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misa97's review against another edition
syliu's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
It took Pages For You a while to become what I suspected it would be: emotional and introspective without being particularly revealing or thought-provoking.
The main qualm I could have with the book is that there are no particularly resonant messages, and I don’t think I’ve taken much away from it.
But for its pros? I do think it managed to capture something of female desire/sapphic sexuality that was enjoyable. A lot of it was easy and beautiful, complete with a brief encounter with shame and homophobia that was well done, and of course didn’t dent the rosy optimism of the protagonist.
I also appreciate the slow progression of the tone of the story: the whimsical and naive whirlwind of hot sensory overload gave way to something with heavier realism and dulled emotion.
Honestly, it was a pretty enjoyable read. I wish it had said more, but the literary quips and brief character studies were enough to be interesting. If this novel had been an autobiography I would’ve thought better of it, maybe so that I can more easily believe that the book offered some healing to the author for the tumultuous and problematic relationship of her youthful past. That said, if you told me this book was an autobiography (or based close to real life) I would’ve believed it, so props for realism.
Hoping to read more sapphic literature this year to have more to compare to.
The main qualm I could have with the book is that there are no particularly resonant messages, and I don’t think I’ve taken much away from it.
But for its pros? I do think it managed to capture something of female desire/sapphic sexuality that was enjoyable. A lot of it was easy and beautiful, complete with a brief encounter with shame and homophobia that was well done, and of course didn’t dent the rosy optimism of the protagonist.
I also appreciate the slow progression of the tone of the story: the whimsical and naive whirlwind of hot sensory overload gave way to something with heavier realism and dulled emotion.
Honestly, it was a pretty enjoyable read. I wish it had said more, but the literary quips and brief character studies were enough to be interesting. If this novel had been an autobiography I would’ve thought better of it, maybe so that I can more easily believe that the book offered some healing to the author for the tumultuous and problematic relationship of her youthful past. That said, if you told me this book was an autobiography (or based close to real life) I would’ve believed it, so props for realism.
Hoping to read more sapphic literature this year to have more to compare to.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
I’d like to borrow from you those miles you’ve seen and wear them in my own untraveled shoes. I’d like to treat your feet with slow and ready fingers, and bring you, unshod, to bliss.
4.5 stars. This is the kind of litfic I could thrive on. Slightly pretentious writing, but so beautiful and meaningful that I don't mind, and a plot that's more of a slice of life than anything else, capturing several gorgeous, tumultuous months in these two women's lives. We're following an undergrad and grad student at a college in the late 90s/2000s. It's important to go into it knowing that you're getting a love story and not a romance, and once you have that awareness you can bask in everything else about the book. Primarily the writing. I was never quite this flavour of lit student, but I still do love reading about people who love reading, people who write, people who steep themselves in poetry, and so it makes sense that the writing is lyrical and sweet, even amidst the bitter-sweetness and heartbreak. There are moments when the perspective breaks away into bits of omniscience, gives us a line from the future, or a glimpse of Anne's expressions when Flannery isn't looking, and I ended up loving those. I can get behind omniscient POV as a periodic, stylistic choice.
Those uncounted hours alone in her sleepless room had taught Flannery something, after all. That, in love, she could face illumination.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Craden, who gives this all the intensity and gravitas but also loveliness it deserves. Because this really was lovely, even though we know what's coming, what this is and what it can't be. There are some lines surrounding their romance and what they mean to each other that were so deeply cutting, and effective, and beautiful. Again, the writing is really where this shines, but I did love the characters as well. Flannery was so masterfully written, and I love this as a coming of age story, that is about love at first sight, infatuation, sexuality, but also deals deeply, meaningfully, with love. I know that there's a second book but idk if I'll ever actually read it. I kind of like where this one leaves us.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
underage? Flannery is 17 for half the bookSo alive are these narratives on your wantable mouth and in your essential eyes that I can watch them, movies in my quiet head to play when I’m at home, stirring in my empty rooms, waiting for my own ship to come in.
gvstyris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It is an old story. One of the oldest. They would not have had to travel so far just to learn it: lust - open, naked lust - must be named and punished. How else can we hope to keep the world in order?
There are a couple reasons this novel wasn't for me.
Primarily, the age-gap. Anne, a 28 year-old teacher's assistant, and Flannery, a 17 year-old college freshman, are at completely different life stages. Their relationship has an uncomfortable and inherent power imbalance reminiscent of Elio/Oliver from Call Me By Your Name. Both stories suffer from their refusal to acknowledge how fundamentally predatory and unhealthy these relationships are, making the older characters (Anne and Oliver) unlikeable and the main plot difficult to root for. I find this 'trope' especially off-putting in LGBT+ romances, given how the community is still hindered by stereotypes of pedophilia and grooming.
On another note, because Brownrigg spoils the novel's ending in the prologue, its plot trajectory is relatively predictable and under-developed. While this is partially a consequence of reading a 2001 novel with 2024 cliches in mind, I would still argue that Brownrigg fails to effectively utilise the spoiler to add depth or surprise. It was just kind of lackluster.
I also wish Brownrigg had properly explored Flannery grappling with her sexuality. As tiresome as it often is to read about queer characters unpacking their internalised homophobia, I was more put-off by how Brownrigg teased Flannery's shame without really considering it. That being said, I did like how Flannery was largely unconcerned with labelling herself. She liked Anne, and that's as far as she was willing to get with it -- for the moment, anyways.
I've given Pages for You two redeeming stars for its unique structure and use of narration. The prologue is also beautifully written, and I was shocked by how specific bits and pieces of Flannery/Anne's queer experience hold true in 2024. I imagine that this book will mean a lot to some people -- it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
issywelsby's review
3.5
There is some beautiful writing throughout but as a whole I didn’t feel entirely invested or convinced by Flannery and Anne’s romance. I felt quite sparse and cold at times and every so often there was a beautiful sentence that brought me back. “Flannery looked over and loved them, those titles especially, and they filled her with envy; though whether of Anne for her knowledge or of the books themselves for the attention she lavished on them, Flannery couldn’t have said.”
chaya_v's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
This is beautifully written. You could read it for the writing alone. It's also in an academic setting.
I was really into the premise of the story and it started off strong but then around the 40% mark it kind of lost me. First of all, I live for age gap romances but not ones where the youngest is underage/ starts off underage. Then this is completely personal preference as well but I'm more of a fan of slow burn romance rather than Insta-love.
It's still worth the read as i said if not for the storyline, for the writing.
I was really into the premise of the story and it started off strong but then around the 40% mark it kind of lost me. First of all, I live for age gap romances but not ones where the youngest is underage/ starts off underage. Then this is completely personal preference as well but I'm more of a fan of slow burn romance rather than Insta-love.
It's still worth the read as i said if not for the storyline, for the writing.
rclark's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a while to get used to the writing style of this book, it's poetic and sometimes hard to read. The third act still left me heartbroken and disappointed (even though we know the relationship is doomed from the prologue), in such a way I was glad there was a follow up book I could pick up straight away.
macbeckyton's review against another edition
4.0
Overwritten in places, and I found Flannery a bit difficult to believe in sometimes. Captured the ending very well, though, about rage and longing and what it feels like to be attached to someone. Will make time to read the sequel.
susanbrooks's review against another edition
3.0
A female college freshman falls for an older woman. Earnest portrayal of first lust/love.
bookishblond's review against another edition
5.0
So beautiful. I was crying by the end.
I checked this book out from the library when I was a freshman in high school, but I was too uncomfortable with my own sexuality to read it. Now, five years later, I found this book again and sat down to read it slowly. This is a gorgeous love story... I recommend it for women who love women and books ;)
I checked this book out from the library when I was a freshman in high school, but I was too uncomfortable with my own sexuality to read it. Now, five years later, I found this book again and sat down to read it slowly. This is a gorgeous love story... I recommend it for women who love women and books ;)