norawise's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
So many parts of this book are brilliant. I loved the poetic prose and depictions of BDSM. But overall it was just incredibly slow and disjointed. It felt unfinished, and I feel like the editing could have been tighter.
siobhanfuller's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
This was a frustrating read. The concept was so original and it was well written, but it felt like the plot of two books had been smashed together with neither plot being fully realised. So much potential.
susannochka's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely, lovely little book about grief and desire. Four and a half stars.
katiiekhaos's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I wanted to love this book but I just found the pacing too slow, the narration changes didn’t make a lot of sense and the overall story felt flat and a bit shallow. I didn’t absolutely despise my time reading this but it wasn’t a very enjoyable read either.
failedimitator's review against another edition
3.0
I really like how this started. It lost me somewhere around the middle. I think it would've been stronger without switching the perspectives, but I'm glad it stuck the landing.
alexjo954's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
charlllottteb's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The ending was very abrupt, to the point that I was worried that I had accidentally skipped some.
rowenawilldisenchantyou's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the sense of atmosphere. A bit waffly.
jesikasbookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
Permission is a novel about grief, sexual exploration and power. I won't lie, this book didn't resonate with me in any way - I felt like the themes of abuse in the sex and film industries, the pain of long term grief, the standard sexual assault on women and the standard (and often damaging) norms of sexual behaviour weren't explored in the deeper and more meaningful ways that they could have been.
Perhaps this was the point, and perhaps I am just not the right audience for this novel. Either way, this was a quick read on a subject rarely discussed which is no bad thing - seeing books like this enter the mainstream can only be a good thing, I just wish it had been longer and more willing to explore it's own themes.
Perhaps this was the point, and perhaps I am just not the right audience for this novel. Either way, this was a quick read on a subject rarely discussed which is no bad thing - seeing books like this enter the mainstream can only be a good thing, I just wish it had been longer and more willing to explore it's own themes.