A Scatter Of Light isn't that good

i picked it up on a whim at the library because i'd read and liked Last Night At The Telegraph Club, but unfortunately this book is not nearly as compelling. aria is not compelling and only sort of likable; much of the enjoyment i had in her character went out the window when she and steph started engaging in their affair. lisa and mel are also kind of assholes, and the relationship between tasha and haley just threw me off. it wasn't believable and aria didn't engage with those events enough. i liked the book's exploration of aria's relationship with her parents, especially her mom, and her strong relationship with her grandmother, but i do feel as though aria should have gotten the chance to come out to joan before joan's death.

the book also doesn't work as a companion to lo's earlier book. the references to kath and lily feel shoved in. as a younger teenager i read a lot of sarah dessen books, which all take place in an extended cinematic universe. if lo had just left the references to "her mom has family in the area and it's eddie, lily's brother", sarah dessen style, that would have been okay, but as it is, aria's discovery of kath and lily didn't have any impact on her own personal journey (which also felt underdeveloped). it felt like i was waiting the whole book for aria to go and meet them and have a moment of discovery or closure but she never did.

tldr aria is too focused on her own issues to meaningfully engage with the people important to her, it doesn't feel like she wants anything, and despite how self-centered she is it doesn't feel like i ever actually understand what's going on inside her head. i'm left disappointed.