Assessment:

Plot: Shriver's romantic novel By the Way... has a compelling plot that mixes the discomforts of coping with a traumatic event with the excitement of falling in love. The first-person narration is powerful as the protagonist whirls through varying intense emotions, taking the reader on a swift journey of lust, horses, cowboys, and good ol' Texan fun.

 Prose: Shriver excels at portraying the deep pain in a woman who has massive regrets and anguish. The writing regarding horses and Andi's daughter is also excellent and authentic, and the reader will find Andi a compelling narrator, with a mixture of self-loathing and humility tangled in with pride in her work and appearance.

 Originality: Although By the Way... is filled with a number of cliches, the way that they come together is unique. It has a handful of different flavors thrown into the pot, including romance, assault, car crashes, death, mental illness, sex, and horses. 

Character/Execution: Andi is a distinctive character with broad-ranging emotions. The side characters are pleasant and well-written, including those that are seen only briefly, such as Andi's farm help. P. G. Shriver also knows how to write a charming horse, and does a great job of having the author connect with the animals portrayed in the story.

Date Submitted: May 06, 2022