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mezzoanddolce's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
relaxing
sad
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
5.0
I'm. not. okay. The end broke my heart.
I love this book so much.
I love this book so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Abortion
Minor: Car accident
storykath's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What a whirlwind! This is my first TJR read, and I knew absolutely nothing about the story going into it. I ended up finishing in less than two days, but I feel clearheaded enough to write a good review.
I definitely understand the hype behind this book. The subject matter is super trendy and appealing - who doesn't dream of being a rockstar or wonder what it was like to be part of the music scene, especially in the 70s? The interview format had its drawbacks, which I'll get into as well, but it also quickened the already fast pace and really drew you in. Hearing characters contradict each other or have very different memories of events was really cool to see, and that motif of rewriting memories to make yourself look better is fascinating to see on the page - I think that was executed very well.
Given the number of narrators, there wasn't one clear focus or theme in this book, but I think that part of the appeal is getting such a wide-ranging overview of the characters' lives. No one topic is fully unpacked, but pretty much everything is touched on at some point. It's not a story about addiction, or love, or music, but a story about a band who experiences all those things throughout their career.
The interview format, while engaging and unique, didn't always sit right with me. I've never seen a book (either fiction or nonfiction) comprised solely of quotes from interviews with various characters, and I think there's a reason for that. I understand that this novel was supposed to be a more personal look at the characters' lives rather than a 'history' of the band, but the way some of the characters talked felt contrived on order to cram in information and stats. It wasn't a frequent or major problem, but it did pull me out of the story at times. I also felt that in the more 'narrative' portions of the novel, the way the characters talked wasn't always realistic - it felt overly polished, especially when they were speaking for paragraphs at a time or recalling conversations. From my experience, it's hard to recall exact wording or recreate entire conversations. I liked it when the narrative jumped back and forth quickly between two or three narrators, since that felt more like an accurate 'stitching together' of a past event, but when one character took the reins I had trouble suspending my disbelief.
I was also underwhelmed by the reveal that the 'author' was Julia all along . It felt unnecessary, it didn't add anything to the story, and it actually decreased my enjoyment towards the end because suddenly we'd shifted perspective and focus. It felt like it was either a *shocking twist* for Booktok or a contrived way to shift the tone at the end of the story.
I definitely understand the hype behind this book. The subject matter is super trendy and appealing - who doesn't dream of being a rockstar or wonder what it was like to be part of the music scene, especially in the 70s? The interview format had its drawbacks, which I'll get into as well, but it also quickened the already fast pace and really drew you in. Hearing characters contradict each other or have very different memories of events was really cool to see, and that motif of rewriting memories to make yourself look better is fascinating to see on the page - I think that was executed very well.
Given the number of narrators, there wasn't one clear focus or theme in this book, but I think that part of the appeal is getting such a wide-ranging overview of the characters' lives. No one topic is fully unpacked, but pretty much everything is touched on at some point. It's not a story about addiction, or love, or music, but a story about a band who experiences all those things throughout their career.
The interview format, while engaging and unique, didn't always sit right with me. I've never seen a book (either fiction or nonfiction) comprised solely of quotes from interviews with various characters, and I think there's a reason for that. I understand that this novel was supposed to be a more personal look at the characters' lives rather than a 'history' of the band, but the way some of the characters talked felt contrived on order to cram in information and stats. It wasn't a frequent or major problem, but it did pull me out of the story at times. I also felt that in the more 'narrative' portions of the novel, the way the characters talked wasn't always realistic - it felt overly polished, especially when they were speaking for paragraphs at a time or recalling conversations. From my experience, it's hard to recall exact wording or recreate entire conversations. I liked it when the narrative jumped back and forth quickly between two or three narrators, since that felt more like an accurate 'stitching together' of a past event, but when one character took the reins I had trouble suspending my disbelief.
I was also underwhelmed by
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
seawarrior's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
This book was like a rollercoaster ride. I loved following along with the characters' highs and lows, and feeling both empathy and anger towards them in the process. Their voices on the page sounded so organic that it felt as if I'd been familiar with the group all my life. Each character had an interesting perspective of events, and even when they disagreed on which actions had actually transpired, I always felt like I could believe that their intentions and emotions were true. Many of the passages in this book tugged at my heart, and felt sadly relatable.
The copy of this book that I read was borrowed from my younger sister, who underlined and drew hearts around some statements about womanhood and love and Daisy's refusal to be used or made into a muse. I love that through reading it, I got to learn more about perspectives she valued. We both look forward to watching the series adapting this title, and I highly recommend reading the book beforehand. The unique storytelling method and the skillfully written words the characters utilize to both hide behind and open themselves up are worth the time and effort it takes to read them. I began reading this book immediately after waking up at seven this morning, and didn't put it down until I finished it in the mid-afternoon. It's really that engaging.
The copy of this book that I read was borrowed from my younger sister, who underlined and drew hearts around some statements about womanhood and love and Daisy's refusal to be used or made into a muse. I love that through reading it, I got to learn more about perspectives she valued. We both look forward to watching the series adapting this title, and I highly recommend reading the book beforehand. The unique storytelling method and the skillfully written words the characters utilize to both hide behind and open themselves up are worth the time and effort it takes to read them. I began reading this book immediately after waking up at seven this morning, and didn't put it down until I finished it in the mid-afternoon. It's really that engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment