2026-09-17
We do not necessarily become attached to characters who are right. We can follow someone who is mistaken with curiosity, provided we understand what drives their actions. Fiction has this advantage: it can explore from within behaviour we might judge quickly in everyday life.
Camille Valden’s world makes room for these in-between areas. Characters want to protect but can smother; they want honesty yet keep postponing a conversation. Their development is measured less in grand declarations than in sometimes modest shifts.
This attention also preserves the independence of secondary characters. A friend, parent or neighbour does not exist solely to help the protagonist. Their expectations may complicate the narrative, open it up and force it to change direction.
Reading becomes a nuanced experience of closeness. We recognise impulses, grow frustrated with decisions and then discover another way to understand someone we thought we had figured out.