eliya's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
i did really like this book especially as a 26 year old nanny lmao
good read, entertaining and informative, relatable. I love how she is able to make both characters relatable even if it’s not something that is conventionally an okay thing to do, the reader is able to see the thought processes, which i did like.
the author’s explicit obsession with skinniness sucks and was a surprisingly persistent fetish throughout the book from both perspectives
the way it’s written is very honest which i really enjoyed, the highs and lows aren’t super dramatic so i don’t recommend this if you want something super juicy, but it is a good story that points out some truly shitty behaviors. that’s all it really has to be & i really like that.
good read, entertaining and informative, relatable. I love how she is able to make both characters relatable even if it’s not something that is conventionally an okay thing to do, the reader is able to see the thought processes, which i did like.
the author’s explicit obsession with skinniness sucks and was a surprisingly persistent fetish throughout the book from both perspectives
the way it’s written is very honest which i really enjoyed, the highs and lows aren’t super dramatic so i don’t recommend this if you want something super juicy, but it is a good story that points out some truly shitty behaviors. that’s all it really has to be & i really like that.
Spoiler
insane that him using the n word wasn’t an immediate red flag, she could have saved herself so much grief lmao. a friend of mine who read this too pointed out that this book reads like a romantic novel but doesn’t end as one, and i love that.Spoiler
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
Minor: Racial slurs
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book has a slow start but once you are in you're in! I did not want to put it down. I think the way racism is handled in this book is so interesting and important, especially as it pertains to racism in white spaces that espouse themselves as liberal. Highly recommend!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Racial slurs, and Bullying
Minor: Body shaming, Classism, Infidelity, Vomit, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Fatphobia
shellroch285's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The writing was absolutely stellar, and I loved the commentary this book had about race, class, and gender within its story. I thought the kids’ dialogue was especially funny, and I loved the dynamic the main character had with her friends! Fantastic debut novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Fatphobia
eschorrlesnick's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Racism, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexual content
lostiolite's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Fatphobia, and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexual content
chloemarinar'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
feels a bit ridiculous to read a copy of this book with a “reese’s book club” stamp of approval. okay, reese. i guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Fatphobia
pointlessmoss's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The lesson I learned from this: white people need to stop meddling!! And they should also stop trying to outdo one another in an imaginary competition of "Who is the least racist" (unless it's for my personal amusement).
For real though, I LOVE the writing and the story and the characters. I feel like I was reading about real people, not made-up fictional characters. Emira has my heart. I enjoyed myself the whole time and I felt so satisfied with how everything came together. So glad I picked this book up :)
Part of me wants to recommend this to everyone I know, but the other part of me knows not everyone will get invested in a slice-of-life story with this type of writing. I also want to hear what other people took away from this book! I'm curious to see what other interpretations of the story might be, and what I may have missed!
For real though, I LOVE the writing and the story and the characters. I feel like I was reading about real people, not made-up fictional characters. Emira has my heart. I enjoyed myself the whole time and I felt so satisfied with how everything came together. So glad I picked this book up :)
Part of me wants to recommend this to everyone I know, but the other part of me knows not everyone will get invested in a slice-of-life story with this type of writing. I also want to hear what other people took away from this book! I'm curious to see what other interpretations of the story might be, and what I may have missed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Cursing, and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Bullying, Police brutality, Fatphobia, and Stalking
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Fatphobia
Minor: Police brutality and Pregnancy
taylorsevalia's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
Moderate: Hate crime, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Body shaming
jasminn_perez's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this book had a very fun storyline that could be interpreted as a thought provoking commentary on some foul ass white people or as just a fun story and i think i fell somewhere in the middle. i didnt love any of the characters (half of them were not meant to be loved) and i think i specifically just didnt personally identify with emira in the time of her life that she was in.
there were so many characters like both emira and alix had like five friends and i could not keep track of them all.
i think the moral of the story is that white people are crazy. alix’s infatuation with emira i found so fucking weird and frustrating and i think that it focused too much on her and i could not stand her. she was so controlling and i just could not understand her at all. ALSO WTF IS WRONG WITH HER WHY CANT SHE PARENT HER OWN KIDS. oh my god and i almost forgot there were some weird ass subtle fatphobia sprinkled throughout when talking about alix’s 140 pound body. she was calling herself fat constantly and i dont know if the author did this on purpose orr whats going on there. and i also havent heard anyone else say anything about that so idk. and kelley?? jesus christ. this man said the n word with a hard r and i was shocked to my core. because emira was so unbothered by the fact that this white man completely surrounded himself with black people i didnt really see a problem with it and i am so stupid for that. he was disgusting. he was so convinced that he knew what was best for emira AS A WHITE MAN. come on. alix got what she deserved but kelley deserved so much fucking worse. that man got off completely free and then was seen with a different black woman at the end??? oh my goooddddd
i think theres some important things to be taken away from this book. theres a lot on class and a perspective of a black woman that i think that non black people like myself can take from. but it was also some good fun drama LMAO.
there were so many characters like both emira and alix had like five friends and i could not keep track of them all.
i think the moral of the story is that white people are crazy. alix’s infatuation with emira i found so fucking weird and frustrating and i think that it focused too much on her and i could not stand her. she was so controlling and i just could not understand her at all. ALSO WTF IS WRONG WITH HER WHY CANT SHE PARENT HER OWN KIDS. oh my god and i almost forgot there were some weird ass subtle fatphobia sprinkled throughout when talking about alix’s 140 pound body. she was calling herself fat constantly and i dont know if the author did this on purpose orr whats going on there. and i also havent heard anyone else say anything about that so idk. and kelley?? jesus christ. this man said the n word with a hard r and i was shocked to my core. because emira was so unbothered by the fact that this white man completely surrounded himself with black people i didnt really see a problem with it and i am so stupid for that. he was disgusting. he was so convinced that he knew what was best for emira AS A WHITE MAN. come on. alix got what she deserved but kelley deserved so much fucking worse. that man got off completely free and then was seen with a different black woman at the end??? oh my goooddddd
i think theres some important things to be taken away from this book. theres a lot on class and a perspective of a black woman that i think that non black people like myself can take from. but it was also some good fun drama LMAO.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Fatphobia