REDEYE

Seven years ago, Nate Durant weighed over 300 pounds and was deeply unhappy. After getting bariatric surgery and slimming down, he’s resolved to dedicate himself to working extra hard at whatever he tries, whether it’s writing, DJing, podcasting, or doing stand-up comedy. His wife Cynthia has also lost a dramatic amount of weight, but through rigorous exercise. While her husband throws himself into work to keep them financially afloat, Cynthia is at a loss for what to do next in her career. She’s been struggling to find work as a substitute teacher for the past three years and is feeling the strain of their lack of time together—Nate is busy as the sole provider. Nate’s fear of returning to his previous weight prevents him from seeing just how much he’s overworking himself. When he sees a familiar face while scrolling through an online porn site, he becomes obsessed with verifying the person’s identity. She turns out to be a woman named Stephanie, a former coworker with whom he lost touch years ago. Nate reconnects with her on social media (“He had no idea why he was obsessing over this picture of her”). The two start up a correspondence, setting off a chain of events that threatens the very foundation of his marriage. Smith tackles the evergreen question of how to keep a stale marriage alive while beset by such common adult problems as unemployment, changes in physical appearance, and diverging interests. The narrative leans more to the dramatic side, with the romance taking a backseat to the brewing marital turmoil. Both Nate’s and Cynthia’s insecurities are well rendered, though their pre-marriage romance isn’t as convincing. In some of their scenes together they read as stiff, robotic strangers instead of a longtime married couple, and their dual perspectives don’t add much to the story—they’re too similar to each other on the voice level. However, the relatable themes and the plot’s steady pace will carry readers over most of these flaws.