waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
However, I enjoyed the reflective wisdom of the main character and the history we get to experience along with him. It was fun to see notable historical figures pop into and out of his life, but I especially liked that the people who had the biggest impact on him were just regular people: his family, his friends, his coworkers, etc. The main thread that binds together, all the many arcs of Tom's story is love, and it was lovely to see him come to that conclusion.
My other quibble with the novel is that the story kind of just ends, and the miniature epilogue was a bit too cheesy/cliché for my taste.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Outing
froggydanny's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
kamalfakhoury's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
janacc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: War, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders
kay_w's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Colonisation, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
Minor: War and Panic attacks/disorders
leonormsousa'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
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Hate crime, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and War
basicbookstagrammer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
booksemmahasread'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? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
introverted_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Cursing, Death, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Suicide, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Now, maybe it was just the high of The Midnight Library and The Comfort Book, specifically, but I was really itching for something profound and inspiring to me, personally. That's not so much what I found in this book.
For the most part, this was historical fiction, with elements of magical realism thrown in there and a few nods to the modern era. I don't resonate well with historical fiction, so I think that's the first thing that kind of put me off. The concept of a person who ages at a snail's pace fascinated me, but I wasn't expecting to spend so much time getting to know Shakespeare... and that's kind of what happened.
Not that there's anything wrong with this in the slightest, it just didn't stand out to me. The meaningful aspects of the book were towards the last couple of chapters. Those, I could've highlighted in full, because they were so profound. However, I had hoped for a lot more of that throughout the book, so it was just a bit of a bummer.
However, I would read this book again! That might sound strange, but it's true. I do feel like there was a lot to learn from it, but I probably missed certain things because I got distracted while listening to the audiobook (which had a lovely narrator whose accent I adored, even if I wasn't obsessed with his performance). I'd like to read the updated edition that came out in 2022 as a physical copy to see what else I could gain!
As a whole, it was an interesting book, just not one that I would find myself recommending endlessly as I have with Matt's other books.
Graphic: Death and Misogyny
Moderate: Physical abuse and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicidal thoughts