kirstenellang's review against another edition
5.0
Would like to clear one thing about this book. It is not a love story, it is a horror story, this book is a stone cold psychological thriller / horror and the fact that people are taking it as a romantic comedy esque book makes me so mad. Yes if this book was a Rom com it would be bad and cringe and would b slushed forever but it is NOT. It’s horrifying and terrifying. THIS BOOK FIZZES. A colleague once described a book as fizzing to me and I was like what lol that makes no sense but this book FIZZES it HISSES it bites and it barks and it does a whole lot more.
The more I think about this book the more angry I am about the blurb and the marketing and the review bombing.
A horror about class and race and trying to fit in and losing yourself consistently forever and then trying to find yourself and then being lost forever. Very Get Out energy. SCREAM thinking about her forever
The more I think about this book the more angry I am about the blurb and the marketing and the review bombing.
A horror about class and race and trying to fit in and losing yourself consistently forever and then trying to find yourself and then being lost forever. Very Get Out energy. SCREAM thinking about her forever
noelle_tofigh's review against another edition
4.0
Better than I expected! This novel is the study of a relationship that crosses racial and political differences. It is thought provoking and smart. It asks nuanced questions and doesn’t look for easy answers. As a person who tries to have relationships with people who believe differently from me, this book showed the struggle and highlighted that it’s possible, but messy.
It made me laugh, cry, cringe, and hope.
It made me laugh, cry, cringe, and hope.
misshclose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
rendireads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Forgettable and problematic
kcs1025's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
lannies's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
nicoleborneman's review against another edition
5.0
The best kinds of books are ones that get you thinking. Rabess grapples with human complexity in a way that left me with no straightforward answers. She asked, “Does this make a person ‘bad’?” and then led me to change my mind about a hundred times. And she did so with nuance and humor and ineffable humanness. I will be thinking this one over for a while.
roshio's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
You need to take this book for what it is. It’s not how it’s presented I.e. star crossed lovers. At first I was very much on board with this romance. Lovely slow burn, good tension but Josh eventually you see, just has bad, damaging politics. And I cannot understand why she sticks with him. This was the bit that I didn’t find credible. The stuff he pulls at the end, total red flag.
But he also wasnt wrong about his assessment of her. Jess wants to have her cake and eat it too and it’s just not viable.
3 stars if it’s not romance but if THIS is meant to be romance, trash.
But he also wasnt wrong about his assessment of her. Jess wants to have her cake and eat it too and it’s just not viable.
3 stars if it’s not romance but if THIS is meant to be romance, trash.
el_36's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
brianna_lh's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0