Samantha M. Bailey
With a unique melodic structure, It Could Be Worse is an authentic, emotionally resonant novel about how the past deeply affects our present experiences. Dara Levan’s extraordinary understanding of human nature and astonishing ability to lay bare the deepest parts of our souls is poured into Allegra, her brave, relatable protagonist, as she seeks to break free of the chains of her childhood and soar on her own terms. The gorgeous prose and raw, unflinching narrative both heal and inspire. A stunning debut.
Julie Valerie
A captivating, empowering read about reclaiming oneself and building the life of your dreams after years of being eager to please but never good enough. Perfect for book clubs.
Emily Liebert
A poignant debut about a woman who finds herself amid life’s many challenges, complete with childhood flashbacks that create a heartrending story of love, loss, and the strength to overcome.
bestselling author of The Real Mrs. Tob Sally Koslow
Readers will cheer for Allegra Gil, the spirited narrator of It Could Be Worse, who faces boundary-busting parents, a not so easy-peasy pregnancy, the madness of motherhood, a health scare, and the everyday angst of work/life balance with wit and grit. If life gives you lemons, read Dara Levan’s delightful debut novel.
Laura Munson
It Could Be Worse is a portrait of unconditional love—siblings, spouses, friends, children, and chosen family. Its waltz-like cadence crescendos with this pitch-perfect truth: Love is kind. Love doesn’t hurt. If you need to step out of soul-sucking relationships once and for all, these words, and this book, are a mighty guide.
Deborah Goodrich Royce
In her debut novel, Dara Levan beautifully weaves the past and the present in the life of a young mother who struggles to cling to the rose-colored view she has always held of her high-powered father. As the rhythm of the novel moves backward and forward, Allegra confronts some cold, hard truths about this parent she has kept on a pedestal while navigating her own way along the family path. Both touching and funny in equal measure, It Could Be Worse is ultimately a relatable story of growing up and standing up for ourselves. I enjoyed it very much!
Rea Frey
There’s nothing more complex than the dynamics of a parent-child relationship...or the secrets that lurk in our past. Dara digs into the landscape of a heartbreaking family with powerful characters and seamless, lyrical prose. A debut with heart.
Jean Meltzer
A powerful and poignant story about letting go. Dara Levan skillfully explores the effects of narcissistic personality disorder on the entire family. This is a book I will remember for a long time.
New York Times bestselling author Andra Watkins
Visceral and moving. A must read for anyone seeking to understand the impact of parent-to-child narcissistic abuse. Inner child trauma is so powerful, so lasting, so tough to overcome. Levan conveys trauma with complexity, compassion, and empathy.
Patricia Sands
In her powerful debut novel, It Could Be Worse, Dara Levan examines the many sides of complicated family relationships. Strong characters, childhood flashbacks, buried secrets, and a gut-wrenching decision combine to create a compelling narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned.
Kirkus Reviews
2024-03-07
Levan’s debut novel tells a story of one woman’s past trauma and how it affects her present.
Twenty-something Allegra Gil is a Miami-based trauma counselor, and a woman who effectively exists in two very different worlds. In the present day, she lives with her idyllic husband, Benito, and their two young children. But she can’t escape her past with her abusive parents, including a narcissistic mother who says things such as “You have no idea how much having children will hold you back from the things you love.” Her parents are still making her feel small, even into her adulthood; Allegra has, at some level, enabled such behavior in order to keep the peace. That is, until she discovers a letter that changes everything: “I grappled with what to do. Who to tell. What to make of it all.” It’s the catalyst for her to finally start shaking off her anxieties and fear, embrace spirituality, and find courage to break a cycle that threatens her own children. Levan does not shy away from the difficult, yet relatable, issues that plague her protagonist––from emotional abuse and body shaming to miscarriage and life-threatening illness. She shows how Allegra pulls together the hazy pieces of her life and reconciles herself with the fact that all of them, good and bad, have made her into the person she is today. As a character, she’s a quiet presence, but readers will root for her during her slow journey to emotional resolution. Throughout, Levan seems more concerned with detail and discovery, placing moments of realism and characterization ahead of advancing the plot. Anyone willing to travel with her, often through memories that flood into her present life, will appreciate an acute portrait of a woman reckoning with her own history; it may even inspire some readers to take note of the boundaries in their own lives.
A poignant slice-of-life drama about comforting one’s inner child and moving forward.
