A review by mallorypen
Damaged Like Us, by Krista Ritchie

slow-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

2.75

I liked the premise of the book, and the initial execution, but overall there was simply too much going on at once, including:
  • A bajillion cousins
  • A bajillion bodyguards
  • Secret relationship PLUS family drama PLUS fundraising PLUS media pressure PLUS additions PLUS weird codependency that gets flagged as incest??

There were some scenes between Farrow and Maximoff that were compelling vignettes, but the overarching story was tough to get into because of how crowded it was; and then the incest accusation coming out of left field was really out of character for this tight-knit family used to dealing with media rumors, ugly statements about their sex lives, and gossip. The fact that all their parents believed the rumor was so yucky, and honestly shook all the rest of my enjoyment away. 

Had this just been about one famous family and their bodyguards, and had the reason for Farrow and Maximoff coming out to his family been less distressing and out of character,
I would have enjoyed it more.
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