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 pure genius. The nuance of the characters (specifically Thomas) is so well written. The unmistakable love that could not see the light of day ate away at me. The untarnishable mark that is left after a great love (and loss)… this book was so much more than I could’ve asked of it to be.

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kekeli's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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gokurakuji's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

was very excited to read this book but it felt just a bit short of my expectations.

the story was heartbreaking, but in an obvious way - not that that’s entirely negative.

on a positive note, the very ending was so heart-rending that it up-ticked my rating to a solid 4.

Content Warnings

eleasofia's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

beautifully written and worth the read but relatively fast-paced and short. it is written as a recount of events, the narrator being several years removed from what happened, so even though the story is heartbreaking, it didn't touch me as much as other books often do. it was interesting to read something in a different style, but because of it, i didn't feel very emotionally invested. the ending was objectively devastating but it didn't come unexpected. even though it made me sad, it doesn't feel like something i'll dwell on for a long time.

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softcoloursamples's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wasn’t particularly moved by the first half, the sadness developed slowly over the later parts, unknowingly under my skin. It’s only after finishing the book I noticed that I’ve already started grieving

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by the way "You will leave and we will stay" adds to the characters.

The characters are surprisingly refreshing, especially considering the predictable development of their relationship

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