A review by serendipitysbooks
Love & Virtue by Diana Reid

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

4.5

 Love and Virtue follows Michaela through her tumultuous first year on a scholarship to a prestigious Australian university college, and explores a friendship she develops with a fellow student named Eve. It’s a story with some heavy themes and plot points. There’s sexual assault, toxic friendship, classism, heavy alcohol and drug use, a death that could be a suicide, feminism, power, consent, the sexual double standard, a sexual relationship between a student and a professor and more. I also thought it was an interesting take on the own voices concept that raises issues like who has the right to use a story and whether we have an obligation or responsibility to tell our stories for the good of others. I loved thinking about the many shades of grey in the choices Michaela and Eve made, as well as the possible reasons underpinning them. There’s so much nuance to unpack. This would make great book club book - so much to discuss. It would also be perfect to share and discuss with any young women heading to university for the first time. It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, with the added bonus of bringing back (thankfully good) memories of a summer I spent at an Australian college. 
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