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mhelmick28's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Read the content warnings - some things weren’t necessary graphic but they were sudden/dropped in what felt like a careless way at times and the characters’ apathy towards these things really threw me off
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Suicide
sholcomb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol
burnt_milk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Abortion
collie98's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, Abortion, and War
maregred's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Outing and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, Racism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, and War
murdalannd's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Suicide, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault
For a book called Fiona and Jane, these characters almost never interacted. I thought certain elements of the book had a lot of potential, but the author really narrowed in on parts that seemed more mundane. For example, I'd have like to know more about how Fiona and Jane reunited in LA or more about Jane's relationship with her mom or how Fiona turned her romantic life around to go from divorcée to wife and mother. Instead, we hopped around their a stories in a way that felt rather disjointed. Maybe it was because several sections were previously published as short stories, but it just felt like half a story, like there was a chunk missing out of the middle. I also felt like Fiona and Jane's characterization was a bit inconsistant. Jane seemed more reserved but was also apparently the bad influence who convinced Fiona to steal several thousand dollars from a church? I guess, I was just disappointedleighannebfd3b's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol
mcz_reads's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
There are creative choices in this book that feel baffling; not bad, but not serving any noticeable purpose. Jane's stories are narrated in first person, and Fiona's in third. I thought this would become significant by the end of the book. I anticipated something like The Last Five Years where their perspectives would switch at some point, or that they'd become they same once the characters reunited. The one short story told from both of their perspectives is told in third person... but it's the penultimate story, and the the last chapter is told first person. This could represent how they grow apart again later in life, but the impact of the stylistic choice is minimal. The only obvious effect is that is makes the narrators easier to tell apart.
Although this is billed as a collection of short stories, not all of them feel like they can stand alone. Some of the stories don't feel like they'd be as meaningful if not for the context of the book. I also would have liked to see more stories about the characters in their youth so their bond as separated adults would feel more significant. I feel like the relationships shown between them and other friends and lovers were more powerful.
This book does nail a very millennial emotion of not-quite-nostalgia: an unshakeable longing for a past that no longer exists or wasn't suited for us in the first place along with a permanent feeling of being lost or catching up as adults. This emotion permeates the entire book and was what kept me reading. The gaps in time and the changing subjects between each story add to this disjointed feeling. I appreciated the complexity of Fiona and Jane, and how they viewed themselves and others.
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault
eve_lyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Alcohol