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ameliasbooks'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Smooth writing and quite believable dialogues. I also liked that the main focus lies on friendships and not on romantic relationships.
Some of the incidents that drive the story are happening a bit too conveniently, but overall a good debut novel that touches on important topics.
Graphic: Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Outing
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
kimveach's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Abortion, and Death of parent
ashley_turch'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
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Abortion, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content
acashton's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Medical content
Moderate: Infertility, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent
meganclark'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
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide
kirstenw13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bootsmom3'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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Blood, Vomit, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Homophobia, and Death of parent
elderwoodreads'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
4.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Infertility, Sexual content, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Vomit, Medical content, and Death of parent
annoyedhumanoid'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? Yes
4.75
The jokes weren't funny, I took the money
My friends from home don't know what to say
I looked around in a blood-soaked gown
And I saw something they can't take away
'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take
So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid
[…]
You're on your own, kid
You always have been
i'm not sure if i didn't like the ending or if i just didn't want it to end.
i'm also conflicted on the narrative structure of being told through memory with reflections and commentary peppered in. it obviously allows for deeper, more mature insight, as well as effective foreshadowing, but oftentimes it was along the lines of "i was so stupid then" which like, show don't tell, and we're definitely sufficiently shown. which i don't think is a bad thing! but i know for others it is, and so this setup feels like a concession to the crowd that can't stand, for example, Sally Rooney novels because her twenty-something young women characters are annoying or self-involved or clueless (for example, from a review of Conversations with Friends: "One of the most pretentious and self absorbed gen-z/millenial 'I am a suffering artist who is better than anyone else' main characters. Something about the damaged female writer character that is really trying my patience these days"). i am a strong advocate for allowing women characters to be annoying and self-involved and clueless. that's not to say you have to enjoy reading about them, but i don't like media catered to people who believe otherwise; just count them out of your intended audience. so the narration winds up feeling to me like a lampshading cop-out.
big thought out of the way, yeah i loved this, a truly funny in-depth character study showing significant growth and change. i fell in love with Rachel and James (Devlin; Carey is fine). storygraph was spot-on with this recommendation, thanks babe <3
miscellaneous: i was happy to see Rachel become friends with other women by the end. being surrounded almost exclusively by men for that long cannot be good for one's mental health
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail