Grief, Green, and Great Big Twists
I officially have the strangest luck with my “Color of the Month” reading challenge. This month’s color is green, which led me to this strange, tense little book. Harmless by Miranda Shulman is a slow-burn character study that captures the messy, uncomfortable reality of how people grapple with loss and longing.
The story follows 27-year-old Bea, who is living in Brooklyn and still reeling from the loss of her sister, Audrey. The narrative kicks off with an emotional tailspin triggered by something as small as a roommate eating an olive from Audrey’s jar in the fridge. The catch? That jar was two years old! In an attempt to find her footing, Bea returns home with a plan to honor Audrey’s memory by opening a dog kennel—a childhood dream the sisters once shared. She ropes in Audrey’s old friends, Tatum and Layla, hoping the project will bring them closer and help her finally move forward.
What starts as a nostalgic reunion quickly devolves into a twisty examination of loyalty, desire, and buried secrets. Bea is a compelling but deeply unreliable narrator. Isolated and lonely, she clings to the proximity of Audrey’s friends to find her “old self,” but as her motivations unfold, the story shifts from a tribute into a twisted obsession.
The pacing is deliberate, shifting back and forth between different timelines and perspectives to build a constant sense of unease. While the slow-burn nature of the plot kept me guessing, the ending is what truly bumped up the rating for me; I did not see that final turn coming at all. I am happy to land at a solid 3.5 stars and am definitely intrigued enough to try more from Miranda Shulman in the future.
