Post #569483

📘 "The Perfect Circle" by Claudia Petrucci, translated from Italian into English by Anne Milano Appel This title isn't out yet, but will be released in April 2026. I received a digital ARC for it (thanks!). This was a fun and well-structured book. We get to to see two storylines, one set in the 1980s and one in the near future, one going up a spiral staircase and the other coming down, intertwining and neatly coming together. Finishing the book gave the satisfaction of putting in place the last stone of a beautiful home that was carefully made according to its blueprint. The protagonist of the main storyline is a real-estate agent, working through the ever-present yellow fog of climate collapse to sell expensive buildings that will soon be taken over by nature anyway to the ultra-wealthy. Her pride in her work leads her to take on the sale of a strange home, a house that reveals its origins in the other storyline. I really liked how climate change and threatening political developments created a realistic backdrop for this story. It's not just a good drama about connection, love and betrayal. It's also about privilege and about who's being hit earlier and harder than others due to our changing climate. It's about whether it's ethical to bring forth children in a world like this. And what kind of actions are justified to have a chance at saving yourself? I think the opening chapter was written a bit too dramatic, which was a pity, but I quickly got sucked into the story anyway in the pages afterwards. A few conversations felt a little stilted, but it wasn't too jarring. Overall I had a great time reading this. If you like unlikeable main characters, climate fiction, tales of revenge, and/or architecture getting woven into stories, you might like this too. #AmReading #WomenInTranslation #ClimateFiction