The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
flowers_and_cows's review against another edition
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
2.0
Maybe I'm just not that great woth mythology, but I didn't make any connections with this story and mythology. (Even after looking up the mythology of Daphne, I still don't see the connection) The book was boring, and the ending felt like a cop out for Daphne's relationships. It seemed like there was no character development and that I just read a really boring story.Â
caterpillernina's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bentonnnn1's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sde's review against another edition
4.0
Received an Advanced Readers Copy at an event for librarians.
First, I am embarrassed to admit, I don't know the story of Daphne and Apollo, so will not comment on the parallels. I will be checking the story out later, though1
Very engaging and inventive writing. Sometimes I didn't like the main characters - Daphne, Brook & Ollie - and sometimes I did. Which I think means that there was good character development and they were 3-dimensional, not flat.
I didn't care for the deification of California in the book, and I'm still not clear how Daphne was able to afford her condo in San Francisco, even in a neighborhood on the edge. Her job didn't seem like it would have a huge salary, and, if it did, I'm not clear on how she got the job.
But these are mere quibbles. The books feel of mostly real with a little sliver of the fantastic was compelling. And the thought of what it would be like to have your feelings slay you was also food for thought. The cameo appearances by Dr. Bell were amusing - I definitely know some scientists like him. And his rather unfeeling description of depression actually made some sense to me, and I might even keep it in mind when dealing with troubles, although I am fairly sure that is not what the author meant for the reader to do.
As a woman only slightly younger than Daphne's mother, I did like the story line about the mother getting her groove back after a couple of decades. There is hope yet
Will definitely look for more by this author. Think this is a good book for book groups. Not everyone will like it, but there is stuff to talk about, for sure.
First, I am embarrassed to admit, I don't know the story of Daphne and Apollo, so will not comment on the parallels. I will be checking the story out later, though1
Very engaging and inventive writing. Sometimes I didn't like the main characters - Daphne, Brook & Ollie - and sometimes I did. Which I think means that there was good character development and they were 3-dimensional, not flat.
I didn't care for the deification of California in the book, and I'm still not clear how Daphne was able to afford her condo in San Francisco, even in a neighborhood on the edge. Her job didn't seem like it would have a huge salary, and, if it did, I'm not clear on how she got the job.
But these are mere quibbles. The books feel of mostly real with a little sliver of the fantastic was compelling. And the thought of what it would be like to have your feelings slay you was also food for thought. The cameo appearances by Dr. Bell were amusing - I definitely know some scientists like him. And his rather unfeeling description of depression actually made some sense to me, and I might even keep it in mind when dealing with troubles, although I am fairly sure that is not what the author meant for the reader to do.
As a woman only slightly younger than Daphne's mother, I did like the story line about the mother getting her groove back after a couple of decades. There is hope yet
Will definitely look for more by this author. Think this is a good book for book groups. Not everyone will like it, but there is stuff to talk about, for sure.
lelex's review against another edition
4.0
After legitimately almost 7 months, I've finally finished this book. I've had it checked out since October.
I don't know what it was about it, but it took me so long to get through. It wasn't captivating enough at first. Daphne isn't an intensely likable character, but I liked her well enough anyway. I wanted it to be more, in some ways? It reminded me a little bit of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, but way better. I'm glad I finished it and glad that I liked it a lot more in the last half of the book. I was absolutely floored by the chapter about the movie theatre and the morgue. I'm so so glad she took Prince Hairy and that she may keep up with the group meetings.
"Third drawer: his work hoodie, his "dress" hoodie, his track/house pants, a shirt that read "Oscar Grant: The Movement for Justice."
"Here." He took another mint from his pocket. "Something to make you feel better. Or do you want some candy from our overlords at Eli Lilly?"
"When you insulate yourself against disaster, you're always waiting for it to arrive."
"I grabbed my phone from him, tossed it on the couch, took his hands in mine and wrestled with him, letting myself brush up against a little attack"
"It shook without shaking, clenched while going slack, cried out by falling silent."
"Daphne, don't take this personally."
"Do you worst."
"Cynicism is not going to save your life."
"He paced and beat his fists and told me how exhausting it was, how completely fucking exhausting, my gentle Ollie, finally losing it there in front of me"
"I watched as he hefted the last box out of the front entry to the building. He tripped on the front step and scattered his old records across the sidewalk. Then he knelt there, a full two minutes. Even from four stories up, I could see his shoulders shaking."
"Alden broke into his big wheeze. I slumped forward. The seat belt held me up. Oh, God, the dad jokes and everything."
"But no one stayed in San Francisco. It was a place you were meant to leave and miss for the rest of your life."
"We give you the doubt benefit. Always doubt benefit. Not easy to be the boss." It took a moment to untangle the idiom, and then I liked it too much to correct her."
"No one knew what to say. We were going to have our own little memorial for Sherman - the only reason, I told myself, I'd come today. But, finally, I couldn't take the silence. "Okay, then," I said, "where should we start?"
I don't know what it was about it, but it took me so long to get through. It wasn't captivating enough at first. Daphne isn't an intensely likable character, but I liked her well enough anyway. I wanted it to be more, in some ways? It reminded me a little bit of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, but way better. I'm glad I finished it and glad that I liked it a lot more in the last half of the book. I was absolutely floored by the chapter about the movie theatre and the morgue. I'm so so glad she took Prince Hairy and that she may keep up with the group meetings.
"Third drawer: his work hoodie, his "dress" hoodie, his track/house pants, a shirt that read "Oscar Grant: The Movement for Justice."
"Here." He took another mint from his pocket. "Something to make you feel better. Or do you want some candy from our overlords at Eli Lilly?"
"When you insulate yourself against disaster, you're always waiting for it to arrive."
"I grabbed my phone from him, tossed it on the couch, took his hands in mine and wrestled with him, letting myself brush up against a little attack"
"It shook without shaking, clenched while going slack, cried out by falling silent."
"Daphne, don't take this personally."
"Do you worst."
"Cynicism is not going to save your life."
"He paced and beat his fists and told me how exhausting it was, how completely fucking exhausting, my gentle Ollie, finally losing it there in front of me"
"I watched as he hefted the last box out of the front entry to the building. He tripped on the front step and scattered his old records across the sidewalk. Then he knelt there, a full two minutes. Even from four stories up, I could see his shoulders shaking."
"Alden broke into his big wheeze. I slumped forward. The seat belt held me up. Oh, God, the dad jokes and everything."
"But no one stayed in San Francisco. It was a place you were meant to leave and miss for the rest of your life."
"We give you the doubt benefit. Always doubt benefit. Not easy to be the boss." It took a moment to untangle the idiom, and then I liked it too much to correct her."
"No one knew what to say. We were going to have our own little memorial for Sherman - the only reason, I told myself, I'd come today. But, finally, I couldn't take the silence. "Okay, then," I said, "where should we start?"
noroomforghosts's review against another edition
Just kinda boring, didn't really jive with Daphne as a character.
bananas_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
j_ess_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
DAPHNE tries to say a lot, but seems to trip over itself as it shuffles towards its conclusion. Living is hard, and is especially so for anyone who literally "cannot even" with their emotions. (Admittedly a bit tongue-in-cheek here, but Cataplexy is actually pretty scary.)
In a way, nothing really happens. At the same time, it's about the two steps forward, one step back dance we all do to just figure out how to get by in a world that has no time for us to figure our stuff out. This means we either take risks or shut ourselves off from people. (Spoiler: As expected, neither option works out very well for the characters in DAPHNE.)
Boast offers a few moments of clarity and potential in this story, though not enough to make the lackluster journey worth it.
DAPHNE tries to say a lot, but seems to trip over itself as it shuffles towards its conclusion. Living is hard, and is especially so for anyone who literally "cannot even" with their emotions. (Admittedly a bit tongue-in-cheek here, but Cataplexy is actually pretty scary.)
In a way, nothing really happens. At the same time, it's about the two steps forward, one step back dance we all do to just figure out how to get by in a world that has no time for us to figure our stuff out. This means we either take risks or shut ourselves off from people. (Spoiler: As expected, neither option works out very well for the characters in DAPHNE.)
Boast offers a few moments of clarity and potential in this story, though not enough to make the lackluster journey worth it.
endofmytrope's review against another edition
2.0
Would have been more likely to give this a 3 if the ending hadn't dropped off so abruptly. The story needed at least 2 or 3 more chapters to better tie everything together.
Overall, the idea for the plot was interesting enough. The characters and setting had a surface level appeal, but I felt detached from the characters. The dialogue was lacking, making it hard to get fully absorbed in the story.
Overall, the idea for the plot was interesting enough. The characters and setting had a surface level appeal, but I felt detached from the characters. The dialogue was lacking, making it hard to get fully absorbed in the story.
mariakureads's review
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Daphne took me for some twists and turns and even now, to be honest, not sure what to think about the evolution that the MC went through.
The book went through some twists and turns as Daphne, told in the first perfective of the MC, as we meet her and learn of her rare and sometimes life-threatening condition in which she suffers varying degrees of paralysis when faced with intense emotions, which makes for a small set of people who are aware of it.
Upon a chance with charming Ollie, she takes a chance to let someone new in which seemed like a positive change for her but as the book progressed, Daphne's true colors also started to showcase and she's a lot darker than she first seemed.Â
As the book is from her perspective, we get a lot of her inner turmoil in which her condition is front and center and she uses it as an excuse for different moments throughout the book the further I listened. I realized her inner turmoil was shaping her decisions and how she saw herself within her friendships and had a lightbulb moment as to how many times people do this similar thing on the daily.
By the halfway mark, as Daphne started to let her darker thoughts get the better of her, it felt like whatever progression for her betterment was for nothing, and she hid back into how she might have been before. Daphne regressed and almost gladly, let go of the pretense of intimacy.Â
Maybe falling in love isn't for all and Boast explored that in this debut book.
The book went through some twists and turns as Daphne, told in the first perfective of the MC, as we meet her and learn of her rare and sometimes life-threatening condition in which she suffers varying degrees of paralysis when faced with intense emotions, which makes for a small set of people who are aware of it.
Upon a chance with charming Ollie, she takes a chance to let someone new in which seemed like a positive change for her but as the book progressed, Daphne's true colors also started to showcase and she's a lot darker than she first seemed.Â
As the book is from her perspective, we get a lot of her inner turmoil in which her condition is front and center and she uses it as an excuse for different moments throughout the book the further I listened. I realized her inner turmoil was shaping her decisions and how she saw herself within her friendships and had a lightbulb moment as to how many times people do this similar thing on the daily.
By the halfway mark, as Daphne started to let her darker thoughts get the better of her, it felt like whatever progression for her betterment was for nothing, and she hid back into how she might have been before. Daphne regressed and almost gladly, let go of the pretense of intimacy.Â
Maybe falling in love isn't for all and Boast explored that in this debut book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Minor: Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Alcoholism