Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Lie with Me by Philippe Besson

63 reviews

gentlemanjack's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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sweetlikesadia's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The book was a quick read, it went into detail about the authors mind like feelings and you could see their thinking process. But I felt also I couldn't connect with the storyline

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hanhantap's review against another edition

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sad fast-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

4.0

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kirsten_marie's review against another edition

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4.5

I feel like I have to reread this soon to get all the details of the book. I especially enjoyed the first part of the book because it felt more descriptive and scenic to me than the rest, which was more flashbacks and dialogue. But overall, I enjoyed these few characters and their tragedy.

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dakotahreads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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javianblawson's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

My, oh, my.

This book touched me in the deepest of ways, bringing out something I hadn’t felt in many years: the feeling of being seen in literature.

Though this story isn’t mine, the experience that is Phillipe’s often felt like my own. There is a particular experience that most (if not all) queer people must endure: love that cannot be. A swarming desire that must be compressed. I’ve experienced it myself.

This feeling of love, it transports me; it makes me happy. At the same time, it consumes me and makes me miserable, the way all impossible loves are miserable.

The double meaning of the translated title is genius. The nuanced characters (specifically Thomas) are so well written. Unmistakable love that could never see daylight. The mark that is left behind after such great love (and loss)… this book was so much more than I could’ve asked of it to be.

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augustst's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

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lou_loo's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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hue's review against another edition

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2.0

It felt rather. . . flat. The narrator tells a lot of details and such but it feels like a long explanation rather than a story to follow. I didn't much care what the narrator was up to nor where the story would go. It could've been sad but since it was written so "clumsily", it wasn't. Didn't leave an impression.

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katieb94's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad fast-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

3.0

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange for and honest (but late) review. I do feel I wasn’t the right audience for this book however, it was a queer coming of age story and I really couldn’t connect with the characters at all.

I’m also not sure if it’s semi-autobiographical or not.

Another issue I have is with the layout, I just get confused by novels that don’t have speech marks for anything spoken. Even though it was indicated I still
got lost.

The main part of the story is told to use by the writer/narrator as he tells us about his relationship with a boy, Thomas, whilst at high school- including the details of their sex lives too. I liked this part of the book best and seeing their relationship develop was nice to read.

It felt very obsolete though when it came to their adult hood. They drifted away, didn’t contact each other and it isn’t until the narrator meets Thomas’ son that we have any idea what happened after.

It takes a surprisingly sad turn towards the end that I didn’t see coming and there’s no direction it’s going to happen.

3/5 stars.
Sweet little queer romance book.

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