To Nourish and Consume
is the story of Brian Falk, a 29-year-old man who returns to his hometown in Michigan after being absent for about ten years. Even though he feels he has changed a lot from traveling the world and going to college, he finds that his small town is untouched by time. Everything in the town reminds him of a toxic relationship he had during high school with Dabney Dryden and Jackie Morgan. As the story progresses we learn more about the relationship Brian had with these two people. Dabney and Jackie are both from wealthy families and only live in Michigan during the summer, while Brian is the son of a boat maker. He doesn't fit their mold, but he wanted to so badly while he was young. Unfortunately that desire got him caught up in a love triangle that will haunt him forever.
I think most people can relate with leaving home only to return, and everything that entails. There are some things that are very grounded in place and love is one of them. While I could relate with Brian's return home, I sometimes found myself agreeing with his parents who kept telling him to move on from that romance in high school. I didn't feel like enough of the love triangle was given at the beginning of the book, you just had to trust the author, Ryan O'Reilly, and hope you would find out more. And you do find out more, but I still think it could have been spread out differently.
This book was marketed to me as a love story about Generation Y. Gen Y is different from those before us because we go to college and experience the world before we get married and start a family. There were several characters in this book who were not part of Generation Y, such as Brian's parents and Jackie's father, Dr. Morgan. I didn't feel like the contrast was strong enough in this book. Towards the end we find out a little more about Brian's mom, and throughout the book there is a sense that his parents don't understand Brian's life-- but that isn't really a contrast. A lot of kids don't feel like their parents understand them. I wish this idea that I found really interesting was pushed further in the book.
All of that being said, the book was full intrigue and I read it very quickly. Jackie Morgan is an awful person, just really, really awful. I found myself shouting at Brian to give up on her, go away, don't talk to her. He didn't listen to me most of the time though. I suppose it wouldn't have made for a very good book if he just avoided her the whole time. If you're looking for a quick read of a romance lost this is a good pick.
I'm going to give To Nourish and Consume a C.
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