A review by introvertsbookclub
None Of This Is Serious by Catherine Prasifka

dark emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

From the uncertainty of the future, and the impossibility of finding a job that you enjoy and pays the bills, to the lure and inescapability of the internet, and the difficulty of knowing people when they can create an alternate version of themselves online, this novel encapsulates so many of the anxieties that twenty-somethings have in a way that is relatable without ever being condescending. Social media starts out as a distraction and a coping mechanism but soon begins to exacerbate the toxic elements of the protagonist’s relationships with friends and family. Although a lot of the novel took place online, it brought online conversations into the real world, through debates and conversations around gender, privilege and politics. It recreated the internet and the way it interacts with and leaks into the real world perfectly. The way the author wrote friendships was so realistic, the spaces between what is said and what is meant, the small power struggles, the difficulty of working out when to cut someone out of your life. It feels like a novel for the generation of young people graduating in a post-pandemic world, and yet the portrayals of relationships are timeless.
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