Review: The Half Moon

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I saw that Mary Beth Keane had published another novel, I was almost giddy. Ask Again, Yes is one my most favorite books, and to know that Keane had once again put pen to paper was exciting. I cleared my Saturday and dove in. Whilst this story has its strengths, there are a few hiccups that just kept me from loving it.

The Half Moon is the story of Malcolm and Jess, a childless couple in their forties, searching for meaning and direction. Malcolm is the proud(ish) owner of a run down bar called The Half Moon, and Jess is an accomplished lawyer. Both seem to be stuck in their own mid-life crises, reaching out for something tangible to define themselves and grasping only empty promises and disappointment. The tale floats through their journey, following the natural curves in the river, as the reader plays voyeur to their navigation of rough waters and scraping atop shallow banks.

The story itself is one that relates themes of self-doubt, self-discovery, betrayal and redemption—a heady combination that leaves the reader with a feeling of being weighted down with rocks in one’s pockets. The depressing narrative is a trudge with little to no lightness to ease the load. I felt as I read that I was slowly drowning in the mistakes and missteps of both Malcolm and Jess. Beyond the general tone, however, the biggest issue I had with the book was the structure.

Malcolm has a tendency to see everything through a lens of past events, though Keane’s attempts to recreate that lens seem arbitrary and capricious and make it sometimes difficult to follow. The story meanders from past to present, often a paragraph or two at a time, with no clear delineation of the jump. By the time the reader catches up to the time-line placement, the story moves yet again into another era. The best books are those that disappear in your hands as you become a part of the storyline. Here, however, it was a lot of work to keep track of where in the characters’ lives certain events happened, making it difficult to melt into the setting. One is constantly reminded that they must relocate themselves in relation to the events, which in turn separates the reader from the page as the adjustment takes place.

The news here, however, is not only bad. Keane’s genius in character development is once again on point, and every single character leaps from the page. Additionally, her prosaic text and ability to turn a phrase is positively brilliant. Finally, she leaves the reader longing to know more—to follow the lives of both Malcolm and Jess as they move forward.

Overall, it’s a book I wouldn’t have missed simply because of my love of this author. As a stand alone, without prior knowledge of Keane’s ability, I’m not sure I would have found it quite engaging. The structural issues and amount of concentration it took to readjust to the ever changing time line just make this more work than the investment warranted in returns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Books for providing me with an ARC for review. Publication is set for May 2, 2023.

View all my reviews