When Eris Clemens meets Daniel Graf, stars align. Fireworks burst in the sky.
Eris, a glamorous writer, lives in Belmont. Young Daniel is an MIT scientist, proud of his physique; playing shy. Romance blossoms, sparks fly.
One problem though: they’re both taken.
Second problem: it’s 2020 and lockdown strikes. They have to go home. What ensues is a push and pull of jealousy and desire.
He’s weighing the new buds of love against his comfort wife, a stay-at-home Disney adult; she’s loving the halo of new beginnings, but stands by her husband, Stan. He’s the knight in shining armour, saviour of women. She likes to deflate his narcissism and mirror the unravelling society in the backdrop.
It turns into a game of psychological chess. It’s stalemate. Who will make the move? Will they crash into each others’ arms in a Hollywood ending? Is it love, or is it shared fantasy? Will they… survive the pandemic?
Eris gets tired of asking these questions in the medium of chat, and defies all odds to fight for love. She jumps in her Tesla and drives across the mountains to him. Except it’s a mark of the times that unexpected disasters keep piling on, until the fabric of reality collapses altogether.
Rotundo exposes the flawed nature of her characters as they strive for rescue from mundanity, balancing moments of humor and fantasy with deeply emotional, dramatic scenes. When the pandemic confines Rotundo’s couples to their homes, readers watch Daniel wrestle with intense longing for Eris amid a sense of duty towards Julianah, as he wonders “until when does he need to tend to this perpetual child?” Likewise, Eris fantasizes about Daniel, while Stan whispers in her ear, feeling “this immense love and devotion more like a burden.” Those longings become a catalyst, forcing Eris and Daniel to confront their deepest fears and desires while driving the realization that their attraction transcends mere romance.
As the pair defy the lockdown to be together, Rotundo trims their initial euphoria, transporting them to the harsh reality where, unlike their “fire that’s slowly burning everything around it,” their relationships with Stan and Julianah are as comfortably secure as they are routine, forcing a choice between fighting for their love or returning home to mend what’s broken. Rotundo’s descriptive passages and psychological complexities bring a rich life to this debut, offering a thought-provoking reflection on whether the rescuing is sweetest when it’s done by a hero—or by yourself.
Takeaway: Compelling reflection on desire, rich with psychological complexity.
Comparable Titles: Mona Awad’s Bunny, Camille Bordas’s The Material.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
