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bobcat_thepagemaster's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I fell in love with Eve Babitz prose. Like the ocean, it ebbs and flows, telling the story of Jacaranda. It captures the essence of 1960s/1970s California, young starlets and producers, and the all consuming party culture of the time. Jacaranda is such a relatable character. Perhaps, it's because I'm in my mid-20s and still trying to find my place in the world/ find myself, but Jacaranda's life is one of caution and one to admire. This is a story for writers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
gansey_02's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
fleursreads's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
sammibreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Characters suck you in here and I found myself desperate for jacaranda to sort herself out. This book screams that Eve babitz was a magnetic, witty and intelligent woman. Would love to read her other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
marie33's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Fatphobia
teddylouise00's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I did want to love it. But I found myself glazing over passages and having to drag myself through the last 40 pages or so. I love Jacaranda and there were some brilliant lines I just went in with too high expectations I guess
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
reginahafner_'s review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eve babitz is my rich aunt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
ginnyb412's review
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Sex & Rage: Advice to Young Ladies Eager for a Good Time by Eve Babitz 🏄♀️
🌟🌟🌟✨
🏄♀️ The plot: Jacaranda Leven (pronounced "Jack-a-rand-a") grows up on the beach in LA surrounded by wealth and glamour. She takes her scrappy surfer's mentality with her into this world and, for the most part, manages to maintain her balance - until she meets Max, a cunning, Gatsby-esque figure whose coterie of elites adopt Jacaranda for some local colour when they're in LA. She slips into alcoholism and it will take writing a book and getting sober to get her life back in balance again.
This is a fun book with an even more fun title - even if it is one it doesn't quite live up to. Jacaranda is, to my understanding, pretty much a fictionalisation of Babitz herself, and it is entertaining following her as she flits around 1970s LA. The writing is good, and the way the story is told - in short bursts with witty subtitles, almost like newspaper articles - is fun to flit through.
I think my objection is simply that the glittering surface is nice, but you don't get to dig into much beneath it. Max and Jacaranda's relationship is the most well-drawn part of the book, and the parties she goes to aboard what she calls his "barge" are dreamy and sinister. However, the directness promised by the title isn't there, and I don't think there's much in the way of strong emotion at work here. Sex and rage are referenced but not really split open and explored in any detail, and as a young lady eager for a good time myself, I don't think I learned much about how or where to find one. Overall, 10/10 title, 6/10 book!
🏄♀️ Read it if you like memoirs or Joan Didion as she and Babitz are often pitted against each other, or if you want a nice easy beach read.
🚫 Avoid it if you're looking for something with plot or a more searching, psychological edge. Or if you want advice for how to have a good time!!
🌟🌟🌟✨
🏄♀️ The plot: Jacaranda Leven (pronounced "Jack-a-rand-a") grows up on the beach in LA surrounded by wealth and glamour. She takes her scrappy surfer's mentality with her into this world and, for the most part, manages to maintain her balance - until she meets Max, a cunning, Gatsby-esque figure whose coterie of elites adopt Jacaranda for some local colour when they're in LA. She slips into alcoholism and it will take writing a book and getting sober to get her life back in balance again.
This is a fun book with an even more fun title - even if it is one it doesn't quite live up to. Jacaranda is, to my understanding, pretty much a fictionalisation of Babitz herself, and it is entertaining following her as she flits around 1970s LA. The writing is good, and the way the story is told - in short bursts with witty subtitles, almost like newspaper articles - is fun to flit through.
I think my objection is simply that the glittering surface is nice, but you don't get to dig into much beneath it. Max and Jacaranda's relationship is the most well-drawn part of the book, and the parties she goes to aboard what she calls his "barge" are dreamy and sinister. However, the directness promised by the title isn't there, and I don't think there's much in the way of strong emotion at work here. Sex and rage are referenced but not really split open and explored in any detail, and as a young lady eager for a good time myself, I don't think I learned much about how or where to find one. Overall, 10/10 title, 6/10 book!
🏄♀️ Read it if you like memoirs or Joan Didion as she and Babitz are often pitted against each other, or if you want a nice easy beach read.
🚫 Avoid it if you're looking for something with plot or a more searching, psychological edge. Or if you want advice for how to have a good time!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use and Violence