended family, the post mistress, the grief stricken loner and her new male friend, the Hallmark-like inn owning family with their own problems, the evangelist bee farming family, and the teenaged children around which the core of the story is built.

That roll call of characters is an early issue in this one. All of these characters are introduced in quick succession at the beginning of the book and it was a struggle to keep them lined up and retain the flow of the story. The narrative point-of-view changes frequently and it took a while to get into the rhythm but once that happened it became a more fulfilling read.

There's a lot of trauma and grief laced throughout this beautifully written novel - death, loss, abuse, alcoholism, physical injury, tragedy - but there's also a lot of redemptive balance - hope, friendship, sobriety, trust, love.

I enjoyed it but can see the number of key characters and structure turning some readers off.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book. Beautifully written, somewhat atmospheric. Was sometimes hard to follow the changing narrators, but I think that is due to be the galley copy. I would also suggest heading each chapter with dates - once again that might be in the published book. Overall highly recommend. And the cover art is perfect.

I have read a few books that do multiple points of view as uniquely and well as this book.

These are the trigger warnings that I have identified: death of a family member, alcohol and drug abuse, depression. There are other trigger warnings, but mentioning them would spoil some key plot point. I'd like to ask everyone to please do check the TWs before reading.

The book follows a series of characters in a small village in New England over a year. Each chapter is written from the point of view of several of these characters, whose everyday life dreams, problems, desires, intersect in different ways. At the center of the plot is the love story between two teenagers, and how its effect ripple way beyond their own lives. I really cannot say anything else without spoiling the story, but believe me: within the first ten pages, I was completely hooked!

There are about ten different points of view in this book, and I found them quite genuine and interesting to approach. The NY family moving to the deep countryside, youth looking for a job, people who wish to leave the small village and chase a grand future, young lovers…this book really had a series of viewpoints that I haven’t seen often in the same book.

Something that I didn’t think was needed in the book was the climate change talk. This is what makes it a 4.5 stars reading from me instead than a 5 starts one. I think the book would have been as realistic and raw and poignant without discussions of climate change and water access. I understand they were functional to a plot point, but I am sure the same point could have been made without it.

Apart from this, this was by far one of the best written and plotted books that I have read this year. It is not an happy or a simple book to approach, but I would warmly recommend anyone who feels in the right mind space for a complex and dramatic story of interlocking experiences to pick up this book as soon as it is published. And then write to me, so we can rave about it together!

Like others have said, there are too many people and things going on in this book. The perspective changes are abrupt and it's hard to make the switches until I finally had them all straight in my head and how who was related to whom. But once I did, I really enjoyed the story. Others lamented not getting to know Will or Honey more but I thought that worked. It was less about them and more about the effect their story had on the members of this small town.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vividly narrated by multiple people, Liquid, Fragile, Perishable ties a small town together . Perspectives change with the seasons, children grow up. This is a well done portrait of small town anywhere.

I was drawn to Liquid, Fragile, Perishable because the cover is beautiful and the title is intriguing. It story of a small Vermont town and the interconnectedness of the families living there. Starting with a family who moved from New York City. Their teenage son, Will, is attracted to the local Bee Farmer's daughter, Honey. Will's parents and Honey's parents have drastically different world views, forcing the teens to keep their relationship a secret. But, in a small town, secrets don't stay secret for long and the story turns tragic for everyone in the community. Kuebler beautifully demonstrates communities connect through joy and tragedy.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
*******************************************************

A vivid and moving portrayal of the intricate web of relations and fate in a small New England town told with interlocking storylines in a unique and mesmerizing voice of uncommon power in this debut novel.

It is May in the tiny hamlet of Glenville, Vermont, bringing with it currents of rejuvenation and rebirth. For 3 families, though, the year ahead will prove to be a roller coaster of life-changing events, promises, and tragedies.

Liquid, Fragile, Perishable unspools via a chorus of unforgettable voices: an old-school Christian beekeeping family and newly transplanted New Yorkers; a trio of teenage girls and a deeply rooted family of ne’er-do-wells; and one woman who just wants to live alone in the woods. The shifting set of relations among the citizens of this community encompasses teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, poverty—and a cavalcade of thwarted dreams, young love in bloom, and poignant missed connections.

This powerful debut is a subtle and beautiful story about the interlocking relationships among the residents of a small town out of Sherwood Anderson or Thornton Wilder—but with a very contemporary set of problems ... By turns sexy, shocking, and wistful, this coruscating debut conveys the hopes, the sadness, and the secrets of a whole great world.

Told in a vivid style of complete distinction, the novel has magic and momentum all its own, giving a look into the aching, silent heart of America.

This is a very small town filled with a lot of weird interactions and even weirder people – I had a really hard time reading this book, though. My mind would wander as I just could not keep my attention…so I skimmed and scanned the rest of the book. Maybe for book clubs but not for a casual reader as it is very incohesive as a novel about intersecting families.

MEH … 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
#shortbutsweetreviews

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into this book and I think it was primarily the format of the text itself into tiny 1-3 line chunks instead of paragraphs. It was a bit of a jarring reading experience and I think if it was a bit more traditional I wouldn’t have had such a difficult time getting through it.

I also think that it was a bit scattered between perspectives and stories to the point where the pinnacle romance didn’t really grab me in any meaningful way.

One positive was that the author definitely knows how to paint pictures of scenery and build a lot of different characters, but I would like to see it all a bit more focused. Not a good or bad read, just average I would say.

To be frank, this book was confusing. As a woman from New England, I thought I would enjoy this book for that sole reason. The book was written well, but I think the author was tackling more than what the story could handle.

Wonder what life in a really small NE town might be like from multiple points of view (teens, adults)? Then this novel can fill in some of how it feels - from the lowest of the lowly criminally inclined families to the well-off incomers from NYC to the everyday people struggling to keep food on the table/heat on in the winter. Then there were the kind ones who helped their neighbors because that's what you do in a small place. Most of the characters were very realistic and well developed, especially the creepy guy who watched people from the woods. Great title too.

Update: although the novel continued on in the same manner as the first half, I ultimately did not care to keep reading this story so wound up skimming the last half to find out how it ended. In a different frame of mind and with two weeks to read it I am sure I would have a very different opinion.

First day opinion::
Not sure if this novel will be a DNF for me but at 48%, I am already skimming/skipping whole pages. The plot is interesting but the repetitive 'woe is me' from many of the characters is getting old. I get it already. Still, I want to know how people end up and if they can make better choices than they seem to be making now.

Once I saw the reference to Thornton Wilder I knew I wanted to read this book. Our Town is one of my personal faves. This book didn't quite hit me like that one did but I can see how the comparison can be drawn. Small town life, issues with the young people, older folks aging and passing away. Overall I liked what Kuebler crafted. I'd probably pick this up again at a later date to read once more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars.

Liquid, Fragile, Perishable weaves a story of a number of crisscrossing relationships among the residents of a small town in Vermont. At first glance the title seemed to refer to the liquid, fragile, and perishable nature of honey -- the product of one of the main character's prized bee farm. But as we dive deeper into the story we realize it is a double entendre and refers to darker situations the characters themselves must extract themselves from. Liquid, Fragile, Perishable explores a lot of themes and really encapsulates small town America. For me as a reader, I really struggled getting through and reading the book. I did not feel like I was ever drawn to read the novel. There were so many characters that I couldn't really follow the relationships or feel any sense of attachment to any of them. In a way I suppose that's what it's like following the events in a small town. Another reader would likely really love this & I would recommend especially for fans of family dramas and small town narratives.

Thank you to Melville House Publishing / Melville House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW
Liquid, Fragile, Perishable by Carolyn Kuebler

This beautiful cover is what immediately drew me in. I mean, just look at it? It’s STUNNING.

I stayed for the small town familial expectations I had for this novel. Set in small town Vermont, Liquid, Fragile, Perishable follows 3 families and the journey their stories take to intermingle. Here, you have a new family that just moved into a small town, families that have been around for years, old school Christian families, and young love.

Kuebler is an excellent writer. She does an amazing job of bringing together the small town feel: the gossip and the drama where everyone knows everyone, the community during hard times. And as someone who grew up in a small town, it all felt very familiar.

That being said, with all of these families getting their stories told, character development wasn’t as in depth as I would have liked. I would have looooooved to have gotten more on Honey and Will (no spoilers!!—you’ll have to read it to find out ;) ). I loved learning about the small town dynamics, but the lack of real character depth was a miss for me.

Despite this, I really enjoyed reading this novel. Carolyn Kuebler, in her debut, crafts an objectively beautiful story and I would eagerly read more of her work! Carolyn Kuebler makes her debut next year with an expected release date of May 7 2024.

Thank you netgalley and Melville House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating 3.5 Stars

"Liquid. Fragile. Perishable" has the title and cover to draw the reader in with an intriguing plot of two young adults whose worlds collide.
Honey, is a young teenage girl from Vermont raised on a beekeeping farm and Will is a teenage boy from New York. Their story is told through the perspective of others and at times, I feel that the overall plot was lost through the multiple voices and would have loved to have heard more from Will and Honey. There is a beautiful story buried beneath and with more character development for Will and Honey this could be an incredible story that feels is lacking in being told in its entirety.
Overall, this was not a quick read and is one that I would pick up between other books. I never felt the "itch" to stay up all night to journey into the world of Honey and Will. I would love to see the author revisit these characters and grow their story by taking out other characters and allowing them to speak for themselves.

A subtle, slow character driven debut novel by Carolyn Kuebler.

We spend around 12 months in small town Vermont with a range of characters narrating their year. A New York family moved to the area, a Christian Beekeeping family, an Inn Keeping family, a living on the edge family - whose teenage children form a strong bond. Cover off teen pregnancy, drug abuse, poverty and memory. I loved the story, but it took me half way through the book to understand the character linkages and some of the stories remained too untold for me.

Beautifully written, but lacking complete story arcs. I feel like I meandered through this book in a leisurely 10 days, I did want to pick it up each evening and see how lives progressed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Melville House Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Liquid, Fragile, Perishable
Carolyn Kuebler

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book
and the interesting cast of characters. A young teenage girl, Honey, raised on a beekeeping farm in Vermont by evangelical parents meets a boy, Will, one summer who is new to town and straight from NYC. Two different worlds colliding. Her folks, his folks, their small town life banging up against his family’s urban history.

But unfortunately, this intriguing storyline was only minimally explored and wound up feeling like it really wasn’t about them or their love relationship. Big opportunity missed!

Their story unfolds via many different voices, and while I could see the appeal of telling a story of how Honey and Will’s situation was perceived by others, it was confusing and unsatisfying for me. There was never enough in depth character analysis or time to get accustomed to each character’s voice. I wanted more of each persons story! But i appreciated the fact that Kuebler’s writing was strong enough to make me
want more!

The supporting cast was oddly the main cast because we barely heard from Honey or Will. Every couple of pages there was an abrupt change to a new voice, a different time, often days, weeks or even months later. Kuebler gave us two other teenage girls that were friends of Honey, their parents, multiple siblings and side characters including a postal worker and a random lady named Nell and her love interest Len who barely interacts with the rest of the characters. It was just too much and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was who and where we were in the story. It was distracting and frustrating.

I did appreciate that the writing quality is truly good enough to pull you into to each person’s interior world and get you invested in their lives. I loved the unique voices and different age ranges. That is talent to paint so many diverse characters well enough to draw you in.

Yet by doing too much, this book did too little. I honestly enjoyed the characters but they were too underdeveloped and not fully linked in to the main storyline. One character, Cyrus, has zero involvement with Will or Honey and their story arc. He’s full of angst and interesting story angles but his story is put out there for us and then never told. He’s just left swinging in the wind at the end! so frustrating! Truthfully Joanne the postal worker and Cyrus’s characters could be cut completely so more of Sophie, Eli, and Sarah’s story could shine.

Also, I would suggest better headings and a way to make the timeline and character changes less jarring. I struggled to follow the changes.

When I read a book, I want to take something away from it that made me think or let me live the life of a person I’d never meet. This book almost got there and absolutely Kuebler has that special something to paint a world in high def that makes it come alive. With better organization, less characters and more unification, I think this book could have gotten there but just didn’t in the end.

In the small community of Glenville, Vermont everyone is connected. Told with multiple voices over a year we watch as this small town and it’s residents move and change with the seasons and the uncertainty the future may hold.
If I could sum this book up in one word, melancholy. There is definitely a strong presence of global environmental changes. The feeling of being stuck despite trying to move ahead. An impending sense of something bad coming. There are no dramatic changes in emotions or feelings, everything stays around the same general melancholy.
Which sort of sums up how I feel about this book, don’t love it, don’t hate it, it’s fine.
Thank you to @netgalley and @melvillehouse for letting me review this book. It hits shelves May 7 2024
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