And I don't care if characters are likable or if a plot is super dramatic and high stakes. So what are your favorite contemporary novels (as in published recently they can be set in any time period) that feel totally fresh? I want something to challenge and stick with me. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi: strangely bland and unaffecting.almost cliche despite the tragic subject matter I skimmed the second halfĬase Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet: started strong and then got really boring I skimmed the second half Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: fun enough in the opening and then it devolved into a truly laughable take on feminism I finished this but I was hate-reading it Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: the writing and plot bored me, felt like it was trying to hard to be edgy I read about 50 pages Normal People by Sally Rooney: incredibly lifeless I read about 100 pages Luster by Raven Leilani: Loved the writing but the plot was under baked in the 2nd half I finished this oneīlack Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: totally generic writing I read about 50 pages John Mandel: definitely well-written, but a little bland for me-would've preferred if theater that's more random or less prestigious than Shakespeare were at the center of it all I did finish this oneīad Fruit by Ella King: Liked the first half, then got bored by the generic 'trauma plot' I finished this one Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier: way tamer and less unhinged than it was marketed as I finished this one

How High We Go In the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu: uneven and repetitive I skimmed the entire second half Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder: The conceit/central metaphor seems really heavyhanded, and I wouldn't mind reading about a heterosexual marriage where they actually like each other and treat each other as equals I read about 10 pages Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns: Meh all around I read about 30 pages I know I like Han Kang, Marlon James, Namwali Serpell, Hari Kunzru, and Claire-Louise Bennett, but I want to get into something new. I've been in a fiction rut lately, please help! I find myself bored of or unimpressed by most of the novels I start.