This is a story about a girl who visits her best friend Rose at college in Albany. She hasn't seen her in two years, but they are still great friends. Rose introduces her to her new man Jared and she doesn't like him. Rose becomes pregnant and Jared leaves her, resulting in Rose's suicide.
I like that this story is told in a confessional manner, similar to the Lahiri story we read. Often form can constrict the way a story is told, but I don't feel like this form does, its very open and useful. The descriptions of scenery are very strong, especially at the beginning, where she finds everything beautiful, and towards the middle of the story when she describes the snowy landscape at the "end of the world."
I do wish that this descriptive voice carried over into some of the other aspects of the story, however. Description of the characters needs to be broadened. I have a good idea of what Jared looks like, but a very unclear image of Rose and especially the speaker. You have some great and interesting descriptors of scenery, so I'm sure you could do a good job with characterization.
I liked the general arc of the story, but I wish the last third had been a little more fleshed out. We learn that Rose becomes pregnant, and we learn the speaker regrets her distancing, but there isn't much of a change.
Well written, could become very good with a little more work on plot.
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