none of this is serious | Book Review

A review of Catherine Prasifka’s novel

I am not doing any justice to Catherine Prasifka’s writing, but in general terms, this is what happens in none of this is serious:

1. Sophie is in her 20s, lives in Dublin, and overthinks every single interaction she has with the world (digital or in-person).
2. One day, a purple crack appears in the sky.
3. Sophie overthinks harder.

I frame it like this because it is difficult to explain what this novel is about. While the apparition of that crack in the sky is what frames the narrative, it is of little consequence in terms of plot; it is more of a looming presence that floats over Sophie’s life, and as magnificent and terrifying as it is, it has little influence in her job hunting prospects, her indifferent parents, her pretentious friendships, her competitive sister (who is presented as an improved version of Sophie), and the struggles in her love for Finn and wanting to be desired by Rory. What we are truly immersed in is Sophie’s thoughts, the life she is stuck in, and the one she [passively] longs for.

Passively is a keyword here. It can be a difficult book to get into, and I believe much of it is because most characters are extremely easy to hate. While it is easy to feel sympathy for Sophie…