“The Heavens” by Sandra Newman

I found this book really depressing and I’m failing to see any redeeming qualities in it. I don’t mean that it was terribly written, or that it was boring, but what I mean is that I could not find a good excuse in the story for being so depressing. (I found the excuse in the author’s acknowledgments, though.)

This, I think, is a difficult book to summarize. It's a love story between Kate and Ben, who live charmed lives of perfect happiness in New York City when they first meet. But life is complicated by the fact that Kate repeatedly dreams about being Emilia in 1593, in England. And life is further complicated by the fact that, every time Kate wakes from this dream, something about the world is a little bit worse. Things get darker, and darker, and darker still.

I didn't see this as I was reading, but maybe the story is an extreme metaphor for romantic relationships in general. At the beginning, everything is lovely and beautiful, but time has a way of exposing the ugly bits. And when all that's left is ugly bits, it takes a conscious decision to stick with it, to stay, to grit your teeth and bear it even though you know there isn't any way to save this world.

For the record, I want to point out that I don't see this as a metaphor for my relationship!