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alishaabrahamsreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
4.0
u need to read the TWs for this story, lots of graphic detailed triggering content
aside from that, the disordered/irregular writing style was a great way to buffer the intensity from the exploration of graphic abuse, molestation, and assault, as well as a great way to bestow personhood onto the victims of abuse. The gaps in the prose, the smaller and bigger words, the weird capitalization, the lack of quotations, the breakdown of inner thought into a jumble of poetry -- all add to representation of Eily and Stephen's thought-process, "unwellness," and complicated histories (and how they process those backgrounds)
I hope there is some irony running throughout the book, or hidden lingering thought that Eily and Stephen's relationship is not ideal -- b/c they should NOT be together -- i hope that Eily is just an unreliable narrator and not that we should be rooting for them
aside from that, the disordered/irregular writing style was a great way to buffer the intensity from the exploration of graphic abuse, molestation, and assault, as well as a great way to bestow personhood onto the victims of abuse. The gaps in the prose, the smaller and bigger words, the weird capitalization, the lack of quotations, the breakdown of inner thought into a jumble of poetry -- all add to representation of Eily and Stephen's thought-process, "unwellness," and complicated histories (and how they process those backgrounds)
I hope there is some irony running throughout the book, or hidden lingering thought that Eily and Stephen's relationship is not ideal -- b/c they should NOT be together -- i hope that Eily is just an unreliable narrator and not that we should be rooting for them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
booitsnathalie's review against another edition
dark
slow-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
3.0
A really challenging read. The prose is astounding and some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read, but the narrative it's in service of is troubling. Broadly about how trauma becomes a constant lens through which you view relationships, and the difficulty of ever coming out of it, mediated through a 20 year age gap relationship. The degree to which the dynamics are addressed was never particularly satisfying to me, and becomes very explicitly romanticized as if the problems were purely historical.
There is so much I love about this book - its tenderness, intimacy, and willingness to engage bluntly with challenging topics - but by the end it becomes too infatuated with its characters to commit to the end that's coming. Will be thinking about it for a long time all the same, please do read the content warnings if you are considering picking this up.
There is so much I love about this book - its tenderness, intimacy, and willingness to engage bluntly with challenging topics - but by the end it becomes too infatuated with its characters to commit to the end that's coming. Will be thinking about it for a long time all the same, please do read the content warnings if you are considering picking this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent