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sarahetc's review
2.0
I was told that I would love this book, or hate it, and I think I come down closer to hate than love, though hate is pretty strong. It's an interesting narrative, but the narrator, one Miss Blue Van Meer, is annoying as all get out. She's supposed to be a massively over-educated, under-socialized high school senior / college freshman, so maybe she's just wonderfully precisely written, but I consistently wanted to tell her to just get on with it, stop parenthetically referencing things, and/or shut up already. The novel is 3/4 local color and navel gazing, then 1/4 oh-yeah-there-was-a-mystery. I held out hope for actual physics references, too, but no dice; just a lot of self-important references to a multi-culti version of the Western Canon, as if to prepare us for an AP exam. Pass unless you must know what all the fuss is about.
blancarosa's review against another edition
4.0
Insgesamt ein interessantes Buch mit cooler Wendung, jedoch ab und an etwas langatmig. Eigentlich drei Sterne, aber da es eine besondere Erzählweise hat, 4 Sterne. Als Teenagerin hätte ich es vermutlich noch mehr gemocht.
lya06's review against another edition
2.0
Come primo libro del 2023 ho scelto qualcosa che potenzialmente poteva essere bellissimo e interessante, oltre che ben scritto...invece ho trovato un romanzo che ho faticato a finire. Principalmente ho trovato:
-i protagonisti così stereotipati che sembrano quasi usciti direttamente da qualche film americano fintamente intellettuale,
-le descrizioni pesanti, lunghe ed estenuanti tanto che, ogni cosa raccontata è infarcita da dubbi riferimenti presi da film e libri di ogni tipologia (romanzi, testi scientifici, psicologici, politici, anche di alto livello, ma che, per l'economia della storia e per la mente del lettore, sono del tutto inutili),
-la storia è inutilmente diluita in 600 pagine quando potevano bastarne la metà.
Assegno due stelle e non 1 perché il libro è scritto e tradotto bene e la storia nascosta dietro alle numerosissime parentesi tonde infarcite di riferimenti "dotti" è carina.
-i protagonisti così stereotipati che sembrano quasi usciti direttamente da qualche film americano fintamente intellettuale,
-le descrizioni pesanti, lunghe ed estenuanti tanto che, ogni cosa raccontata è infarcita da dubbi riferimenti presi da film e libri di ogni tipologia (romanzi, testi scientifici, psicologici, politici, anche di alto livello, ma che, per l'economia della storia e per la mente del lettore, sono del tutto inutili),
-la storia è inutilmente diluita in 600 pagine quando potevano bastarne la metà.
Assegno due stelle e non 1 perché il libro è scritto e tradotto bene e la storia nascosta dietro alle numerosissime parentesi tonde infarcite di riferimenti "dotti" è carina.
lavender_lake's review against another edition
1.75
I don’t get the hype. Felt pretentious and seeping with internalized misogyny. Trudged through it all just for an unsatisfying denouement. Also: 600+ pages is more than excessive for such a flimsy plot.
lactomar's review
4.0
Very enjoyable modern fiction. Great plot, good twist, enjoyable writing style
lexaprophet's review
3.0
the literary references were self-indulgent, overbearing, and a bit unbearable. a great book in terms of mystery but everything that was a reveal (or perhaps a question) came so quickly that i didn't have time to breathe? otherwise, it was a long but mostly enjoyable read.
cl1cm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Most of the book was a coming of age story of a girl with a penchant for mentioning famous authors to show how well-read she is. I liked her pretentious narrative voice because it made the book memorable. There were some mysterious developments towards the end that I didn't see coming. I give the author credit for the audacity with which she ended her book.
livyjoyce's review
I’ve been reading this for almost a month and I don’t want to pick it up. It’s not bad and it has some great elements but it is overwhelmingly pretentious and a hard attempt at coming off highbrow. It’s a little exhausting. I know I’m clocking out over half the way through with having read 300 pages but I don’t think I can endure another 200.
sarah_nera's review
5.0
Best new fiction I've read in years. Fascinating in style, full of intriguing references and unforeseen twists. Well, unforeseen by me anyway!
lexybutschli's review
4.0
I'm pretty enamored with this novel - it's kind of a love letter to English degree holders. Clever and engrossing structure with a deceptively dark storyline that culminates in a possibly heartbreaking but fascinating final few pages. I can recognize that ultimately the story can be somewhat meandering and cluttered, certainly, but it's a pleasant sort of clutter.