A LIFE, FREED

Rowan Slone is back for the final installment of the trilogy: Will she finally get to experience the sense of belonging that she has been craving her whole life?

Rowan is in her freshman year at Berkeley Mountain College in rural West Virginia. After living with her ex-boyfriend’s family during her senior year of high school, Rowan is now renting an apartment with her best friend, Jess, who has an infant son, Jacob. While they intended to create the family unit they each so craved, things turn sour quickly. Rowan is a full-time student, working 20 hours a week, in a new relationship with Shane, and helping to care for Jacob as well. Meanwhile, Jess is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for a baby and feels like her life is over at 18. Conflicts arise, and Rowan’s life is once again stormy. The author explores with candor the process of therapy and the weight of always trying to hold everything together. Themes of adoption, same-sex relationships, and religious extremism are also touched upon. Unfortunately, the writing feels dense at times, and Rowan’s first-person narration is occasionally rambling. Although there is some recap of earlier events, readers unfamiliar with Rowan’s story will gain more from having read the previous books. Main characters are presumed to be White.

An intimate look into the maze of a young woman’s mind and relationships.