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annathebanana's review
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
dcfelk's review
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Surprisingly hypnotic. Some highs and lows, but I enjoyed all the stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
hannahjeanie's review
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
taylormiranda1621's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
daveyk's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hannahham08's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mariahlus's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Tbh I don’t have that much to say, apart from: it was kind of boring and left almost no impression.
It’s a bit weirdly constructed: it’s seemingly a collection of short stories but they are actually about the same group of people and they all revolve around Nick and Julia who broke up a while ago. It’s not a bad concept per se, it’s just that each of these stories is written in a completely different style and vibe and the fact that we meet the same people over and over doesn’t really allow us to get to know them more. We just see excerpts of their life, still pictures, and the stories (and the story as a whole) seem to have no direction. They also have very unsatisfying endings, and I’m saying this as a person who enjoys open endings usually. It might be a metaphor for contemporary life and the overall feeling of pointlessness within young people.
There is one story that particularly frustrated me, in which two dating app users meet and date. It’s written in a very detached style, aiming for some sort of objectivism. It’s supposed to be a commentary on how social media works but I just found it annoying to read meticulous descriptions of how a dating app works, like: I know, dude??? I have to admit that some of the observations were interesting (like the one about swiping pictures of women until they become an extension of one woman), but overall this lacked some sort of narrative artistry.
My favorite story was the first one about the girl, Julia, who is moving on from her breakup, working a new restaurant job, and falling in love with her toxic coworker - and I think it would have been completely fine if we, as readers, got only this one novella behind this lovely cover.
It’s a bit weirdly constructed: it’s seemingly a collection of short stories but they are actually about the same group of people and they all revolve around Nick and Julia who broke up a while ago. It’s not a bad concept per se, it’s just that each of these stories is written in a completely different style and vibe and the fact that we meet the same people over and over doesn’t really allow us to get to know them more. We just see excerpts of their life, still pictures, and the stories (and the story as a whole) seem to have no direction. They also have very unsatisfying endings, and I’m saying this as a person who enjoys open endings usually. It might be a metaphor for contemporary life and the overall feeling of pointlessness within young people.
There is one story that particularly frustrated me, in which two dating app users meet and date. It’s written in a very detached style, aiming for some sort of objectivism. It’s supposed to be a commentary on how social media works but I just found it annoying to read meticulous descriptions of how a dating app works, like: I know, dude??? I have to admit that some of the observations were interesting (like the one about swiping pictures of women until they become an extension of one woman), but overall this lacked some sort of narrative artistry.
My favorite story was the first one about the girl, Julia, who is moving on from her breakup, working a new restaurant job, and falling in love with her toxic coworker - and I think it would have been completely fine if we, as readers, got only this one novella behind this lovely cover.
annekrag's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0