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joelpmcc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Abortion
elementarymydear's review against another edition
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
This book is bursting at the seams with heart, celebration, and empowerment. Ted, a newly divorced man in his 40s, decides to pursue his lifelong dream of being a drag queen (a detail which should DEFINITELY be in the synopsis, I was umming and ahhing whether I should read it until I found that out!). On the way he rediscovers his childhood joy of singing and dancing, uncovers family secrets, connects with queer people of all generations, and finds love in an aspiring interior designer.
📚Find this and more reviews on my blog!📚
It’s impossible not to immediately fall in love with Ted. As the narrative flits between the modern day and flashbacks, we very quickly root for him as we see the ways he has been made to feel like an outsider throughout his life. The relationships he builds over the course of the book are wonderful too. He goes on a real journey and it’s so heart-warming to be taken along for the ride.
The romantic element was also brilliant. The romance between Ted and Oskar was incredibly sweet, with the right amount of ‘figuring it out’ that happens at the start of any new relationship. The way they helped each other grow was a real asset to the story, and even before they’ve met I was rooting for them!
There is a lot packed into this book, at times too much. Pretty much every character has a tragic backstory, and by the end a few too many emotional climaxes/plot twist reveals were written as “X explained that…” followed by a summary often including very dark, heavy topics such as domestic abuse or persecution. For a story with such a joyful main storyline, almost every other arc was filled with tragedy and there were so many that they started to lose their impact. Had one or two of them been cut, or scaled-back-on, there would have been a bit more space for the remaining ones to be explored in more depth, and a bit more balance in the book as a whole.
The narration by Samuel Barnett brings all of the residents of St-Luke’s-on-Sea to life, with an impressive range of accents in his arsenal! I was hooked by the narration from the very start, finding any excuse to stick my headphones on and listen to some more.
I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.
📚Find this and more reviews on my blog!📚
It’s impossible not to immediately fall in love with Ted. As the narrative flits between the modern day and flashbacks, we very quickly root for him as we see the ways he has been made to feel like an outsider throughout his life. The relationships he builds over the course of the book are wonderful too. He goes on a real journey and it’s so heart-warming to be taken along for the ride.
The romantic element was also brilliant. The romance between Ted and Oskar was incredibly sweet, with the right amount of ‘figuring it out’ that happens at the start of any new relationship. The way they helped each other grow was a real asset to the story, and even before they’ve met I was rooting for them!
There is a lot packed into this book, at times too much. Pretty much every character has a tragic backstory, and by the end a few too many emotional climaxes/plot twist reveals were written as “X explained that…” followed by a summary often including very dark, heavy topics such as domestic abuse or persecution. For a story with such a joyful main storyline, almost every other arc was filled with tragedy and there were so many that they started to lose their impact. Had one or two of them been cut, or scaled-back-on, there would have been a bit more space for the remaining ones to be explored in more depth, and a bit more balance in the book as a whole.
The narration by Samuel Barnett brings all of the residents of St-Luke’s-on-Sea to life, with an impressive range of accents in his arsenal! I was hooked by the narration from the very start, finding any excuse to stick my headphones on and listen to some more.
I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abortion
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