The Book of Essie

The Book of Essie (Meghan MacLean Weir, 2018)

How I stumbled upon it: My Book of the Month pick for June!

What it's about: Essie is part of a reality TV show family (think the Duggars). She’s been profiled on TV for her entire life and has grown up in the public eye. In her junior year of highschool, Essie finds herself pregnant + quickly paired off with Roarke, a boy from school that she barely knows. They are tasked with fabricating  a love story in time for their televised wedding. But that’s not all. Her sister left the family years ago and has never been back. Her father seems weirdly detached from everything. Her brother is running for public office. There are so many subplots and mysteries stirring below the surface of this family’s persona, so you will definitely be on your toes the entire time.

What I thought: Well, if y’all know me you know I have a slight problem with trashy reality TV (what up, 19 Kids and Counting), so I thought this would be a subtle spin off. I was so wrong! Essie is a well-developed, complex, and mature young woman who is much more in control of her future than anyone in the book might think. The family’s skeletons are both deeply sad + yet not quite as fictional as I’d like to imagine. You’ll be sucked in quickly and won’t want to put it down until you find out what will become of Esther.

You can get it here OR you can sign up for Book of the Month here.