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archiveofrasa's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
when I started reading this, I genuinely didn't think I would reread it right after I finished it just to tab and annotate the shit out of it, but look at me now
this book really holds some of the most complex explorations of queerness I've ever read. what I went into this knowing was that Idlewild explores queerness within friendships and how both the main characters' experiences of queerness affect that friendship. it was sooo interesting to read, seeing these characters unravel and try to reach for queerness that ends up destroying themselves and each other in the end. it's also Very Millennial and Thomas does an excellent job portraying both the sympathetic experiences of Millenials but also the criticism and cringe that naturally comes along with it.
Nell and Fay are both such fantastically crafted characters and it actually pains me that I can't find out anything more about them than what I have already annotated. I'm so certain there is, I just won't see it at the moment 😔 I love seeing friends care for each other and miss each other and you get so much of that here, even though there is a lot of resentment between the two of them which hurt me in so many ways, it was just so good. the miscommunication was also so realistic to the characters and their circumstances, every single line they said made me just tragically wail "of course she would fucking say that!" instead of "why did she say that?". rarely has a book made me do that and I admire Idlewild for it so much.
the side plots were also very intriguing – I did not expect to see a commentary on how Millennials were taught to see race and racism, so I was a bit jarred by it, especially because it was written by a white author and you can tell in some areas 😠but! that being said, there is still a lot of nuance with specifically the character affected and while the racism he experienced was incredibly yikes(!!!), I adored him and how he reacted to it was very well written. on the other hand, we have Theo, which gets a bit spoilery ðŸ˜while this is just a theory, from what I gathered, I feel as if he has a personality disorder as a result of being directly affected by 9/11? especially with his thing of derealisation and outbursts. I'm not too sure how to feel about this given his portrayal in the book, but I feel like that's what the author was getting at.
I don't know what is exactly holding me back from a 5 star rating other than how I felt about the latter two points (and also, after reading so many books by POC, maybe this story felt a biiit too white for me ðŸ˜) but I still think this is a really well-crafted novel. I may or may not change the rating depending on how I feel as I sit on it, but this book will definitely stay with me for a long time
this book really holds some of the most complex explorations of queerness I've ever read. what I went into this knowing was that Idlewild explores queerness within friendships and how both the main characters' experiences of queerness affect that friendship. it was sooo interesting to read, seeing these characters unravel and try to reach for queerness that ends up destroying themselves and each other in the end. it's also Very Millennial and Thomas does an excellent job portraying both the sympathetic experiences of Millenials but also the criticism and cringe that naturally comes along with it.
Nell and Fay are both such fantastically crafted characters and it actually pains me that I can't find out anything more about them than what I have already annotated. I'm so certain there is, I just won't see it at the moment 😔 I love seeing friends care for each other and miss each other and you get so much of that here, even though there is a lot of resentment between the two of them which hurt me in so many ways, it was just so good. the miscommunication was also so realistic to the characters and their circumstances, every single line they said made me just tragically wail "of course she would fucking say that!" instead of "why did she say that?". rarely has a book made me do that and I admire Idlewild for it so much.
the side plots were also very intriguing – I did not expect to see a commentary on how Millennials were taught to see race and racism, so I was a bit jarred by it, especially because it was written by a white author and you can tell in some areas 😠but! that being said, there is still a lot of nuance with specifically the character affected and while the racism he experienced was incredibly yikes(!!!), I adored him and how he reacted to it was very well written. on the other hand, we have Theo, which gets a bit spoilery ðŸ˜
I don't know what is exactly holding me back from a 5 star rating other than how I felt about the latter two points (and also, after reading so many books by POC, maybe this story felt a biiit too white for me ðŸ˜) but I still think this is a really well-crafted novel. I may or may not change the rating depending on how I feel as I sit on it, but this book will definitely stay with me for a long time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
Minor: Homophobia and War
Both the F and D slurs are used in this novel.bella_cavicchi's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
There is something beautifully tragic about IDLEWILD, so apt is its portrayal of nostalgia, particularly the nostalgia of being a teenager, being a teenager who is queer, but maybe doesn't yet know how, being a teenager who is desperate to escape, to be invisible, but who, REALLY, at their core, just wants to be seen and loved. I'm glad this book exists.
(I also have a soft spot for novels that are set between 2000-2010, feature theatre kids, and involve life at private schools, so IDLEWILD was already destined to win points in my book, let's be honest.)
(I also have a soft spot for novels that are set between 2000-2010, feature theatre kids, and involve life at private schools, so IDLEWILD was already destined to win points in my book, let's be honest.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Abandonment, and Classism
mikaclapson's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and War
mmccombs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Completely wowed by this book! I didn’t really know what this was about going into it, and I am so impressed by the bold character work and stunning writing! A complex portrait of high schoolers and burgeoning queerness and obsession and post 9/11 anxiety, I don’t think I’ve read a queer coming of age novel quite so lived in, so mushy and confused and goofy.
I loved the approach of making Fay and Nell’s friendship so fully meshed as to take on a 2nd person POV. I also loved the flashback, past-tense format of this book. Often, I find books using a look-back approach or time jumps do so in order to hide plot or character issues, but Thomas was leveraging this tense to fully investigate faulty memories and how characters can experience the same situation so differently. (Also the act of looking back at your high school self thinking about what would have been if you had made different friends or different choices, especially gay ones, feels SO relatable in an ouch kind of way)
I had a great time listening to this; the mood, the vibe, the plot that quickly spiraled out of control, and these endearing (and totally annoying! lol) characters came together to form an excellent whole.
I loved the approach of making Fay and Nell’s friendship so fully meshed as to take on a 2nd person POV. I also loved the flashback, past-tense format of this book. Often, I find books using a look-back approach or time jumps do so in order to hide plot or character issues, but Thomas was leveraging this tense to fully investigate faulty memories and how characters can experience the same situation so differently. (Also the act of looking back at your high school self thinking about what would have been if you had made different friends or different choices, especially gay ones, feels SO relatable in an ouch kind of way)
I had a great time listening to this; the mood, the vibe, the plot that quickly spiraled out of control, and these endearing (and totally annoying! lol) characters came together to form an excellent whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
Minor: War
duzzle's review
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thomas's writing was so disgustingly relatable. It shocked me how well he was able to articulate and dredge up feelings I hadn't thought about since my own teenage-queer-friend-obsession fraught with exploratory RPs, insomnia-inducing anxiety, and being a little SHIT. Idlewild does a wonderful job exploring the many different ways teens can be fucking awful, and I'm so here for it. Don't come expecting a fuzzy-feel-good story.
The only gripe I'd have is with a certain scarecrow-esque figure in the book who isn't really given much humanity (but at the same time, we all know a person like them, so I feel like the author knew what he was doing there).
The only gripe I'd have is with a certain scarecrow-esque figure in the book who isn't really given much humanity (but at the same time, we all know a person like them, so I feel like the author knew what he was doing there).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Fatphobia