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sunbathingturtle's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
I found the characters and relationships compelling. Through them, the story got at truths that simple statements can’t capture as brightly.
I see here that many people disliked the email exchanges, but I enjoyed them. It was interesting to hear the characters’ big ideas and then to see the minutiae of their days and personal entanglements.
And best of all, I really enjoyed the way this story closed.
Also I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator was SUPERB and captured each character so perfectly.
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Abortion, and Pandemic/Epidemic
lucyeanderson's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Death of parent
alyssaherrington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
charlottasimojoki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Death of parent
simranpahwa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Overall was a meh book for me…
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
fluffy1st's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What can I say?
It lies heavily on the characters or solely, to be honest, as if by living their lives, dealing with their internal and external struggles, the way of the world, the way of people, their meetings, their encounters, their love for each other however crooked and moulded by their own fallibility and fears, they carry the plot. And, they carry it wonderfully, insightfully, painfully, sometimes - for me the also fallible and emotionally pained reader - annoyingly, but without a doubt very candidly and passionately.
Maybe this is not enough for some people, maybe you didn’t or can’t, unlike me see so much of yourself in the characters - me especially in both Alice and Eileen, with their sadness at the world and the people, Eileen with such consuming fear and self-destructiveness and Alice with such crippling anxiety.
The narrative is interesting alternating between third person, with the most beautiful writing that can really put you in there seeing everything as if it was a movie set or the real deal - you know? -, and the first person by way of emails Alice and Eileen exchange between them. Also, pretty good queer representation without being anything about it.
I understand why this author is as hyped as she is, and why, still, there are many who don’t understand that hype. But, as you can clearly imagine after this review, I’m going to devour the rest of her work.
One last note indeed proving how much this book meant to me and how much I related to it, I never mark books, but there was so much I didn’t want to forget, so much I may want to go back to, that I finally made use of those tiny post it thingies and marked the hell out of it.
That’s it folks.
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Alcohol
pulpandprose's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent