dandeliongirl's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so well written. Each chapter was written in a different style (prose, verse, punctuation, just semicolons, etc.) that accompanied the storyline so beautifully. The repetition of themes and the non-chronological order of the book mirrored the way people process trauma. The anonymity of the narrator forced the reader to engage with the text in a personal way, enhancing the emotional intensity of the subject matter. Steinberg wove different storylines and themes throughout chapters, creating a sense of confusion that both the readers and the narrator were asked to sort through at the same time.
bibliolucinda's review against another edition
5.0
"You can lie and say you're in control. Then the awful truth rushes in. You're not at all everlasting. You'll never be super-human. You can't stop things. You can't freeze time. You're in every way like everyone else. Like everything else. You'll end."
"the younger girls still think about love as arrows through hearts; and please, girls; I know about love; I know what it is; just tiny motors whirring in one's saddest, darkest parts;"
4.5 stars rounded up. Surprised by how much I liked this - it may be grating for some people in the experimentation with punctuation and poetic verse style, but I loved it and found it so easy to sink into the rhythm of the writing. I want to reread it immediately.
"the younger girls still think about love as arrows through hearts; and please, girls; I know about love; I know what it is; just tiny motors whirring in one's saddest, darkest parts;"
4.5 stars rounded up. Surprised by how much I liked this - it may be grating for some people in the experimentation with punctuation and poetic verse style, but I loved it and found it so easy to sink into the rhythm of the writing. I want to reread it immediately.
emilybergonzi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
wtb_michael's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
3.0
Concerned with trauma and memory, privilege and spectacle - a bit too abstract for me to really embrace
vwojtowicz's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kairakaira's review against another edition
3.0
Fast little read, interesting form & kept my attention. I’d like to read more from this author. A little too short to get super into it.
leigh1766's review against another edition
2.0
The book intrigued me in the beginning. But I didn’t enjoy the shifting format of writing from paragraphs back to sentences with little punctuation. I also didn’t care for the main character much and couldn’t appreciate the spoiled rich teenager the main character was. It is a quick read and is a unique writing style compared to what I normally read. But it just didn’t turn out to be one I enjoyed much. Would still consider trying one of the authors other stories.
ostrowk's review against another edition
5.0
"I wanted a force to come in, already, and upset it; I'd been secretly holding on, I admit, to the hope of this force coming in; not an asteroid force or a black hole force; but the slightest shred of holy; some shred of belief that everything would be revealed; that the world was something conceivable; a linear path directed toward some good; but there were more celebrity suicides; and noncelebrity suicides; and more explosion and more expansion; how could you not overthink it" (36)
A hot rich white girl falls apart under the stars, gets knocked out of orbit, one summer at the beach. Razor sharp feminist voice, like poetry that seriously cuts.
A hot rich white girl falls apart under the stars, gets knocked out of orbit, one summer at the beach. Razor sharp feminist voice, like poetry that seriously cuts.
see_dani_read's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0