Despite the fact that I figured out the novel's twist at 41% of the way through, I still enjoyed reading The Very Nice Box and trying to uncover some of its other mysteries. The book, by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett, follows Ava, a design engineer at an IKEA-like company called STADA. She's working on something called The Very Nice Box, she lives alone with her dog, and her life is fairly regimented and dull.
But then Ava gets a new boss, one who takes an eager interest in her. What starts off as Mat giving Ava car rides home (after Ava's car is vandalized), turns into a blossoming romance. But is Mat who he says he is?
As the book slowly reveals Ava's past, you come to understand more about why Ava acts the way she does, and it's nice to see her come out of her shell as she spends more and more time with Mat. However, the more you get to know about Mat, the more you realize something is off. Just what is the Good Guys program? How did Mat get the job at STADA? And do his past actions warrant his present ones?
I can see book clubs discussing the book's topics of grief, friendship, guilt, and male entitlement. If you read this book, which you should, tell me which of the STADA product names you liked best!
The Very Nice Box is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and will be available July 6, 2021. I received a free e-ARC in exchange for this review.
Comments
Post a Comment