This was a reread; while I didn’t recognize it by title, I suspected it was a reread as soon as I saw the cover. It took about a half a chapter to be sure, but memory was hazy and I remembered enjoying it, so I continued.
It’s a good book, slightly mystical, but all in entirely discountable ways if you want to cling to rational explanations. The star of the book is Sam, who is being a shit to the people he loves. He drives off to drive up the coast and get out of the sun. In alternating chapters, we see snippets of his mother July’s life (and eventual death).
Both POV characters are sympathetic, even when they’re being terrible. The author did a great job of writing them as engaging, very flawed but very human. Along the way, the minor characters are all interesting and slightly skewed from normal. Haley and Sam finish the novel in a potentially good place, but their history makes me wonder if they can last.