It Needs to Look Like We Tried: A Novel [Hardcover]

Todd Robert Petersen is crazy-talented, and the wild, weird, hilarious stories ofIt Needs to Look Like We Triedare just whats called for in these bizarre, frightening times. Richard Russo, author ofEmpire FallsandTrajectory

A domino chain of failures draws Todd Robert Petersen's characters together in these interconnected stories, despite hopes, dreams, and their best-laid plans

Everyone has a dream, an idea, a goal. But what happens when those desires are thwarted, when dreams and goals fall apart? InIt Needs to Look Like We Tried, Todd Robert Petersen explores the ways in which our failures work on the lives of others, weaving an intricate web of interconnected stories.

A fastidious man takes a detour on the way to his fathers wedding and kicks off a series of events that ricochets from the bride to her real estate clients; to a crazed former homeowner and his sister-in-laws reality TV lover; to a hoarding family whose lives are wrecked by their appearance on the second-rate show. Their daughter decides to escape the gravity of her tiny town with the help of her boyfriend who has a not-quite-legal plan to scrape together enough money to fund their departure.

On their way across the country, these star-crossed lovers encounter our fastidious man, and the Rube Goldberg machine of life continues. Their fling has petered out, and they are driving home, whatever home is left after walking away from everything they abandoned months before.

Praise forIt Needs to Look Like We Tried

Recent years have given rise to names like the Kardashians, Robertsons, and Gaineses simply by inviting viewers into their lives. And for better or worse, theyve shaped our expectations for things like beauty, family, and the d?cor of our homes. Thats true for many of the characters inIt Needs to Look Like We Triedas well, which Petersen explores from the vantage of media consumers, prodl3œ