Dwelling by Emily Hunt Kivel

Did it suck? No. It was actually very enjoyable.

But, I do have one massive change I would suggest that would have made the novel feel less obviously like a debut.

Needless to say: spoilers ahead.

The precipating factor in this book is a mass eviction of all the renters in New York City. It is alluded to that this is also happening in other major metropolises. This is a fantastic premise ripe for social commentary on the affordable housing crisis the country is facing.

However, other than a few early jokes about sharing a singular sock in a household of eight and purebred dogs getting evacuated for a better life while their owners are left on the street, the payoff for such a major event never really comes. Instead, the book focuses only on the plight of the main character. It quickly pivots to deal more with her quest to save her sister and her fairytale-esque career as a shoemaker once she finds a place to live…which happens to be a giant shoe. (Given her preternatural abilities, we are left to wonder, much like the chicken and the egg, which destiny came first.)

Yes, admittedly, she did have trouble finding affordable housing even outside the City in suburban Texas. Yet, that did not deter her from confidently quitting her remote job with nothing else lined up, other than the folks lined up outside her door who mistakenly thought her home was a cobbler’s shop.

The book did deftly immerse the reader slowly and then all at once into the realm of the enchanted. The writing was sharp. The story never dragged on. The characters were somehow protypical and fresh. It was not a bad book!

So, what would I have told Ms. Hunt Kivel?

It doesn’t gotta be that deep. Because the bulk of the story shirks the initial proposition, it’s okay to rein it in.

The story works just as well, still evokes the shadow of the housing crisis, and doesn’t deviate from its core themes even if the trigger happens only to the main character. It happens all the time that someone loses their job or their rent-controlled apartment and gets priced out of the city.

Also, if only Evie got evicted, as opposed the more absurdist catalyst that everyone did, it would have made the decent into magical realism even more unexpected and fun.

But hey, that’s just my two cents. And for 50,000 of your cents, I will tell you if your book sucks, too.