A review by booksoflore
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley
emotional
funny
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
3.0
Immediate reaction (two minutes after finishing it)? I feel underwhelmed. I think this might be because of the narration style. It’s always interesting when audiobooks are read by the authors. You think: here’s the person who should know what everything and everyone should sound like. But they are rarely voice actors or orators. Crosley has a great speaking voice that conveys humor really well but, I found her narration to be a bit lacking. Characters blur into each other as there is little difference between the tones and expressions of even the main characters. Dialogue blurs, which I definitely had to get used to. Overall a slightly lackluster listening experience.
As far as the actual story goes. It was fine. I think Crosley does a really good job of leaning into the unreliable narrator that is Lola. I like that this book focuses on so many relationships but that we only see them through the eyes of this woman who is occasionally very hard to like. She’s a bit of an asshole. And we never get the other side. Which, I like because often times in relationships and breakups, we never really get to know fully what the other person was thinking and feeling. Even Lola’s search for closure in the end was completely about herself and not the literal dozens of people that she’s been involved with. People who have moved on, who have accepted her as a part of their life. Though I wasn’t particularly hooked to this book until about70% through, i think it asks interesting questions about fate, relationships, and the individual nature of closure.
As far as the actual story goes. It was fine. I think Crosley does a really good job of leaning into the unreliable narrator that is Lola. I like that this book focuses on so many relationships but that we only see them through the eyes of this woman who is occasionally very hard to like. She’s a bit of an asshole. And we never get the other side. Which, I like because often times in relationships and breakups, we never really get to know fully what the other person was thinking and feeling. Even Lola’s search for closure in the end was completely about herself and not the literal dozens of people that she’s been involved with. People who have moved on, who have accepted her as a part of their life. Though I wasn’t particularly hooked to this book until about70% through, i think it asks interesting questions about fate, relationships, and the individual nature of closure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault