The girlboss of it all. The narrative didn't work for me; Carrie doesn't earn her growth, it is pinned to her chest by bigger people than she, and though I found the ending satisfying I didn't feel much investment in her character. Spent this time trying to figure out what is compelling about TJR's writing, because even while her prose did nothing for me I found the narrative propulsive. Her story structures are very familiarly and crisply constructed; she hits her beats very well, tension builds and releases predictably and very competently, and her pacing is quite good. Her prose is not. Why Daisy Jones & the Six worked so well for me is because it was 100% dialogue; none of that pesky narration getting in the way. I'm content now to set her aside as a popular but not-for-me author with an incredible one-off. This said, I respect what she does and if she puts out something with an unusual structure again, I'll certainly pick it up.

I'll also add that the audiobook did something I always appreciate, which is make the most of the audio medium. It enhanced my enjoyment by quite a bit every time the sportscaster music started up.