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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
medium-paced
ARC REVIEW
I’m not really sure how to review this if I’m honest.
Among Friends is a powerful piece of literary fiction, spanning the lives of two families if lifelong friends, Amos and Emerson. Each character is so thoroughly written that we know the ins and outs of each by the end, there are twists and turns and Ebbott’s tense, abrupt tone is very refreshing, and the language is so well commanded but, I have to admit, I was bored. I did enjoy it. but 300 pages was a bit much.
My honest review is it is another piece of fiction where crisis would have been averted if the two main characters just realised they wanted to sleep together …
Thank you to Picador and Netgalley for the ARC
I’m not really sure how to review this if I’m honest.
Among Friends is a powerful piece of literary fiction, spanning the lives of two families if lifelong friends, Amos and Emerson. Each character is so thoroughly written that we know the ins and outs of each by the end, there are twists and turns and Ebbott’s tense, abrupt tone is very refreshing, and the language is so well commanded but, I have to admit, I was bored. I did enjoy it. but 300 pages was a bit much.
My honest review is it is another piece of fiction where crisis would have been averted if the two main characters just realised they wanted to sleep together …
Thank you to Picador and Netgalley for the ARC
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
While I’m a fan of a slow, literary read, I’m sick of male authors using sexual assault as a plot device. The characters were also insufferable.
I enjoyed reading this novel, it was at times a tad slow (meaning it took me weeks to read as I didn’t need to read in one sitting or pick back up again sooner.
The friendship was explained well, even showing the competition between Amos and Emerson and how the events affect them/their friendship.
Some of the characters reactions were shocking, Claire’s the worst, how on earth could she think so little of her daughter? And Sophie being encouraged by her mum to pull away from Anna, absolute shocking behaviour!! I’m so glad that Anna had the support from her dad!
This is a book that you will want to talk about or in my case rant about the awful ways in which victims can be treated.
The friendship was explained well, even showing the competition between Amos and Emerson and how the events affect them/their friendship.
Some of the characters reactions were shocking, Claire’s the worst, how on earth could she think so little of her daughter? And Sophie being encouraged by her mum to pull away from Anna, absolute shocking behaviour!! I’m so glad that Anna had the support from her dad!
This is a book that you will want to talk about or in my case rant about the awful ways in which victims can be treated.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an emotionally heavy and complex literary debut. Ebbott's writing is incredible and portrays mundane life experiences so beautifully and accurately. The novel captures the complicated dynamics of lifelong friendships - the long-held petty grudges and insecurities, the jealousy and competitiveness. It explores power, privilege, and class, and the conflict of choosing a path that is smooth and easy vs doing what is right and what is hard. The characters are well-developed and so real, though not all sympathetic, and often even repulsive. It was quite slow at the beginning but built tension so well. Anna's chapters were especially heart-wrenching, and I was really impressed with how well Ebbott was able to capture the teenage girl experience.
Thank you to Riverhead Books for the free ARC!
Thank you to Riverhead Books for the free ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
emotional
mysterious
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
Immediately upon starting this novel I was confused. The writing was disjointed and full of so many similes it was hard to grasp any sort of narrative. It felt very contrived and pretentious and meant I had a hard time getting to know any of the characters.
Then, suddenly, the "big event" happens and the pacing becomes more manageable as the paragraphs and chapters lengthen and offer a deeper look at the thoughts and motivations of the characters. It was incredibly uncomfortable reading certain descriptions of Anna's maturation and her own mother's take on the sexualisation of a teenage girl. There is absolutely no world in which I can imagine a woman ever thinking in such a way and the fact that this comes from a male author makes it all the more abhorrent.
The only characters I felt were trustworthy were in fact the two teenage daughters. Anna and Sophie were depicted realistically as being caught up in their own worlds; this is crystal clear in the last interaction we see between them where both girls are worrying what the other is thinking about them and Sophie chooses to walk away rather than confront her own hurt.
My hopes were raised when Amos intervened on his daughter's behalf but the final chapter implies that he didn't take a proper stand for her after all. Retsy and Emerson were strange characters seemingly devoid of emotion and only interested in themselves. Claire seemed far too concerned about social standing and not wanting to tip the applecart rather than being there for her daughter in a time of need.
This was just an uncomfortable read on so many levels - the writing style didn't engage me, the characters were vapid and two dimensional and I was incredibly put off by some of the views expressed on teenage girls and sexualisation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Then, suddenly, the "big event" happens and the pacing becomes more manageable as the paragraphs and chapters lengthen and offer a deeper look at the thoughts and motivations of the characters. It was incredibly uncomfortable reading certain descriptions of Anna's maturation and her own mother's take on the sexualisation of a teenage girl. There is absolutely no world in which I can imagine a woman ever thinking in such a way and the fact that this comes from a male author makes it all the more abhorrent.
The only characters I felt were trustworthy were in fact the two teenage daughters. Anna and Sophie were depicted realistically as being caught up in their own worlds; this is crystal clear in the last interaction we see between them where both girls are worrying what the other is thinking about them and Sophie chooses to walk away rather than confront her own hurt.
My hopes were raised when Amos intervened on his daughter's behalf but the final chapter implies that he didn't take a proper stand for her after all. Retsy and Emerson were strange characters seemingly devoid of emotion and only interested in themselves. Claire seemed far too concerned about social standing and not wanting to tip the applecart rather than being there for her daughter in a time of need.
This was just an uncomfortable read on so many levels - the writing style didn't engage me, the characters were vapid and two dimensional and I was incredibly put off by some of the views expressed on teenage girls and sexualisation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated