Yesteryear | By Caro Claire Burke
Book Review | Contemporary Fiction
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
The story is told entirely from Natalie’s perspective. We follow her story across two different timelines. One is her picture perfect influencer life, while the other is a reality that is not so familiar, even to Natalie. As she grapples with her reality, we as readers get more insight into the truth behind her picture perfect life.
The plot is gripping and structured in a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages. It is a train wreck that you cannot help but watch. While there is an element of whimsy to it, the jarring part is that it is not so far removed from reality.
Characters and Conflicts
Natalie is a compelling character with a distinct voice. She carries the entire story. We see different versions of her devotion, her worldview, the way she sees and moves through life, and ultimately where she ends up.
It is indeed one hell of a ride. The other characters, like Caleb, her daughter Clementine, and Shanon, are characters we only get a glimpse of through Natalie. Since Natalie isn’t exactly a reliable narrator, they almost seem like passive characters.
Perhaps it is structured that way to emphasize the point that we don’t actually know much about influencers. We only know what they want us to know. As the story progresses, it gets more and more unhinged.
Now, I am someone who does not live in the US, but I can see how a certain ideology can be weaponized to serve someone’s political or even personal aspirations. There are universal elements to that.
Towards the end, I started to think that this is getting truly unhinged. And then my algorithm somehow took me to a video where I saw women saying that they “don’t mind giving up their votes” because their men know better. So maybe that ending isn’t as unhinged as I initially thought it was.
Anyway, the point is that the book deserves all the attention it is getting because it deep dives into the inherent misogyny in society and the ways in which it is reinforced, even without our knowledge.
Conclusion
Overall, this is definitely worth your time and energy. It doesn’t have much reread value, but the themes and topics discussed would make this a great book club pick. If you are someone who enjoys books like The Handmaid’s Tale, go for it.
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