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izzy_rose101's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
rey_reads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
anyone i’ve spoken to in the last two weeks knows exactly what i think of this book - really poor writing.
absolutely no nuance.
the author has obviously never heard the advice “show not tell” because every emotion was completely spelled out for you. the book read like a series of flat statements, not a fluid narrative. both narrators often contradicted themselves, with their mental state or opinion changing over the course of 3/4 sentences, which became grating as ‘tell not show’ doesn’t lend itself that well to showcasing fluidity of emotion.
didn’t love the characters - very flat & 2d. none of them felt properly developed / fleshed out, which was frustrating as the plot wasn’t exciting enough to prop up poor characterisation. it felt like the book aimed to be character driven (exploration of interpersonal relationships and the connections across the two timelines) but the characters just weren’t real enough to support this. take judith - we were told how irritating she was, but i don’t think her behaviour was ever explored enough to the point where i actually found her irritating. and her own motives throughout the book were never clearuntil at the end, where a weak quasi-homophobia excuse was thrown in .
did like the idea of the two timelines, but there were a couple of loose ends this created that were never properly tied up (the storyline about ava’s mother was never properly resolved, the epilogue leaned a bit close to oh-well-happily-ever-after for me ).
my main problem with the two narratives was that they never truly lent into how different new york felt in the 50s/70s; they lacked a strong sense of time and place. instead time was spent drawing unnecessary parallels (e,g they visit the same jazz club, but little focus is given to how the space feels different in the two time periods) that detracted from the storyline because they felt both too convenient and too forced.
i do think that perhaps here the book suffers from inevitable comparison with the price of salt (1950s lesbians in ny), which had greater emotional depth and a much more vivid setting.
rating was going to be 2.5 until that absolutely feeble ending - having dovie’s thought process during her own death as she writes a letter to gillian?? god it was awful!
absolutely no nuance.
the author has obviously never heard the advice “show not tell” because every emotion was completely spelled out for you. the book read like a series of flat statements, not a fluid narrative. both narrators often contradicted themselves, with their mental state or opinion changing over the course of 3/4 sentences, which became grating as ‘tell not show’ doesn’t lend itself that well to showcasing fluidity of emotion.
didn’t love the characters - very flat & 2d. none of them felt properly developed / fleshed out, which was frustrating as the plot wasn’t exciting enough to prop up poor characterisation. it felt like the book aimed to be character driven (exploration of interpersonal relationships and the connections across the two timelines) but the characters just weren’t real enough to support this. take judith - we were told how irritating she was, but i don’t think her behaviour was ever explored enough to the point where i actually found her irritating. and her own motives throughout the book were never clear
did like the idea of the two timelines, but there were a couple of loose ends this created that were never properly tied up (
my main problem with the two narratives was that they never truly lent into how different new york felt in the 50s/70s; they lacked a strong sense of time and place. instead time was spent drawing unnecessary parallels (e,g they visit the same jazz club, but little focus is given to how the space feels different in the two time periods) that detracted from the storyline because they felt both too convenient and too forced.
i do think that perhaps here the book suffers from inevitable comparison with the price of salt (1950s lesbians in ny), which had greater emotional depth and a much more vivid setting.
hannahjeanie's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
victoria27's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
nic5202's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fabulous duel timeline Story set in the 1950’s and 1970’s New York and a mysterious parcel that ties both timelines.
This is a beautifully written book about heartbreak and love. The duel timeline is brilliantly done and intertwines without confusing jumping around. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
This is a beautifully written book about heartbreak and love. The duel timeline is brilliantly done and intertwines without confusing jumping around. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
mcough's review against another edition
2.0
SORRY JULIE this just wasn’t for me. I read the first half, got really really bored, didn’t find the characters compelling, so then I skipped to the last few chapters and found the dialogue at the end really weird and then a very upsetting ending just all round not great :( I bought this to read on a long bus journey and it suited that purpose but doesn’t really have anything too compelling outside of that context
paradise_library's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
I wanted to love this one. A forbidden romance set in New York? Perfect.
Sadly, I just couldn’t get into it. The story is nothing new and I’ve read other books that better handle the subject and even include the same experiences.
Not one character is likeable, or indeed relatable, which meant I wasn’t invested in their lives. Dovie is just irritating. She doesn’t stand up for herself, nor for Gillian who she claims to love. Her endless lies make no sense whatsoever and she deserves everything that happens to her.
The character of Judith - while unpleasant - is well-written and the most believable. She is a detestable villain and she alone felt well-rounded and engaging.
The dual timeline is a good idea, but there is no distinguishing voice between them. Ava and Dovie read like the same person, which affected my enjoyment of the book.
There also seemed to be a lot happening in the book. All of the topics were important, but it felt like the author had too much to put in and couldn’t decide which to include. It’s not badly written, but is a bit slow in places, which doesn’t help with engagement.
When we finally discover the link between the two timelines, it’s disappointing and unsatisfactory.
This book had so much potential but unfortunately doesn’t live up to expectations.
I wanted to love this one. A forbidden romance set in New York? Perfect.
Sadly, I just couldn’t get into it. The story is nothing new and I’ve read other books that better handle the subject and even include the same experiences.
Not one character is likeable, or indeed relatable, which meant I wasn’t invested in their lives. Dovie is just irritating. She doesn’t stand up for herself, nor for Gillian who she claims to love. Her endless lies make no sense whatsoever and she deserves everything that happens to her.
The character of Judith - while unpleasant - is well-written and the most believable. She is a detestable villain and she alone felt well-rounded and engaging.
The dual timeline is a good idea, but there is no distinguishing voice between them. Ava and Dovie read like the same person, which affected my enjoyment of the book.
There also seemed to be a lot happening in the book. All of the topics were important, but it felt like the author had too much to put in and couldn’t decide which to include. It’s not badly written, but is a bit slow in places, which doesn’t help with engagement.
When we finally discover the link between the two timelines, it’s disappointing and unsatisfactory.
This book had so much potential but unfortunately doesn’t live up to expectations.
fangirl325's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lizzielikesfrogs's review against another edition
3.5
there were a lot of things that i really enjoyed about this book. the setting, the plot and the themes were all up my alley and things i can get behind. unfortunately, there was just something about the book altogether that didn't quite do it for me. to me it felt a little 2d, things were all explained in a way that didn't quite make me feel for them & believe them. i also didn't feel too emotionally attached to the characters, although the tragedies should've evoked a lot of emotion they just didn't for me. i still enjoyed it though!! i wanted to know what happened, and i did like the 2 timelines, even if it felt a little disjointed. the characters were all very interesting but i thought they could've been a little more developed, and miscommunication is one of my least favourite tropes 😖