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imrogers's review
5.0
Behind this novel's provocative title lies the raw, emotional journey of its narrator, Ellie, as she struggles to find her place in a tumultuous world. Hope For the Worst is told through Ellie's journals, a narrative choice that allows author Kate Brandt to delve more deeply into her upheavals as they happen, often hour by hour. On the surface, Ellie is a 20-something in the 1980s with a secure but dead-end office job, though her budding interest in Buddhism and sense of aimlessness lead her to an unhealthy relationship with the much older and underhandedly manipulative Calvin, whose belittling indifference to Ellie's needs will have readers squeezing their fists in frustrations as we suffer along with her.
The final third of the book takes place during Ellie's travels through Nepal and Tibet on a quest that ends up not being exactly what she'd hoped, forming a strong climax that will serve as a treat for fans of both travel fiction and stories related to Buddhism while also leaving readers feeling satisfied and questioning their own place.
The final third of the book takes place during Ellie's travels through Nepal and Tibet on a quest that ends up not being exactly what she'd hoped, forming a strong climax that will serve as a treat for fans of both travel fiction and stories related to Buddhism while also leaving readers feeling satisfied and questioning their own place.
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