I won this book in 2021 and I never got around to reading it. That was the year my father passed and just dealing with life I forgot all about it. This is my goal is to read books that I own more then library books. I am not sure how I feel about this book. It was different and sometimes interesting. You have a family that hires a nanny from Ireland and the dynamic in the house changes. There is sexual tensions and parts that could be trigger warnings for some.

I did enjoy the characters but also felt at times that they were lacking something. You have Lily and Martin, the au pair Maive and the twin boys. Lily and Martin and two people that seem to be in their own worlds at times. He is in finance and she is a lawyer. Maeve is more of a mother to the children then Lily is at times. ( )

Lily and Martin Fowler are well-to-do New York professionals in need of a nanny for their twin boys. They hire Maeve, fresh off the boat from Ireland, who cooks, cleans, takes care of the boys, and ends up being a voyeur invited into their previously uninspired vanilla sex life.

The writing is crisp, to the point, and sometimes beautiful. The story is told primarily from Martin’s point of view, and he has moments of vulnerable honesty. Unfortunately, particularly when fantasizing about “exotic” women, he also reveals himself to be racist, self-absorbed, and generally dislikable. We mostly see Lily through Martin’s eyes, and I often wondered how their marriage lasted as long as it did, other than sheer inertia. Maeve remained an enigma throughout, which was, I think, part of the point. The self-absorbed Fowlers never seem to consider what she wants or why she’s consented to their peculiar ménage. When Lily perpetrates a couple of cruel tricks on Maeve, first to get her to stay and then to get rid of her, I couldn’t help but want to be done with them.

The Fowlers’ white, upper-middle-class alienation and isolation from each other was thoroughly conveyed. I just felt that it could have been more effective as a short story, when my dislike for the characters and disinterest for their concerns wouldn’t have overwhelmed the theme. The episodic narrative also meant a lot of sometimes interesting but ultimately irrelevant narratives that started to feel like filler and kept the novel from coalescing into an effective whole. ( )

I'm sorry to say that this book did not keep my interest and I did not finish it to completion. Part I was good enough with a quick start and progression, however part 2 took an unexpected turn which turned the plot upside down and not understandable, at least to me. ( )

While I don't remember requesting this book, I decided to give it a go. I was a bit worried about it being a total cliche of 'young nanny & the husband' I did find it to be a bit nuanced than just that. It is definately twisted and a bit smutty but I feel it does a good jog at exploring the psychological journey of some dispicable people. the publisher also included an extra book'Murmur' by Will Eaves which I have not yet read. ( )

Look at Us is about a couple who are well-educated, have good jobs, and live in NYC with their two children and au pair. The parents live life on the surface and lack depth. They are in a crisis, albeit a quiet, unassuming one that goes unrecognized by friends and colleagues. Toma uses his characters to illustrate the darkly held secrets hidden behind closed doors. From racial and culturally charged thoughts to predatory sexual behavior, Toma brings to light a chilling reality that is unsettling.

This book is not for the light-hearted. While it is not filled with physical violence, there is an underlying sense of psychological violence that keeps the reader engaged and horrified by the actions of its protagonists. The protagonists’ lives are experienced from a distance by both their peers and the reader, which creates a palpable tension. Toma’s writing style is fluid and, despite the subject matter, often beautiful. ( )