I couldn’t figure out if this was lowbrow…

Now I don’t have to read highbrow literature, but sometimes you’re reading a book and you realize it’s only written for plot, to appeal to a certain demographic, usually women, who sustain the fiction field, and I’ve gotten halfway through books and realized I’ve wasted my time and I didn’t want to do this once again.

But one thing was for sure, this is the kind of book I like. One about people, their lives, their stories. Ultimately, that’s all that matters.

So I decided to do research. I found out Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney had written two best sellers before this, one “The Nest,” which rang a bell, but I wasn’t sure if it was the book or the TV show and…

I was scouring the Amazon page. Read enough books and you know what to look for. First, the star rating…anything under four and you should be wary, sometimes it’s just too difficult or too intellectual for the average reader, but the star system is rarely wrong. And “Lake Effect” had four and a half stars, which means some people REALLY liked it. Assuming the book is worthy, it’s got four stars, maybe three and a half. But if it’s got four and a half, it’s worth taking notice. Then again, that just means people liked the book, not that it’s good.

So then you scroll down the page and look for the reviews… If there are none, or they’re from non-literary publications, I’m wary. And in this case, you got quotes… The blurbs other writers and personalities deliver to help author friends and I just ignore them.

But going down the page further I did see reviews from “People” and “Real Simple”… They indicate lowbrow. But, “Lake Effect” was an Amazon “Editors’ pick,” and that’s a high bar, dreck is not anointed this way.

And as I’ve said before, I read these reviews and reserve these books on Libby and I can never remember what inspired me to get them from the library when they finally arrive weeks later. But doing one more Google before I wrote this, my inspiration came up, a March 4th review in the “New York Times”: 

“Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s new novel, ‘Lake Effect,’ is the latest in a specific contemporary subgenre: ‘Four Adult Siblings Reconvene to Rehash Their Privileged but Fraught Adolescence.'”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/books/review/cynthia-daprix-sweeney-lake-effect.html

That’s my kind of book, families, their interactions as the years go by…

So after learning that “Lake Effect” was an Amazon “Editors’ pick” I decided to continue reading it. And I couldn’t put it down. It called out to me. I looked forward to the end of the day when I could spend time reading it.

And I’m angry that it’s over. And I wouldn’t call it literature, but I wouldn’t call it lowbrow either.

And I’m slightly wary of recommending it, because men statistically prefer nonfiction and if a book involves feelings…

Then again, despite all the stories about aggressive men, the truth is most guys are not like this. Most are normal, average, wouldn’t hurt a flea. Then again, they may not look like an Adonis and they may not have the gumption to even approach you… And that thing about women wanting bad guys, there’s some truth to that. But all this is to say that I know there are some men who will dig “Lake Effect,” but I’m not sure which ones.

Now unlike the vaunted literature of today’s book business, “Lake Effect” is not laden with description, a lot happens and it is very readable. It never gets bogged down.

And it’s unpredictable.

Most books, movies and TV show are. If for no other reason than they want you to feel good, warm after experiencing them, so you’ll tell others about them.

Maybe you’ve read the news about the unproduced Larry David screenplay:

“After 43 Years, an Unproduced Larry David Script Surfaces Online”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/arts/larry-david-prognosis-negative.html

It wasn’t produced, the agency notes said:

“‘The basic problem, it was stated, was that the main character, Leo, is not at all likable.'”

Ultimately tropes in the screenplay were used to great success in “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but the truth is Hollywood and publishers don’t want to risk offending you, making you feel bad, they want you to feel GOOD!

Not that you’ll feel bad after finishing “Lake Effect,” it’s just that the characters don’t always do what you’d expect them to, and not everybody is redeemed. And that’s one of the reasons the book is so good. Just when you think someone is going to wake up and make the conventional right choice, they don’t. And this unpredictability is what keeps you turning pages.

Life doesn’t work out like it does in movies. Nor books. But you find it hard to accept when yours doesn’t. You’re doing the right thing, making good choices, and then you know an action will or has hurt someone and how do you metabolize that? Do you go with your gut first, or do you do what’s right? And how long do you hold a grudge?

These are everyday questions and they’re in this book.

Just another family. This might not be your story, but you know these people, you’ve come across them, they could be your best friends.

I really enjoyed the experience of reading “Lake Effect.” I don’t know enough of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s background and appeal to tell you whether she’s endorsed or derided. That’s a factor in many people’s choices of what entertainment they consume.

And I thought of digging deeper to get a read, and I started that Google and came across the “New York Times” review and…

It’s extremely difficult to get a book reviewed in the “New York Times.” There are so many and room for so few. They usually just review what is extremely notable, whether it be good or bad, books by famous writers or even celebrities, and those which deserve notice.

So since it was reviewed by the “Times”…a review I did not read, because these reviews are not for readers, but for the industry and other writers, they’re oftentimes literary works in themselves, and they reveal plot points not even thinking about the reading experience…I’m gonna come down on the side of this book is worth the time.

Assuming this kind of book appeals to you.

Because it certainly does to me.