Mona Awad’s ‘All’s Well’
AN INSIGHTFUL NEW AGE TWIST ON DARK FICTION, Mona Awad’s All’s Well, begins with a former actress who suffered an injury, leaving her teaching drama instead of performing it. Her journey to healing takes a dark road, leaving conflicts, confusion and a question of morality. Awad’s relatable characters and insight on the more profound dilemmas of the soul unfolds into a novel that the reader cannot put down.
Awad’s main character, Miranda Fitch, is authentic to the overthinking, anxiety-ridden mess of being human. Throughout the novel, the character’s personality annoys the reader, but they fall in love with her anyway. Miranda’s character is what gave the novel strength in its storyline and plot. Her development as a protagonist falls under the category of antihero, making decisions that lack the conventional hero department, like courage or morality but still learning valuable and grave lessons through her journey. This character development is what made Miranda relatable to the reader. Unlike the traditional hero, whose personality is uncommon and unrealistic to the everyday person, Miranda’s choices have you on the edge of your seat, wishing she would have better morals but understanding that you may have done the same thing deep down.
Although the character development was strong throughout the novel, Awad’s
writing style could be unappealing to some readers due to her confusing flashbacks. As a reader, I found myself flipping back and rereading sections to align myself back with the storyline, and find clarity in when the events were happening, as a flashback or in the present day of the main character’s life. The flashbacks and the book present-day were written too similarly that the transition between what was current in the storyline and what was not was unclear at first. Awad did change verb tense; however, sometimes that is not enough to make it clear when an event is taking place. As a reader, I appreciate the approach as not being cookie cutter and conventional like other North American storylines; however, it took some getting used to. Eventually, the flashback style becomes recognizable, and there is less rereading for clarity.
Awad’s novel was entertaining and original, leaving the reader wanting more of her main character and more of the author’s insights into the soul. Including current technology, social media, and description made the book relevant to not only the twenty-first century but to millennial readers who can recognize the struggling, anxiety-ridden, overthinking mess that the plot unfolded into. As an avid reader of fiction across the board, I strongly recommend this book for millennial readers looking to connect authentically with a storyline.
Published in the print and digital eMagazine, Issue 14 on September 22, 2021