A review by reese_lanier
Mood Indigo by Boris Vian

emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

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

2.0

Tonally all over the place. Some critiques of society and capitalism are there if you dig for them, but I never connected with any of the characters, their arcs did not feel cohesive, and from the getgo the book did not sell me on the primary romance because it undermines it with a different romance that did not happen but seemed much more interesting. Loose plot threads like Collins missing money or inability to hold down a job. It could have landed such a punch if it leaned into Collin deliberately giving away his wealth and learning to live like a working class person instead of relying on his riches, but instead he tried to act like he was still rich even when he had no money; in other words, the main themes of the books held no resonance because the author did not allow the characters to grow. The saving grace of this novel is the pretty writing, but I got bored with it at times, and sometimes the translation made no sense.