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not_another_ana's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
1.5
And maybe that was what real, adult love was. Being fearless enough to hold each other close no matter how catastrophic the world became. Loving each other with enough ferocity to quell the fears of the past. Just fucking being there.
When Eva was a teenager, she had a wild and passionate week with Shane. It was wild, drug fueled, and life changing. But that's all in the past, and she is now the successful author of an erotic book series and the mother of a precocious daughter. However, when Shane returns, now also a famous award winning author, and they cross paths for another seven days Eva will have to reckon with her past and consider if maybe this time is the right time for the two of them.
I knew I was doomed to dislike this from the moment I read the opening lines, but I persevered since this was a book club read. There's just something about the way this is written that never clicked with me. The writing is too reference heavy in a way that already makes it dated and lackluster. Tia Williams has this odd habit of describing everything with brand names that was distracting and embarrassing. Here's an example: "... when his phone vibrated on his arm (where it was slotted in his Nathan iPhone armband, rated Best Accessory of 2019 by RunnersWorld.com).", like am I reading a novel or is this Vogue magazine trying to sell me overpriced shit I don't need.
Then there's the characters. Eva and Shane are the only ones who seem realistic, and sure they're the protagonists and we get to see their pasts and inhabit their minds, so the contrast with everybody else in this book is huge. Everyone else was caricaturesque, the closet to a stereotype the author could get her hands on. You have these two broken people trying to reconnect and be emotionally honest only for a side character to pop and talk about wacky shit regarding vaginas or something else wildly out of place. And what was up with the mega cringe fans and NPCs being full on tiktok braindead? Excruciating to read. Speaking of which... AUDRE. I have a personal beef with that fictional child. She was supposedly twelve years old but read like a much younger kid, she was not funny nor endearing but closer to a conservative parody of gen z kids. In fact I was CONVINCED that the author was childless and had never interacted with a small human being and was flabbergasted when I read her thank you at the end to her actual in real life daughter.
That's what haunted me while reading this book, the tone. It swung wildly like a turnstile, and the discrepancy soured me on the whole matter. The opening lines have a funny jokey tone, they're light and cheeky, only to grow dark when we revisit the past and then back to the jokes and the caricatures and raunchyness. I wish the author had just focused on the main couple and deleted all the extra povs from side characters, the brand mentions, the annoying child, because the core relationship could have been good. Then there's the seven days gimmick that didn't come across all that well to me, I feel like it was a mistake to gloss over the seven days in the past even if you can excuse the narration growing hazy due to the drug use and trauma.
And my last big complaint has to do with the ending.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence
historianvik's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Car accident
redefiningrachel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
sarajuni's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Rape, and Sexism
mrsbodey's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
cadencea126's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Self harm, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
wowsmeows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Girls are given the weight of the world, but nowhere to put it down. The power and magic born in that struggle? It’s so terrifying to men that we invented reasons to burn y’all at the stake, just to keep our dicks hard."
Seven Days In June is about two writers. They had an intense week-long relationship in their teens, and have been using each other as muses for their writing ever since.
I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was written beautifully and I truly felt the intensity of their relationship. I really liked how the story was revealed one a day at a time, flicking between past and present.
It also raised some interesting topics such as disability, generational trauma, positive co-parenting, and online fan culture.
The only reason that this wasn't a 5* for me was just because I felt the ending was a little rushed. Minor spoilers:
I'd really recommend this one, but maybe check out content warnings first.
"I had to teach myself how to breathe again, in a world without you in it."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bwblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse and Self harm
Moderate: Gun violence
dangselena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
peskridge3's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Self harm