Central Places

by Delia Cai

Published January 31, 2023 by Ballantine Books

Of all the things to love about this novel, the pace was my favorite. The plot was lovely, the characters were real and raw and vulnerable, and the setting was familiar to anyone who has ever tried to “go home again,” but the true beauty for me was the comfortable reading pace. I kept telling myself I would just read one more chapter and, while nothing terribly exciting ever happened, I just wanted to stay wrapped up in the story a little bit longer. A sparkling debut!