YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY! by Dave Eggers ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Staring at the empty stars waiting to be rated, I’m jostling between a 4 and a 5. Let me talk myself through it.

Was this a profound experience, one I can’t seem to walk away from without it bubbling up on its own throughout the day? Honestly, kind of yes. It tricked me in the way it slowly got its hooks in me and how the sometimes dark and surprising but always concise and accurate descriptions of life grew more and more impressive. And important. I didn’t see it at first, almost a little put off at the writing style and quality — not because it was so bad, but because it was so good. And different. Like maybe I’m not smart enough or a good enough writer myself to enjoy this book. But by the end, I felt like I may not be able to compare other books to this one. I’m still not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

Did it speak to me as a late twenty/barely thirtysomething with just as much of a question mark about what the hell to do in life? That’s a big bingo. Part of me wants to take a big adventure like Will and Hand do, throwing money away while the world takes you where it wants you to go despite all your plans. But it also scared me, because sometimes I wonder if most of our generation is this close from jumping ship and making a wreckless decision.

This story is a wild ride, sometimes slow, sometimes aggravating, both probably for good reason, and sometimes a little too close for comfort. But it’s got it’s own thing going on. Sounds like Dave Eggers is known for that.

This is a 4.5 star read. But I have to do 4 because I use Goodreads and it's annoying. And I’m not sure I would read it again. At least for a good amount of time. Regardless, the writing is worth experiencing. Even if it makes you feel small, it knows you and you’ll know it. It’s pretty damn good.