BOOK REVIEW: Just the Good Parts

 

JUST THE GOOD PARTS
by Robbie Couch
Available now

Caspen's autumn is not going well, even with his town's beloved Red Fest coming up. He's been working hard at the candle shop passed down through his family, but it's not keeping his mind off his father's mysterious disappearance six months ago, following the news that his parents were preparing for a divorce. Just as everything is getting busy, three new tenants move in to the converted apartment above the family's living space. As Caspen gets to know them, he makes a shocking discovery: he can travel into their memories via the scents from candles from his family's store.

These memory-scapes show him emotional moments from each young tenant's life. But they also introduce him to Lars, a stranger who stumbles into these memories and is the only person who can see Caspen in them. As the two grow closer during these fleeting meetings, they also try to figure if, and how, these memories relate to Caspen's missing father.

But beyond these strange journeys, things are getting odder for Caspen. His mother seems intent on putting her father behind her, and no one in town appears concerned about his disappearance. Caspen's work buddy Quinn is keeping a secret from him that she insists he already knows, and he has a mysterious injury that he doesn't remember getting. By the time he explores the memory of the third tenant, things begin to come into focus.

I loved the conceit of Just the Good Parts even before the ending's big reveal. Scent has powerful ties to memory, and I've found myself transported back to formative moments just by lighting a candle. The twist in the tale is well prepared for and isn't just a shock ending for the sake of a shock ending. Caspen is dealing with something all of us deal with at some points: the fear of things ending. This specific twist on a coming-of-age story, big reveal and all, is extremely well done.

The only thing that seems a bit out of whack is the subplot with Lars. It's not that it wasn't good, or that it didn't work — it was, and it did. But as much as Lars was a fixture in Caspen's memory journeys, it feels like there was something missing... something that might have been cut during an edit, perhaps, or that just didn't make it onto the page from the author's mind. There's a sense at the end of the book that some things are meant to be vague and uncertain, and that's fine; but above and beyond that, it just feels like there's an undefined piece missing, and I'd love to find out what it was.

Even with that one quibble, Just the Good Parts is very, very difficult to put down. You care about the mystery at the center and the puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit together. And by the end, it's a unique and satisfying story about one of the more painful aspects of growing up: the things we are forced to leave behind.

TEA PAIRING: Autumn Enchantment
One of Chapters Tea & Co.'s newest blend, this fall-coded tea is a mix of maple, vanilla, and pumpkin. It's the perfect cozy blend to go with Caspen's (admittedly fraught) Red Fest preparations. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and more bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Sweater Weather Stories
I always include a Frostbeard candle in my reviews for some bookish ambience, but it feels especially appropriate here! This month's featured scent is full of autumnal notes: fireplaces, trees, and fresh fruit. Check out Frostbeard for a new exclusive bookish candle every month, as well as a massive catalog of seasonal and cozy scents!