Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Book of George

The author managed to portray all main characters as unlikeable. Even though the protagonist consistently let me down, I kept reading, which perfectly mirrors the book’s engaging central theme of being disappointed by someone and yet hoping they would change for the better. This is a true testament to her fantastic writing style.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Co. for this advanced reader copy.

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_nessa_'s review against another edition

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funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a great book. I constantly found myself in a love-hate relationship with George leaning slightly more towards the hate. What most annoyed me were the moments when I related to George and those moments in which I found myself sharing his inner depressive/pretentious monologue in my daily life. I won this book in a Storygraph giveaway and I can honestly say it came to me at the exact moment I needed it most as I finished it in 3 days. Finally I want to shout out Jenny the true mvp of this story and the only likeable character

I’m sure nobody cares but I also want to be a public interest lawyer and cannot see the red flags when it comes to stupid pretty boys, so I can endlessly relate to her

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maddie7217's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

5.0

I really, sincerely loved this book. George is a mess, no doubt about it, but he has redeemable qualities. He is self-aware and “trying” to fix himself, but for a variety of reasons, he can’t seem to pull himself together. He has promise and he has talent, he just fails to use it in a way that is productive. I think that, in some ways, we all have a little bit of George in us; maybe that’s what made me sympathetic towards him. Or perhaps we don’t all have a little bit of George in us and I am just The Problem… Who’s to say!

The description of the book says that we all know a George. That’s true. I’ve known several, to varying degrees. I’ve dated a George, I’ve been friends with a George, I’ve been a George. I saw a lot of myself and a lot of my friends in this book. I appreciated the fact that, while characters did try to steer him in the right direction, the book never really tried to “fix” him. He had moments of massive failure and moments of sweet redemption, just like he would in real life. I wonder if my tolerance for George speaks to the type of person I am. Maybe I’m too much like Jenny (George’s on-again-off-again girlfriend). Maybe we’re all a mix of both.

Thank you so much to Kate Greathead for writing this wonderful book, and thank you to Henry Holt and Co. as well as NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read it early.

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