This is squarely in my wheelhouse as a reflection on contemporary life via existential malaise. I do think the setting is something of a red herring. Basically any traumatic news story could have informed this book and I do feel like there was some unnecessary manipulation of the reader with what she was building to. Still, the strength is in the handful of characters she crafts - some entirely via the narrator's memory and I was compelled to see what happened after each of the ~episodes.~