Review: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

The good

• Deep, interesting characters who feel alive.

• An interesting look at life in 1950s Naples.

• Well-written.

The not so good

• The book follows a couple girls through childhood and adolescence, and while some parts are interesting, some parts are a bit boring. It just felt like reading someone’s diary about everyday life, petty arguments and jealousies, etc.

• The ending is very abrupt. I guess the idea is to make you want to pick up the next book.

Rating: 3.5 stars