All Fours

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / July, Miranda, Adult Book / Fiction / General / July, Miranda
On Shelf At: Traverwood Branch

"A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Twenty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Surprise, Surprise submitted by aprilrconway on July 13, 2024, 1:10pm I won't summarize the book because it will ruin the reveals built into the structure and plot. I will say I read this book in one day: I was pleased with the surprises that challenged my expectations of the narrator and my own (semi-hidden) biases. It's not a perfect book--I have critiques of the narrator's (and, by extension, the author's) many privileges--but it is a book I want to talk about with my middle-aged friends--especially women and if you read it, you'll understand why.

Meh? submitted by courtneyhooper on June 12, 2025, 9:54pm I admit I haven’t finished it yet, and it’s possible I’ll change my mind. But there’s a lot that seems implausible enough to be distracting but not implausible enough to be magical realism. I hope it’ll make a turn, and surely it didn’t get all this praise for nothing. But so far, it’s a bit of a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ for me.

Can't get that time back submitted by emljas on June 16, 2025, 12:31am Multiple times I debated just putting it down, but as a national book award finalists I kept thinking there must be some great story line or twist coming. Nope. A lot of descriptions about sex, desire, and various fantasies but no real substance or character development. The jacket summary was vague enough to make it seem interesting. I thought it was trash, but I guess others may find it provocative.

meh submitted by curlyqueen on June 17, 2025, 11:08am Was excited to read this book with all the hype- especially a book about a middle age woman and perimenopause. However, it fell really short in relatability. A lot of it seems to mirror the author and her life.

Great book club pick submitted by aminarce on June 19, 2025, 10:17am Some of us loved this, some of us hated this, we all agreed it’s well crafted. Great, divisive read that sparks big discussions in everything from marriage and monogamy to aging and Art. Recommend!

Self Reflection submitted by Nataliemadams on June 21, 2025, 10:03am I really enjoyed it, already knowing some of similarities about the authors personal life helped create an easy visual. Was confused by the strong critiques and found most of the people I spoke with who didn’t like it had hang ups of their own to work through.

Only ok submitted by Zekicmom on June 29, 2025, 11:52am I didn’t have trouble getting through the book, but I didn’t overly enjoy it. I was annoyed at the main character and some of her choices. But I suppose I was invested enough to care.

Wishy-Washy Female Protagonist submitted by ekjensen on July 3, 2025, 9:13am The sexual misadventures of a 45 year old California woman, wife of Harris and mother of them, Sam, as a result of the cross country trip to New York City that never happened (I.e., stayed in Monrovia, CA) for 3 weeks and 20 minutes from home.

this book was a lot submitted by alharman1022 on July 4, 2025, 8:19pm It was a fast read that pulled me along, but it was a lot and then it kind of fizzled and was a bit disappointing at the end

Meh submitted by aphrodite42 on July 6, 2025, 10:59pm Underwhelmed and disappointed

Great dialogue, writing style submitted by lizgiessner on July 7, 2025, 11:49am There are many unusual, unrelatable aspects of this story, but the narrator's actions did wind up being understandable to me. I liked the dialogue, the descriptions of friendships, and the writing style overall.

Miranda July is one of a kind submitted by booksandhibernation on July 10, 2025, 4:03pm This book isn't for those looking for plot and movement. I read and enjoyed it because I love Miranda July and everything her very unique mind comes up with.

Zero stars submitted by kath on July 19, 2025, 9:16am The only good thing about this book is that it is a very, very quick read. It is quick because there is nothing there. Insipid and dislikable main character who never learns from her many mistakes. She is self-possessed as are almost all the really horrible people in this book.
Do not waste time. There are so many good books. I had hoped this was one of them given the accolades.

Supporting Women's Wrongs submitted by emugo on August 4, 2025, 10:19am okay read - it was an interesting read but not something i can say i would recommend; this is the type of book where you’re along for the ride because the story doesn’t have a clear ending or journey - every move the character made was a bit confusing/concerning. perfect for people who like a book with a female protagonist who makes a lot of absurd decisions.