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brotestantethic's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
This is an interesting one! This reads as an honest and mostly realistic look into anticapitalist 20-somethings living in the big city. Main character Sneha also struggles with the divide between her cultural and sexual identifies, as well as financial pressures. I though the deep dive into her culture was by far the best and most compelling part of this book. Matthews writes a blunt and telling narrative.
What I was surprised by here was what is not present. I truly expected Sneha to have a gender revelation. During sex scenes,she is aroused by pretending to have a penis. As a result, Sneha’s adventure with gender feels unfinished by the end of the novel. I do appreciate that she changes her views on trans people (originally not accepting of they/them pronouns). However, her character development is further unfinished because she does not reconcile with her fatphobia and colorism.
Furthermore, I found Project Pink House/Rion a bit hard to swallow. I believe Matthews was going for a microcosm of anticapitalist, communal living. It is a utopia of “doing what you can.” However, it ends up being and reading like college houses. A bit young, a bit unrealistic, a lot of conflict. I didn’t really like how this fit into the narrative and maybe could be chalked up to the author trying to cover a bit too much ground.
What I was surprised by here was what is not present. I truly expected Sneha to have a gender revelation. During sex scenes,
Furthermore, I found Project Pink House/Rion a bit hard to swallow. I believe Matthews was going for a microcosm of anticapitalist, communal living. It is a utopia of “doing what you can.” However, it ends up being and reading like college houses. A bit young, a bit unrealistic, a lot of conflict. I didn’t really like how this fit into the narrative and maybe could be chalked up to the author trying to cover a bit too much ground.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
shaun_dh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
I all-caps HATED Sneha until about halfway through. I almost DNFed this in multiple occasions. She’s fatphobic, hates enbies (my spouse is nonbinary so this was particularly painful for me to read), has a weird white girl fetish, and wants to degrade, humiliate, and inflict pain upon sexual partners (not a kink that is palatable for me). So go into this book knowing that’s how she starts, but she ends up less of a shithead with age (don’t we all?)
This is the perfect example of why I don’t read books with characters in their 20s—I have zero interest in revisiting that time in my life
This was just fine for me. The cultural nuances are also not relatable to me (Sneha is Indian, I am not) to me so maybe that would have helped my have more empathy for Sneha in the beginning
Tig, Sneha’s bestie, is the best part of this book. I Stan a fellow biracial Black queen. I want a book all about Tig, please and thank you
This is the perfect example of why I don’t read books with characters in their 20s—I have zero interest in revisiting that time in my life
This was just fine for me. The cultural nuances are also not relatable to me (Sneha is Indian, I am not) to me so maybe that would have helped my have more empathy for Sneha in the beginning
Tig, Sneha’s bestie, is the best part of this book. I Stan a fellow biracial Black queen. I want a book all about Tig, please and thank you
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Transphobia, Police brutality, Outing, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Classism
alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
I loved this book! Really captures the millennial landscape and explores so much in one book (immigration, trauma, LGBT relationships, depression). Deserves a reread!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
readswithcocktails's review
slow-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
3.75
This book is full of gorgeous prose, well developed characters, and powerful themes. Ultimately, though, it wasn't my cup of tea. I feel weird saying it's too literary, but I'm definitely a genre girl. I like my social commentary through futuristic scifi worlds and fantasy realms. I can see why a lot of people love it though. I appreciated this book and will definitely check out the author's next novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
danidamico's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The anger did not arise from what he was describing; it rose from an expectation for a much better life than the one he owned".
"I stared off into the low dark, thinking about how to shape a life's great turbulence into a story".
"How will we learn about the world if not from each other?".
"My family is a geode of silences. You would need a hammer to smash it open".
"Just as romantic love faded or fractured, so too could friendship end. But nobody consoles you after a rupture with a beloved friend. There are few movies ideal for watching while your tears salt pints of ice cream, no articles in women's magazines that you can skim at the hairdresser's. You have only the ache. No script to accompany it. No ritual to give it shape".
"How was anyone expected to dream loftily about the future when the present ground them down to powder and nothingness?".
"I stared off into the low dark, thinking about how to shape a life's great turbulence into a story".
"How will we learn about the world if not from each other?".
"My family is a geode of silences. You would need a hammer to smash it open".
"Just as romantic love faded or fractured, so too could friendship end. But nobody consoles you after a rupture with a beloved friend. There are few movies ideal for watching while your tears salt pints of ice cream, no articles in women's magazines that you can skim at the hairdresser's. You have only the ache. No script to accompany it. No ritual to give it shape".
"How was anyone expected to dream loftily about the future when the present ground them down to powder and nothingness?".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Deportation
Moderate: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Outing
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