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snowglassandapples's review
5.0
4.5/5 but I’ll round up on here.
This was such a strange read. It was emotional and interesting because of these new perspectives that are so rarely written from. I’ve never read a character with synesthesia but I thought it was so fascinating. All of the characters were so deeply flawed and real seeming, I just appreciated the real view of this book and the way Prentiss handled these highly emotional and relatable characters.
I would recommend this and I’ve put so little detail here because it’s one to read without spoilers, especially with the ‘worst day’ of each of their lives, it was so interesting. The characters are all likeable and dislikable at the same time, their flaws had me frustrated and upset with them for their poor decisions but their hopes and dreams had me rooting for them the entire novel.
Anyways, I’m raving, it lost half a star because I found some portions dragged and up until the ‘worst day’ portion it was a little slow.
:)
This was such a strange read. It was emotional and interesting because of these new perspectives that are so rarely written from. I’ve never read a character with synesthesia but I thought it was so fascinating. All of the characters were so deeply flawed and real seeming, I just appreciated the real view of this book and the way Prentiss handled these highly emotional and relatable characters.
I would recommend this and I’ve put so little detail here because it’s one to read without spoilers, especially with the ‘worst day’ of each of their lives, it was so interesting. The characters are all likeable and dislikable at the same time, their flaws had me frustrated and upset with them for their poor decisions but their hopes and dreams had me rooting for them the entire novel.
Anyways, I’m raving, it lost half a star because I found some portions dragged and up until the ‘worst day’ portion it was a little slow.
:)
bunnieslikediamonds's review
4.0
Some of my favorite books are about artists and the fine arts. The all-consuming passion some people feel for their chosen profession, and the sacrifices they make in its name, is fascinating to me.
Raul is so passionate about his painting that he leaves Argentina and his beloved sister, a political activist who is facing the risk of "disappearing", for the exploding art scene of New York, where Keith Haring is drawing penises on subway trains. Lucy, midwestern bumpkin with no goals other than to be more than a midwestern bumpkin, is passionate about Raul. Art critic and synesthete James is passionate about art, and in particular Raul's art which sets his senses on fire.
Raul and James' passions are enabled by a wealthy patron and patient wife respectively, while lovelorn Lucy is pretty much on her own. The male genius trope hovers over the pages, but luckily there is more nuance than that to the story and characters. James and Raul grow - are forced to grow - during the tumultuos year of 1980. There is a shocking incident (I'm not easily shocked but I think I actually gasped) which changes the course of everybody's lives.
The language is a little flowery at times, and I don't think synesthesia actually works like it does for James, but those are my only quibbles. It is an engaging, if not terribly deep, story about an intriguing time and place, and a real pleasure to read.
Raul is so passionate about his painting that he leaves Argentina and his beloved sister, a political activist who is facing the risk of "disappearing", for the exploding art scene of New York, where Keith Haring is drawing penises on subway trains. Lucy, midwestern bumpkin with no goals other than to be more than a midwestern bumpkin, is passionate about Raul. Art critic and synesthete James is passionate about art, and in particular Raul's art which sets his senses on fire.
Raul and James' passions are enabled by a wealthy patron and patient wife respectively, while lovelorn Lucy is pretty much on her own. The male genius trope hovers over the pages, but luckily there is more nuance than that to the story and characters. James and Raul grow - are forced to grow - during the tumultuos year of 1980. There is a shocking incident (I'm not easily shocked but I think I actually gasped) which changes the course of everybody's lives.
The language is a little flowery at times, and I don't think synesthesia actually works like it does for James, but those are my only quibbles. It is an engaging, if not terribly deep, story about an intriguing time and place, and a real pleasure to read.
offbalance80's review
1.0
I was so disappointed by this book, I'm not even sure where to start. I was positively giddy to begin to read it, and yet struggled to finish before my library loan was up. I'm at a complete loss as to how an author can take a time and place as rich as New York in 1980 and just completely miss the mark. If you're going to write about a particular time and a particular place, a bit of research never hurts. Yes, go on and drop all the names you like, but having a few facts under your belt never hurt. For example: the first articles about the "mysterious virus" plaguing NYC's LGBT population were not published until the fall of 1981, when they counted sufferers at just over a small dozen (with most already deceased) so it's highly unlikely a character would encounter an entire ward of them in Saint Vincent's in the late winter of 1980. And, fun fact - most neurological conditions don't mysteriously disappear with a case of the sads.
Further, I am so beyond done and over the narrative of the pretty, fragile blonde girl coming to the big city to find herself and adventure without actually doing anything worthwhile (check out my review of Sweetbitter if you want to know just HOW over this I am). She mopes! She is helpless! She falls in love and gets hurt and has sex and drinks Jim Beam because it's interesting, but she has no life other than to serve as a romantic interest (to put it politely) to a few of the poorly drawn male characters in the book. And do not even GET me started on the wife of another main character, a tortured "art critic," who despite initially having dreams and goals toward art of her own, gives up because she wants a "tiny baby"? (Really? A tiny baby? Who even talks like this?) She follows him around, mops up his messes and forgives him for unfathomable reasons. It's frustrating enough when male authors trap their female characters in these corners, but it's enraging when a female author does it. The women in this book fall into the limited archetypes of Maid, Mother and Crone, and not one does any work to break out of those holes.
What was the point, exactly, to make a character hail from Argentina, talk about Peron's death and Pinochet's reign, if it was only to serve up the most Hallmark Hall of Fame of "twists"? Why build up all of these pieces of the art world and a roommate for Blandy the Blonde that sound interesting, but ultimately lead to nowhere? I feel like these were designed as sections to read aloud in an MFA writing class, but little to no thought was given to the overall arc that the characters or the plot would ultimately deal with. If the author had, she probably would have realized that Jonathan Larson did this first, did it better. So bust out your copy of the RENT soundtrack and call it a day - 525,600 minutes may measure a year, but this book about 1980 isn't worth singing about.
Further, I am so beyond done and over the narrative of the pretty, fragile blonde girl coming to the big city to find herself and adventure without actually doing anything worthwhile (check out my review of Sweetbitter if you want to know just HOW over this I am). She mopes! She is helpless! She falls in love and gets hurt and has sex and drinks Jim Beam because it's interesting, but she has no life other than to serve as a romantic interest (to put it politely) to a few of the poorly drawn male characters in the book. And do not even GET me started on the wife of another main character, a tortured "art critic," who despite initially having dreams and goals toward art of her own, gives up because she wants a "tiny baby"? (Really? A tiny baby? Who even talks like this?) She follows him around, mops up his messes and forgives him for unfathomable reasons. It's frustrating enough when male authors trap their female characters in these corners, but it's enraging when a female author does it. The women in this book fall into the limited archetypes of Maid, Mother and Crone, and not one does any work to break out of those holes.
What was the point, exactly, to make a character hail from Argentina, talk about Peron's death and Pinochet's reign, if it was only to serve up the most Hallmark Hall of Fame of "twists"? Why build up all of these pieces of the art world and a roommate for Blandy the Blonde that sound interesting, but ultimately lead to nowhere? I feel like these were designed as sections to read aloud in an MFA writing class, but little to no thought was given to the overall arc that the characters or the plot would ultimately deal with. If the author had, she probably would have realized that Jonathan Larson did this first, did it better. So bust out your copy of the RENT soundtrack and call it a day - 525,600 minutes may measure a year, but this book about 1980 isn't worth singing about.
caoilinreads's review
5.0
Poetic, poignant, and heart wrenching ... it is everything you could want in a novel.
jefecarpenter's review
4.0
This is a brilliant but flawed novel. Prentiss is a fabulous storyteller, given to wonderful passages of prose, with a true sense of New York and its art scene in the late 70’s & 80's, but (spoiler alert) I am quitting this book on page 303, out of 322, because it’s become some bizarre form of exorcism. Just when the main character is faced with the decision of his life, involving the life of a little boy, he goes on a drinking binge instead, with no mention of the boy... I have the feeling that she is writing this as a catharsis to get even with someone who did her wrong, and it works as literature, even through the most difficult of premises, through some precarious suspensions of disbelief, until it just falls splat on the floor.
anitasully's review
emotional
reflective
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
3.25
mccgp8's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so beautiful. I loved it then hated it and reached the end and loved it but still kind of hate it somehow. I don't know how that works. Regardless of the fact, I just genuinely feel like I'll carry this story and its atmosphere and everything about it with me for the rest of my life. I was torn between three stars and five and it's just so... I don't know? It felt real. I loved the characters and then hated them and then loved them (with the exception of Lucy, maybe, though the ending made me feel softer towards her)z I have no words.
_lj_'s review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
megancholic's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5