Once again, upon finishing a Haven Kimmel book, I want nothing more than to flip to the front and start reading it over again. Her characters are just amazing -- so beautifully written, complicated, fully realized -- even down to minor passersby. The plot in The Solace of Leaving Early is simpler than that of The Used World, and while I predicted the ending early on, what happens next isn't what drives her writing. She's really an artist of words and particularly of people. I really fell in love with both Langston and Amos (whom I had already enjoyed in The Used World), despite all of their quirks and failings. I think I have a new addition to my list of favorite writers.
