Book · 2019 · Fiction, romance, contemporary
Trust Exercise
Why people recommend it
Susan Choi's novel Trust Exercise is a complex narrative that explores a high-pressure performing arts high school while constantly upending reader expectations through startling structural shifts. On The Book Review podcast, Dave Kim recommended the novel for having one of the strangest and best-executed trick endings in recent memory, praising how the book continuously throws the reader off and reveals new layers right up until the final pages. Greg Coles mentioned that he was currently reading the novel, while Parul Sehgal brought up the book during a discussion about literature connected to the #MeToo movement, noting how critics often categorized novels of that era in specific thematic groups. Alexander Alter discussed Susan Choi winning the National Book Award for fiction for her fifth novel, placing her among a distinguished group of finalists. Additionally, Dwight Garner brought up Trust Exercise as one of the standout books he had read earlier in the year during a year-end review episode. Throughout these discussions, contributors to the podcast emphasized the book's psychological depth, its innovative narrative architecture, and its well-deserved place in contemporary literary conversations surrounding power, memory, and institutional dynamics.
Who recommended it
- Greg Cowles Discussed
- Parul Sehgal Discussed
- Alexander Alter Discussed
- Dave Kim Recommended
- Dwight Garner Discussed
Greg Cowles — 1 mention
“I'm reading a novel called trust exercise by Susan Choy”
Parul Sehgal — 1 mention
“so many different books are being described as me too novels trust exercise by Susan Choy Those Who Knew by idra Novi just goes on and on westerns dystopia in reviews people were calling them me to novels”
Alexander Alter — 1 mention
“Susan Choy won for her fifth novel trust exercise and she was in pretty interesting company this year with the fiction finalist”
Dave Kim — 1 mention
“trust exercise by Susan Choy has probably one of the strangest and best executed trick endings I've read in recent memory this is a book that's constantly throwing you off and revealing new layers right up until the final pages”
Dwight Garner — 1 mention
“one of them was Susan Choice trust exercise exes trust exercise”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- Ducks, Newburyport
- The Yellow House
- A Place for Wolves
- A Saint from Texas
- All My Puny Sorrows
- American Carnage
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“this is for people who like tress exercise by Susan Choy”
“I'm reading trust exercise by Susan Choy”
“trust exercise by Susan Choy”