mlf1021's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot- I’m
going to be thinking about it for a while. I didn’t like the first chapter at all but I’m glad I saw it through. There were a few parts of the book I felt to be unnecessarily violent and graphic It wasn’t needed for me and left a very sour taste in my mouth. But I enjoyed that all of the characters made huge, life altering mistakes and the author wasn’t trying to convince you that what they did was ok because they are human, which made me
accept the mistakes and still love the characters because I came to that by myself. Overall a great read.
going to be thinking about it for a while. I didn’t like the first chapter at all but I’m glad I saw it through. There were a few parts of the book I felt to be unnecessarily violent and graphic
Spoiler
such as the part where Anders is m*sturbating in the restaurant bathroom*accept the mistakes and still love the characters because I came to that by myself. Overall a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Animal death
nrobideau41's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt
perhaps_anne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Self harm
sidekicksam's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
This book has been all over Bookstagram, and on goodreads the opinions are divided. When I finished this, I felt... a little disappointed. But after letting it stew for a few more days, I decided that I do really like (maybe even love?) this book, though I still find it hard to formulate my thoughts on it, so this is going to be an all-over-the-place-review.
I can definitely see why people would have issues with this book, as not a lot happens in the 370-ish pages, there are a lot of superficial characters that are not very likeable, and there is a whiff of pretentiousness in every one of them (but especially Cleo).
But that makes the book so good - it is about real characters. Flawed as fuck, short-sighted, self-absorbed people, that navigate through life at various stages and thus have very different ways to go about it.
The course of their relationship made absolute and total sense. The complacency of both characters, the absolute blindness to the flaws in that honeymoon-phase and the hard comedown once the butterflies have flown off, all felt raw and real to me.
I even appreciated Quentin being a major character in the beginning and disappearing almost totally by the end of the book, because that is also how love can affect relationships, but also how life just is. People come and go, for various reasons.
The book is reminiscent of My Year of Rest and Relaxation's despair and Normal People's relationship struggles, and seeing how I enjoyed both of those it's no wonder I liked this one too.
I can definitely see why people would have issues with this book, as not a lot happens in the 370-ish pages, there are a lot of superficial characters that are not very likeable, and there is a whiff of pretentiousness in every one of them (but especially Cleo).
But that makes the book so good - it is about real characters. Flawed as fuck, short-sighted, self-absorbed people, that navigate through life at various stages and thus have very different ways to go about it.
The course of their relationship made absolute and total sense. The complacency of both characters, the absolute blindness to the flaws in that honeymoon-phase and the hard comedown once the butterflies have flown off, all felt raw and real to me.
I even appreciated Quentin being a major character in the beginning and disappearing almost totally by the end of the book, because that is also how love can affect relationships, but also how life just is. People come and go, for various reasons.
The book is reminiscent of My Year of Rest and Relaxation's despair and Normal People's relationship struggles, and seeing how I enjoyed both of those it's no wonder I liked this one too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Self harm
nfirdaws's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Drug abuse
lottselgar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
perfect in every way. i hate them all but i love them all. i can fix cleo!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Abandonment
mromie's review
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
“wherever you are going, it is waiting for you”
Takeaway: We are all just people trying to make sense of the deeply connected, twisted webs of life and love. Damn
Takeaway: We are all just people trying to make sense of the deeply connected, twisted webs of life and love. Damn
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug use
zoe_mh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Self harm
Minor: Animal death, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
kgorinshteyn's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
dayofrebecca's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Suicide attempt