Reviews

I absolutely fell in love with this book when I read the back cover. It sounded so funny and original. I really wanted it to be amazing but, in the end, it didn't quite do what I wanted. There are definitely parts that I enjoyed but the narrative didn't keep me fully engaged. I found my mind drifting a few times because things were moving forward so slowly.

It started off really well and I thought we were onto a winner. The two main characters are so much fun and have plenty of chemistry. Their friendship is delightful and felt so real. You see them change through the years and have difficult moments. They trade barbs that cut deep as only a real friend can. They were the strongest part of the book. I'd have been delighted if the book had simply kept checking in with them over the years. It's such a fabulous concept. Two young, queer people living in an oppressive 1920s society. To help each other remain hidden, they decide to marry. How do they manage it and how do they approach their romantic lives?

Unfortunately, it didn't do that. Instead, it brought a level of mystery to proceedings. The novel opens in the 80s with talk of a gun and a police investigation. This changed the feel of the novel and meant everything we were reading was just dragging out the inevitable. And I say inevitable because the big reveal doesn't take a lot to figure out. You can tell who the victim is and can easily guess what happened. I would also say that the murder mystery aspect of the novel does feel like an afterthought. It's not very developed and seems quite out of place. It just didn't really work for me.

This book feels most alive when we're exploring Bettina and Bart's lives. How the pair cope with their sexuality in the roaring 20s and how their marriage works. It's such a fun and funny queer book. It doesn't hold back and is more than willing to get down and dirty. The Inverts is an absolute joy in places and I think it does a good job of representing real queer people. I also loved the setting of the 1920s. It's not a historical novel but you get enough of a sense of the period. This book takes the Bright Young Things and writes them from a contemporary perspective. These people are written about in a way that they never could be during their own time.

Overall The Inverts is an enjoyable enough book and an easy read. All of the characters are interesting even if they aren't always nice. It's a strong novel but there are just some aspects that I didn't enjoy. As it was, I spent more time than I'd expected waiting to get to the end. A good character study but the plot was a weak point for me. Maybe my expectations were too high?

saoirsem's review

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emotional funny 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

4.0

chloemills's review against another edition

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3.0

This book started really strong and I enjoyed it but from about halfway it wasn't as strong. I feel like we missed a huge chunk of what would have been really interesting and it also got a little predictable towards the end. It was good but I was disappointed by the ending.