Reviews with content warning for Racism - The View Was Exhausting

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The View Was Exhausting by Onjuli Datta, Mikaella Clements

14 reviews

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

emotional medium-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

3.75

I clicked with the writing style right away. It is so genuine, honest, and realistic. I was surprised a bit by the structure as I didn't expect a dual POV. Basically, there are two main reveals in the book (one in the 1/3 mark, the other at 3/4 mark), and the POVs switch at those moments. At first I was unsure how I would feel about this because I didn't expect to be Leo's perspective for so long (I thought it would switch back to Win's once Leo's recap of events occurred). However, I ended up liking it because it avoided the trap of it being too repetitive. If it remained with Win's perspective the entire time, then it would have been hearing about how angry she is about the same thing over and over. Win's character, with her values, personality, and priorities, was set up extremely well in the first third of the book that when we switched to Leo's, I don't think we were missing out on how Win was feeling or thinking because it was established so effectively. Also, this book really tackles the nuance of being a public figure having to deal with racism in Hollywood, and one of the main gripes that Win has with Leo is that, as a rich white man, he doesn't really get why she acts the way she does, even when she explains it (he believes it to be much more black and white than what the reality is), so, with her experiences and perspective already established, we get to see Leo gradually start to understand it without her holding his hand about it. There could have been more in-depth explorations of Win's experience as a POC public figure, with all the pressures and expectations, but it does a good job touching on the topic. (Of course, a white person discovering how bad and complicated racism really is for POC is a bit overdone, but it is interesting with the complications of the celebrity aspect and done well.) Win and Leo's chemistry is palpable, and the authors do a good job avoiding easy fixes, allow things to have consequences, and letting the characters' fears and insecurities have weight that aren't just thrown to the side for the sake of a happily ever after (it does end happily, but it is done in a realistic way that respects the complicated nature of the situation).

Wow, did I hate Lila. She was just rude and mean in such a flippant way that usually pissed me off. I could not believe that the first twist was that Leo was SECRETLY MARRIED. Based on the content warnings, I genuinely thought that he was going to have cancer (it ended up being her mother and father, and that was done well and respectfully), and that they were going to have to navigate their real budding feels springing from their fake relationship while having to deal with the fact that he was dying. This completely shifted my expectations, and it definitely became less cliche than I was anticipating in a way that was quite interesting.

Win's relationship with her mother, as well as her grief of her father was quite interesting. I admired that Win's relationship with her best friend Shift allowed her to be called out for her behavior in a loving and honest way. This sometimes occurs with Leo (about how Win, because of her circumstances as a POC in the public eye and having to deal with that pressure and responsibility, can make her act quite selfish), but oftentimes when Leo addresses it, it pokes directly on her sore spots, while with Shift (while they both are speaking from a place of hurt) speaks with honesty and not the intention to hurt her (not that Leo necessarily was, but Shift acted in a more thoughtful and kind way in these situations). Leo's family wasn't explored too much, but was interesting nonetheless.

Gum's behavior at the wedding, though I get it from a protective sibling perspective, pissed me off. It was unnecessarily cruel. I guess by the epilogue he changed his tune, but the way he behaved is not something I could easily get over.

I wasn't as obsessed with the book as I initially was after the first reveal, but I was still interested because there is so much nuance to the book. At times, Win sort of reminded me of Nina Riva from Malibu Rising, both definitely the most interesting characters in their respective books (also, they struggle with fame (though at times for different reasons), have complicated relationships with their parents, and, though they are the main character, they are not always the main focus of their books). Overall, well done and honest, though not necessarily as in-depth about race if the perspective purely remained in Win's perspective (still well done, though).

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sofipitch's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted 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

3.75

Fun and entertaining, but did get to the point of feeling a bit long. It managed to avoid a lot of things I hate, "this millionaire is a good person and thus justified in being rich and famous" the plot never does that, even right at the end it goes "who knows how much this will help" to Leo's charity project. It's willing to engage in our desire for stories about the rich and famous without pretending they are normal. Another pet peeve one is naming dropping modern celebs to show how famous this fake celeb is. "Cancel my brunch with Leonardo DiCaprio, he can wait my thing is more important" <-A much more annoying book. It just always feels lazy

Also to the person who wrote a negative review saying there was sex every other chapter, why would you get my hopes up like that?

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ahrya's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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francesturpin's review against another edition

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relaxing 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

4.0

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frenchhornfrenchfries's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-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

5.0

Heartwarming story which got my out of my reading slump. While bring a perfect summer read with a heartwarming friends-lovers dynamic it centered around racism in the film industry and how especially women's personal lives get dragged into and judged by the public. Great sotrytelling.

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bxcvi's review against another edition

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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

5.0

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ruthjenkins's review against another edition

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Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

One of the few books where I actually bought the faking-dating trope. It made a lot of sense for two high-profile public figures to have this sort of arrangement, and I was delighted by the characters' chemistry. It was very believable that Win and Leo were long friends with history both romantic and platonic. I'm a sucker for a well written friendship.

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jazzy_t's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

5.0

Really great read not your usual romance. The plot was intresting and kept you on your toes, the characters were well written and I felt generally emotional sometimes. Would recommend!

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tomesandtash's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-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

4.0

Adult contemporary is a genre I haven't read much from but really want to try more of and this one did not disappoint. It was quite slow in the beginning but about a third of the way through I found myself not being able to put it down. Win is such an interesting character as she is convinced she cannot be her true self because of the pressure of being an Indian actress in Hollywood; a woman who cannot call out any of the casual racism aimed towards her for fear of being 'too political'; a women completely help back by her own ambition. Leo is similarly interesting as spoiled rich boy who cannot resist saying no to Win. Their fake relationship has been on and off for years and is a suitable arrangement for them both, despite them clearly being in love with each other. But the reality of being together is a lot more complicated and Win find it easier to just not bother. I think it's really relatable to so many people, that feeling of being held back from what you want because of 'the greater good' or the expectations and pressures placed on us. The story wasn't as fast moving as I would have liked and I did find myself getting a little bit bored at times but overall this is a highly enjoyable read.

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jaybee02's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Summary: M/F, contemporary romance, fake relationship, high profile British-Indian actress + press favorite rich boy

Started strong, dragged a bit in the middle, but finished in a satisfying way. The audiobook is a bit hard to follow during the first half of the book when they're going back and forth in time telling their backstory

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