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A review by sarah_thebooknerd
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 ⭐️
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting