Kiss, Marry or Kill: 27

The Centre (AKA, "why I never review books until I finish them"), THE roasting veggie guide, an unexpected podcast hit, mediocrity unpacked, what to ACTUALLY do when you're cranky and hate everyone

This is my weekly series for subscribers only, where I’ll share things that caught my eye this week in a fun and flirty way (kiss), a sustainable way (marry), or a not-so-good way (kill). And yes, this trendy game is technically “f***, marry, or kill” but we run a family-friendly-ish show around here.

Kiss (things I like right now)

The Centre, by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

There is a reason I never share a book before I’m done reading—and this book specifically embodies that reason better than any other. The Centre is the story of a secretive and exclusive language center where participants can become completely fluent in any language of their choice just two weeks. I love books about language, reading, and books, and this one contained all three (the main character is a book translator), so I downloaded it on my Kindle.

Here’s the pacing: First 10%, kind of bleh, wasn’t sure I’d stick with it. The next 66% sucked me right in and I blazed through it, reading every chance I got. But at precisely 76%, it went SIDEWAYS. Not just sideways, but sideways off a cliff and into a flaming well of WTAF. I promise, if you read this book, you will not have to wonder, “Did I get to the sideways part?” YOU WILL KNOW.

Sadly, from there, I’m 50/50 on the rest of The Centre… but I can’t stop thinking about it. Is the main character a good person or a terrible person? I TRULY DON’T KNOW. Not in the Game of Thrones way, which did such a beautiful job of revealing the multitudes in all of us, but in a clunky, jarring way that made me go back and forth, wondering if I “knew” the protagonist at all? She’s definitely an unreliable narrator, which I found both annoying and provocative.

The book’s themes (privilege, belonging, class, loyalty) were beautifully done at times, and punched you in the face at others. This book had no chill, truth be told, but I find myself thinking about the ending and wondering, “Would I, though? WOULD I?” And that’s why it’s showing up here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.