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A review by sophh
Love & Virtue by Diana Reid
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I absolutely loved reading this book. I pretty much read it all in a day during my summer holiday. I think the reason I loved it so much is because of how much of the protagonist's experience I could relate to.
The novel follows Michaela's transition into tertiary education in Sydney. She quickly realises that her college is filled with teenagers who want to spend all their time drinking, doing drugs and having sex. It is not unsurprising that this leads to quite a toxic culture within the residential college.
Michaela navigates her way through friendships, romantic relationships, assault and loss.
I really liked the focus on philosophy in this novel. It was easily integrated because Michaela was studying it. I find conversations about what it means to be a good or bad person fascinating, and I thought the way it related to Michaela's experience made it all the more impactful.
My sister started reading this and she said she found it all somewhat pretentious and hard to read. While I can see where she is coming from I really liked reading it and I feel like it was a great exploration into a time of life where our sense of self and understanding of the world is very fragile and malleable.
The novel follows Michaela's transition into tertiary education in Sydney. She quickly realises that her college is filled with teenagers who want to spend all their time drinking, doing drugs and having sex. It is not unsurprising that this leads to quite a toxic culture within the residential college.
Michaela navigates her way through friendships, romantic relationships, assault and loss.
I really liked the focus on philosophy in this novel. It was easily integrated because Michaela was studying it. I find conversations about what it means to be a good or bad person fascinating, and I thought the way it related to Michaela's experience made it all the more impactful.
My sister started reading this and she said she found it all somewhat pretentious and hard to read. While I can see where she is coming from I really liked reading it and I feel like it was a great exploration into a time of life where our sense of self and understanding of the world is very fragile and malleable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Alcohol