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laerkelikesreading's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
aileensbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
nineinchnails's review against another edition
challenging
sad
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
2.75
i genuinely wanted to like this so badly but it just falls flat. i think reading this with the normal people comparisons in mind ruined this for me because i love normal people and, aside from the lack of speech marks, they had very little in common. the writing felt stilted and shallow so i struggled feeling connected to our main characters (i found the other characters a lot more intriguing though) and it doesn't help that i found them very annoying. i tend to like "unlikeable" characters but will and rosie were boring above all else. the prose comes off quite tryhard tumblrina to me but i can see why some people might enjoy it this book just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
scottishgremlin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
A poignant narrative and some beautiful prose. However, the Rooney-esque lack of speech marks did annoy me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Suicide
stellahadz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I can't help but feel a bit conflicted about this book. The story follows basically the same formula as books like Normal People, One Day, and Where Rainbows End -- bad boy meets studious girl, they fall for each other but can't admit it, and they weave in and out of each other's lives through the years. It's a formula that works, but I personally have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, and Talking at Night is no exception. The characters in these stories are almost always traumatized in some way, and the point seems to be that their love for each other "fixes" them, but a lot of the time that love can manifest in toxic ways: poor communication, pain caused to other unsuspecting partners, and unhealthy expectations. Part of the reason I liked the character of Jen in Talking at Night is that she kind of pokes holes in that dynamic - she tells Will that he's not really in love with Rosie, but rather the idea of her that he's built up in his head. Of course, in Will's case, it's not entirely true, but I liked that the "slow burn soulmate"-type trope got called into question.
Overall, the book is a little slow to start, but I was glad I continued reading. The prose was beautiful, the characters were well fleshed-out, and their family dynamics were compelling, especially Will's relationship with his grandmother. The dialogue, as well as the characters' thoughts and emotions, felt realistic. However, some parts of the book verged on a little overdramatic, and it seemed like the author was trying to stuff as much tragedy and drama as possible into the story to advance the plot. For Will's and Rosie's sakes, I wish the book had focused more on how they worked towards healing individually and then grew together, as opposed to relying on their love for each other to magically fix everything, but that probably wouldn't sell as many copies!
Overall, the book is a little slow to start, but I was glad I continued reading. The prose was beautiful, the characters were well fleshed-out, and their family dynamics were compelling, especially Will's relationship with his grandmother. The dialogue, as well as the characters' thoughts and emotions, felt realistic. However, some parts of the book verged on a little overdramatic, and it seemed like the author was trying to stuff as much tragedy and drama as possible into the story to advance the plot. For Will's and Rosie's sakes, I wish the book had focused more on how they worked towards healing individually and then grew together, as opposed to relying on their love for each other to magically fix everything, but that probably wouldn't sell as many copies!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
chris_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
elisacarlene's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
This has my name written all over it, Daverley's stunning, understated writing the clear highlight. It feels particularly resonant when questions of what one (I) wants to do in life, à la Mary Oliver, weigh heavily.
Recommend, and with pleasure.
Recommend, and with pleasure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy
brittanymccubbs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This story follows Rosie and the two most important people in her life - her twin brother Josh, and his friend Will. We see Rosie and Will move through many different relationships throughout their lives. Their love stretches from romantic to friendship to no contact. This book exemplifies what it means to be a human, living in a messy world, and trying to find your place. Over the course of multiple decades, we get to see how Rosie and Will shift to be what the other person needs. We get to see Rosie chase her dreams, her desires, and find out what it is she truly wants out of the world.
As someone in their 20s, this book helped remind me that life is long. We can reinvent ourselves over and over again. People can come in and out of our lives, and what we want now might not be what we want in 10 years. Or 20 years. And that’s okay. Nothing is permanent. This book reminds us that life is fragile and short, and we should only be doing what we want to do, not trying to live up to other people’s standards, or do what we think seems right in the world.
This book is reminiscent of Normal People by Sally Rooney, but it holds its own as an emotionally charged work of art. I loved this book so much and I think it really, truly is just a human book. This is real fiction. It’s what happens when two people come together in various ways time after time, and the way tragedy, love and grief shape us.
I practically SOBBED when I read the part about Josh dying. I did not expect that at all and ooooof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Grief
bookedwithannie's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism