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dancingwithdelilah's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt
afk2022's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Brilliant. In ways a great look at contemporary lgbt lives but also a deeply tragic look at how a woman’s attempt to save her marriage destroys it instead. Ultimately one cannot escape the idea that the moral of the story (to coin a phrase) is that repressive ideology hurt everyone, even the societal norm. It is deeply tragic in form and function, specifically euripidean. There is devastation and collapse, but not catharsis - no moral resolution. This is fitting given the topic, but it does heighten the intensity and pain of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Homophobia
aaround132's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
swanne_h_'s review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really wanted to give this book a chance.
Normally, I don't enjoy books that talk about mundane aspects of life. Maybe that's why the first 280 pages weren't my favorite.
The characters are also anything but lovable. Maybe that's the point, but it's just not what I'm looking for in a book.
Marion seemed really arrogant to me.
At first I thought the character of Patrick would be better because of the way Marion describes him. But when it gets to Patrick's chapters, I struggled to see him as a genuinely nice person. He only behaved nice towards Marion to be able to keep meeting Tom. Even his relationship with Tom seemed more of a quest than out of genuine interest.
The only character who I was hopeful of liking (maybe because she was the only one besides Tom and Patrick that didn't radiate homophobia and/or misogyny) was Julia, but as soon as we learn that she is not as much of an asshole as Marion, she vanishes from the story.
The last 60 pages were really hard to get through. What ultimately made me not like the story was the concept of Marion feeling entitled to describe her side of the story after destroying all of their lives. I'm not saying she didn't have a valid reason to be hurt by Tom marrying her and lying to her, but ruining Patrick's life, not thinking in the slightest about how Tom feels in that moment and then expecting both of them to listen to her side of the story made me lose any remaining shred of sympathy I had for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
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