A review by awashinfeeling
Pages for You by Sylvia Brownrigg
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
What a dud. So far, this has been the most disappointing read of 2021. I’m a little shocked that anyone can write over 200 pages without developing either of the two main characters. Flannery and Anne both remain largely unchanged throughout the entirety of the novel and, on top of that, they are completely unlikeable. If you enjoy reading narratives told through the lens of ditzy and naïve 17-year old girls, you may enjoy this book but you will have to be OK with slogging through seemingly endless paragraphs of clichéd writing.
I also could not let go of the fact that Flannery is 17 when she falls in love with Anne, who is 28 btw. Ew! The rub for me is that the novel doesn’t seem to mind this. In one of the chapters the characters actually poke fun at this fact. Anne literally says that it was Flannery, the 17-year- old, who seduced her, which is… well. It made me feel uncomfortable. Flannery and Anne are portrayed as “star-crossed lovers”, “they were never meant to be, how very sad” and that bugged me to no end.
If you can somehow overlook the adult/minor relationship this book is centered around, you still have to get through the tacky, downright bizarre sex scenes.
All I can say is that this book did not age well. Pages for You might have been edgy and scandalous in the early ‘00s when it came out but now…? Nah. I should have totally DNFed this when doing so first crossed my mind. If you want to read more lesbian fiction, like me, there must be better books out there now.
I also could not let go of the fact that Flannery is 17 when she falls in love with Anne, who is 28 btw. Ew! The rub for me is that the novel doesn’t seem to mind this. In one of the chapters the characters actually poke fun at this fact. Anne literally says that it was Flannery, the 17-year- old, who seduced her, which is… well. It made me feel uncomfortable. Flannery and Anne are portrayed as “star-crossed lovers”, “they were never meant to be, how very sad” and that bugged me to no end.
If you can somehow overlook the adult/minor relationship this book is centered around, you still have to get through the tacky, downright bizarre sex scenes.
All I can say is that this book did not age well. Pages for You might have been edgy and scandalous in the early ‘00s when it came out but now…? Nah. I should have totally DNFed this when doing so first crossed my mind. If you want to read more lesbian fiction, like me, there must be better books out there now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship