Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - I'm a Fan

I enjoyed this book, and I'd like to begin by highlighting what I liked about it. The book provides insightful commentary on the relationships between influencers and followers, social media, privilege, class, and racial structures. The unnamed narrator's obsessive and erratic behavior intrigued me, as I've recently appreciated reading about unpredictable and unhinged female protagonist for added drama. However, I felt that the potential for dramatic tension wasn't fully explored to my liking, although the book remained engaging for the reasons mentioned earlier.

The commentary in the book was remarkably perceptive and thought-provoking, adding depth and sharpness to the narrative. So much so, that even with the lower raking, highly recommend reading this book for its insightfulness. While it was my favorite aspect as it encouraged deep reflection, I'm unsure if the protagonist's vibrant and unruly personality seamlessly aligned with the overarching heavier themes in the more essay-like chapters, leading to a somewhat disjointed experience.

Conversely, as someone with mild dyslexia, I found the book's format to be challenging. The abundance of run-on sentences, lengthy paragraphs that could be divided, and the absence of quotation marks for dialogue made it difficult to follow. I recognize that this style mirrors the protagonist's stream-of-consciousness narration and her unstable nature. Which I appriciate but did struggle with. At the halfway mark, I bought the audiobook to enhance my reading experience, and I regret not doing it earlier. The author's captivating narration truly brought the character to life in a authentic way my brain alone couldn’t.

My last qualm, I wish the timeline had been clearer and more linear, as the frequent shifts between past and present tense were somewhat disorienting.

In conclusion, I believe it's valuable to read due to its insightful analysis. Additionally, it's a shorter book with chapters of varying lengths so there’s no harm in giving it a shot!

Ultimately, I enjoyed it, but I didn't adore it.

Content Warnings

emma_sky's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative fast-paced

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

2.25

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carojust's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Labeling this book as "a story about a woman obsessed" would be too much of a disservice to this incredible work, though I admit it's the hook that got me to pick it up in the first place.

It's a series of short, satisfying chapters documenting our protagonist's affair with a married man, her infatuation with the other woman he's also cheating with, and commentary on racism, capitalism, sexism binding it all together. Everything felt so personal, like thoughts ripped straight from my head -- my minority-complex inferiority to the white woman ideal, my inferiority to a man who doesn't want me but wants to use me, my desperation to belong to something built against me, my fertility as a weapon and as a release.

Sheena Patel's writing is so incredibly addicting, and while it mimics a kind of Gen Z tone, it's grounded with a raw hopelessness that I haven't felt from reading in a while.

You'll enjoy this is you want to read more themes on modern relationships, race and female perspectives.

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nicilaui's review against another edition

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dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is so multi-dimensional and yet so simply limited to one voice that I often had to re-read paragraphs to put everything into perspective. This novel is utterly honest with a macabre brutality in how a person can lose themselves in a toxic relationship while behaving toxic too. Patel has also incorporated an incredible amount of socio-critical approaches, such as racism, sexism and the fake nature of social media. The protagonist stays in those harmful structures even though she knows them inside out. Patel wrote this paradoxical mechanism in such a unique way that it makes this novel extraordinary. You also learn a lot about the creative industry and about art itself. There is no real structure to the often extremely short chapters. You should just go with the flow and not expect anything. This is not a usual reading experience causing why this book may not be for everyone. I personally didn’t like the ending so sadly no 5 stars. This has nothing to do with the quality of the book, it’s just a personal down grade.

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