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brnczv's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Self harm, Blood, and Vomit
seamoonstone's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very surreal exploration of the anxieties of millennials going nowhere fast—the pressure and security and longing and despair of families; the search for meaning in meaningless “self improvement”cults; peak capitalism in the service/tourism industry, where everything and everyone is replaceable—as water levels rise and we slowly slip underwater.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
sruhsh's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
froggybooks's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
UGH THIS BOOK <333
it was such a weird little book. cultish, late stage capitalism (a cult in itself), unlovable/unreliable/unstable MC. incredible.
mainly vibes over plot but still it was an amazing little book.
it was such a weird little book. cultish, late stage capitalism (a cult in itself), unlovable/unreliable/unstable MC. incredible.
mainly vibes over plot but still it was an amazing little book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Infertility and Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
ecn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I have absolutely no idea what to say about this book other than it feels like a fever dream??? I cannot tell you a single thing that happened or what it meant.
I can’t say it was as hard of a “merciless takedown of late capitalism and our anxious, ill-fated quests for something to believe in” as the synopsis made it seem it would be but it definitely speaks to late capitalism. So much of the book felt like a blurred vision of our capitalist while dissociating through life. However, I do not know what to feel about the book. I wanted so much more out of it than I got. I wanted to know more about everyone and wanted a more grounded story. I genuinely cannot tell what happened this story and if anything was real or a grotesque and exaggerated imagination of the MC.
It’s not for everyone but definitely for you if you want something loosely glossy and reads like a fever dream you have while working at your shit job.
All I can say for sure is I don’t know.
I can’t say it was as hard of a “merciless takedown of late capitalism and our anxious, ill-fated quests for something to believe in” as the synopsis made it seem it would be but it definitely speaks to late capitalism. So much of the book felt like a blurred vision of our capitalist while dissociating through life. However, I do not know what to feel about the book. I wanted so much more out of it than I got. I wanted to know more about everyone and wanted a more grounded story. I genuinely cannot tell what happened this story and if anything was real or a grotesque and exaggerated imagination of the MC.
It’s not for everyone but definitely for you if you want something loosely glossy and reads like a fever dream you have while working at your shit job.
All I can say for sure is I don’t know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility
t4bea's review
challenging
dark
tense
4.0
did not enjoy while reading but could barely put it down. looking back on it though, this book is bizarre in the best way - i have no idea what it was about and had to pause multiple times to process what i was reading but it was good! would definitely recommend if you enjoy books that are absolutely insane and make you question literally everything you‘re reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Self harm
Moderate: Violence and Vomit
sinceslicedbread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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
3.0
You don’t know how many times I annotated “WTF” in this book. A lot of the characters seem definitely autistic coded and neurodivergent in some way, so I found myself relating to Ingrid, but a lot of her choices left me cringing. There were times I had to set down the book, because of how weak my knees were (the finger thing).
I do enjoy books about mundane everyday life, so that element was what fills most of the 3 stars. Don’t expect to like any of the characters though.
“Deliciously unpredictable” was spot on.
I do enjoy books about mundane everyday life, so that element was what fills most of the 3 stars. Don’t expect to like any of the characters though.
“Deliciously unpredictable” was spot on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma
litlifeguide's review
3.0
This was truly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever read, and I think it’s really ambiguous. The inside cover says this is a “merciless takedown of late capitalism and our anxious, ill-fated quests for something to believe in.” I can see that, but I also had this feeling of none of it actually happening, and it just showing what this V troubled woman thought was happening. I don’t know.
A lot of this read as ICK to me, and for some reason I kept thinking of A Requiem for a Dream (yikes). It just gave me the same feeling of unease. I wouldn’t say I liked this book, but I was definitely invested, and I keep thinking about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility and Vomit
breekeeler's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There was so much potential here, but for me it just didn’t quite come together. To be fair, I adored Supper Club so much that my expectations were incredibly high, so that my be playing into it.
There were parts of this I really loved, especially the second half of the novel when things started to get really unsettling.
For me the characters were never fully developed enough for me to really engage with them though, and I found that the Land portions actually undercut the eeriness of the Sea portions for me and in doing so really made this an ineffectual commentary on capitalism even through that’s why it was pitched as.
So overall enjoyable, just didn’t live up to my personal expectations or the expectations set by the book’s marketing materials.
There were parts of this I really loved, especially the second half of the novel when things started to get really unsettling.
For me the characters were never fully developed enough for me to really engage with them though, and I found that the Land portions actually undercut the eeriness of the Sea portions for me and in doing so really made this an ineffectual commentary on capitalism even through that’s why it was pitched as.
So overall enjoyable, just didn’t live up to my personal expectations or the expectations set by the book’s marketing materials.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility and Medical content
lizzie_r's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Religious bigotry
Minor: Infertility, Toxic relationship, and Vomit