If I never hear the name Sybil Van Antwerp again, it will be too soon. I found her deeply unlikable—self-absorbed, obnoxious, and consistently selfish. She spends so much time fixating on other people’s lives that she repeatedly fails to show up for her own husband and children when it actually matters.
Her treatment of both later-in-life romantic interests was especially frustrating; she uses them in ways they don’t deserve, and Theodore in particular was genuinely kind and sympathetic. The only character who ever truly holds Sybil accountable is her best friend, who bluntly calls out the damage Sybil causes, especially in her strained relationship with her daughter.
I went into this expecting a groundbreaking, deeply moving story of self-discovery. While the format was unique and clearly ambitious, it wasn’t enough to make up for a protagonist I couldn’t stand or a story that ultimately fell flat. At times, it felt like so much of the conflict could have been avoided if Sybil had simply picked up the damn phone and taken responsibility for the messes she created. A disappointing read overall.