Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Love & Virtue

I was really not vibing with the start of this book, but it because it was super easy to read, I just kept going and before I knew it, I was very invested in the story. I liked the character arcs we saw and where the plot went

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bookstorian's review against another edition

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3.5

Another book that has been on my shelves for too long, patiently awaiting to be chosen. I have been absolutely tearing through books this month and finally had the itch to pick up Love and Virtue, partly too due to Diana's new release 'Seeing Other People'.

Two College dwelling females, Michaela and Eve, meet during their first year of university, not only are they both studying philosophy, they also share adjacent rooms in Fairfax, one of the university's problematic Colleges. 'Love and Virtue' explores loneliness, belonging, sexual assault, consent, complex relationships, memory, institutional privilege and own voices.

Although I initially wasn't vibing with the pretentious and privileged College kids, I persisted with this novel, determined to see just where Michaela's relationships went and what Eve was truly up to. Although I didn't go to university in Sydney, the place was very easy to create in my mind and Diana's lyrical and poetic writing style was hard to look over. In addition, the way so many themes and topics were craft-fully explored was also a real triumph.

Some things that I struggled with, especially at the start of the book, was how long it took me to get into it - I even put it down at one stage thinking I wasn't coming back to it. It really wasn't until the half way point that the plot took a turn and my interest peaked. I think it was due to the fact that it was a world removed from my own university experiences (I don't doubt it exists though) so I struggled to sink in to it and I also found the characters to be tiresome, did I really want to read a book about them? By the second half of the book my perceptions changed, however it took some persistence to get there!

Overall, I am glad that I have read this book, while I struggled with some elements of it, I think it carries and important message about so many issues and is a reflection of many young peoples experiences in higher education institutions.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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

4.5

Love and Virtue follows Michaela through her tumultuous first year on a scholarship to a prestigious Australian university college, and explores a friendship she develops with a fellow student named Eve. It’s a story with some heavy themes and plot points. There’s sexual assault, toxic friendship, classism, heavy alcohol and drug use, a death that could be a suicide, feminism, power, consent, the sexual double standard, a sexual relationship between a student and a professor and more. I also thought it was an interesting take on the own voices concept that raises issues like who has the right to use a story and whether we have an obligation or responsibility to tell our stories for the good of others. I loved thinking about the many shades of grey in the choices Michaela and Eve made, as well as the possible reasons underpinning them. There’s so much nuance to unpack. This would make great book club book - so much to discuss. It would also be perfect to share and discuss with any young women heading to university for the first time. It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, with the added bonus of bringing back (thankfully good) memories of a summer I spent at an Australian college.

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e11en's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

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