jonwesleyhuff's review against another edition
3.0
The structure of this book is very clever. But a clever gimmick will only get you so far. Thankfully the author uses the idea of charting one specific day each year in the lives of two people over twenty years to full effect. Emma and Dexter are two very fully realized characters full of flaws and thoughts and conflicting emotions that felt real - sometimes uncomfortably so. I liked that the book didn't hold your hand and expected you to keep up with the changes in the characters lives from year to year. Although some were introduced more subtly than others it's not like you could ever miss the big changes. This desire to see how the character's lives would change really provided the book with a compelling narrative thrust that lead me to read the book in the space of a couple of days.
The book isn't perfect. Like so many protagonists in books people end up with jobs in the media and writing books and going off to Paris for the summer which undercuts the realism a bit. And the big event that so many have alluded to... well, things get a bit melodramatic from there on out and I cringe a bit to think of how Hollywood will handle it in the adaptation (currently in production). However, much of this melodrama is balanced out by the wit and humor of the rest of the book which helps even the scales as I think of the book as a whole. Tthe ending does seem to take a while to wrap-up, and I'm afraid I rushed through the final pages a bit just to see where this was all headed. That being said, I really came to care for these characters and enjoyed this book immensely.
The book isn't perfect. Like so many protagonists in books people end up with jobs in the media and writing books and going off to Paris for the summer which undercuts the realism a bit. And the big event that so many have alluded to... well, things get a bit melodramatic from there on out and I cringe a bit to think of how Hollywood will handle it in the adaptation (currently in production). However, much of this melodrama is balanced out by the wit and humor of the rest of the book which helps even the scales as I think of the book as a whole. Tthe ending does seem to take a while to wrap-up, and I'm afraid I rushed through the final pages a bit just to see where this was all headed. That being said, I really came to care for these characters and enjoyed this book immensely.
kellymc03's review against another edition
2.0
For once maybe the movie will be better. I just couldn't really get into this story to really enjoy it.
crikhopit's review against another edition
4.0
So good. So heartbreaking. So full of antici......pation. Can't wait for the movie!! I did, however, want to rip the book in half when I read the ending.
laura_darroch's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you, David Nicholls, for reminding me why I'm not a fan of romantic fiction.
mayaperkins's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a sucker for these kind of love stories. feeling so accomplished finally finishing this. reading along with the audiobook was truly magical.
louisasbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
This book is the OG Normal People- two people who met at a young age and go through life with the “what if” but being too scared to find the right timing to be together… this book ends so much differently than normal people but the concept is similar. I feel like the plot and characters is a reminder that love is not always easy and you have to work to keep it. Excited to rewatch the movie after reading the book!
orionoconnell's review against another edition
2.0
Content warnings: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, and Alcoholism, Misogyny, .
It's not that the book wasn't good. The premise was good, it read like a perfectly fine book, just - for me I read books to escape and this book wasn't an escape. The characters were exceptionally flawed, exceptionally normal bordering on annoying for the entirety of the book. Issues didn't get resolved and it sounded like the moral of the story is 'sometimes issues don't GET resolved'. Once the book started to get hopeful, it didn't - and I understand why but this is definitely more a read for someone who is looking for a 'real life' story, rather than something hopeful with unrealistic main characters, and that person just wasn't me. It felt dry and pretty slow for me, a bit depressing and just kind of pointless.
Spoiler
major character deathIt's not that the book wasn't good. The premise was good, it read like a perfectly fine book, just - for me I read books to escape and this book wasn't an escape. The characters were exceptionally flawed, exceptionally normal bordering on annoying for the entirety of the book. Issues didn't get resolved and it sounded like the moral of the story is 'sometimes issues don't GET resolved'. Once the book started to get hopeful, it didn't - and I understand why but this is definitely more a read for someone who is looking for a 'real life' story, rather than something hopeful with unrealistic main characters, and that person just wasn't me. It felt dry and pretty slow for me, a bit depressing and just kind of pointless.
l3ahclayton's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
neilazaara's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
A story about two pathetic and pitiful people who have no business liking each other as friends let alone as anything more.
It was just across the board toxic and uninspired. Yes the concept of only seeing the same day in the life of two people over the span of almost 20 years is interesting. But that’s where everything nice about this book stops. Both characters lack ambition and drive, they’re quite pathetic: Emma for liking Dexter after one night stand and nothing else for 15 years except some rudeness and disrespect and him for being a waste of space, alcoholic, fuckboy who takes everything and everyone for granted. There was not a single second in this book I thought those two should be together, which lead me to be totally uninvested in the story and what would happen next and honestly the ending made it just worse. Nobody cares in this book about anything so why should I care about them?
Overall, skip it.
It was just across the board toxic and uninspired. Yes the concept of only seeing the same day in the life of two people over the span of almost 20 years is interesting. But that’s where everything nice about this book stops. Both characters lack ambition and drive, they’re quite pathetic: Emma for liking Dexter after one night stand and nothing else for 15 years except some rudeness and disrespect and him for being a waste of space, alcoholic, fuckboy who takes everything and everyone for granted. There was not a single second in this book I thought those two should be together, which lead me to be totally uninvested in the story and what would happen next and honestly the ending made it just worse. Nobody cares in this book about anything so why should I care about them?
Overall, skip it.