Scan barcode
squidburger333's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Minor: Rape
jcinf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have a tough time rating this one.
First, I appreciated the portrayal of tokenism and racism in LGBTQ+ spaces.
Two things I had mixed feelings toward (I promise no spoilers):
First, I appreciated the portrayal of tokenism and racism in LGBTQ+ spaces.
Two things I had mixed feelings toward (I promise no spoilers):
- Wallace’s friend group felt “meh” at best. I get that the author probably wanted to portray Wallace as being an outcast in his group. I know that’s the core part of the narrative here. ** BUT, I couldn’t tell… was Wallace having a hard time reconciling his friends’ problematic qualities against their redeemable traits? Or were they just shitty people that he became “friends” with solely out of proximity? It was well written, but I would have appreciated more clarity on this.
- Wallace’s dynamic with another character in the book. I won’t say who so I don’t spoil it. It’s hard for authors to walk the line between glorifying abuse and simply portraying it. I think in large pet he just portrayed in, but in certain parts I felt like it was getting perhaps a little close to romanticizing it. The second to last chapter brought those feelings up for me.
Overall, though, I felt largely positively about this book. A handful of the things I liked:
- The descriptiveness was stunning.
- The dialogue was realistic and appropriately emotional.
- The depiction of nuanced grief and the way some people try to simplify it.
- This one is a loose spoiler as far as character growth, but doesn’t reveal any specific plot points.
The acknowledgment that Wallace can be self-absorbed. Butttt also giving him wiggle room to be that way because of his intersecting struggles due to his sexuality, race, economic class, and generally feeling behind in his academics. .
As a whole, this book was wonderfully written. But it wasn’t really an enjoyable read because it was so damn sad lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Body horror, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Racism
mckinleyj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
“Smells of beer and sweat”, “smells like beer and sweat”, “smelled like sweat and beer”… WE GET IT, everything smells like sweat and beer in this book. I truly wish I liked this book more. I thought I would. It feels like I should in theory. I want to feel bad for Wallace, and I did at least a little throughout the whole book—though my sympathy and empathy slowly ran out as I read—, and feel as though Taylor wants the reader to, but it’s hard to not feel as though many of Wallace’s current problems are almost entirely his fault. Yes, he has experienced horrific trauma and is in a less than hospitable environment, but I don’t know if there is a single instance in the book where he makes a choice that doesn’t cause himself and nearly everyone around him further harm. And again yes, this is likely a result of the things he has been through, but at some point personal responsibility has to come into play. I wish I felt worse for him, but Wallace is self centered, pretentious, rude, self righteous, and thinks of himself as the only person in the world who has ever experienced any kind of negative emotion or event (again despite causing more than his fair share of harm in other people’s lives). The least likable main character I have read in a good while. The writing is a weird mix—great at times; unimaginative, abrasively repetitive, and self appreciating at others. I have no doubt Taylor is an extremely talented writer but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s almost trying too hard here, attempting to write in a style that isn’t exactly his. The novel attempts to discuss the lasting impacts and trauma of a variety of horrible experiences—sometimes successfully and sometimes bordering on trauma porn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexism
xosirenox's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Racial slurs, and Racism
_puberty2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a beautiful piece of prose, especially for a debut novel. I blew through it in 3 days and was genuinely glued to the story. I just want to hug Wallace and be a friend to him that will treat him like an actual person, Brigit was the only real one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Hate crime
Moderate: Eating disorder and Body shaming
jordaneley's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
moonbabe_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
xenamollie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was really not my fav, but i also kind of couldn’t put it down (in a not so enjoyable can’t-look-away way). i can’t decide if the characters felt well developed or not — the absolutely excessive over thinking sort of tricked me into thinking yes, but on reflection i don’t feel like i have a grasp on the characters at all — but even that feels intentional, like the main character expends so so so much energy on overthinking himself and others and yet all he has to show for it in the end is these bits and pieces of understanding.
it was a really tragic story but not without a tinge of optimism (or maybe i just imposed that on it so i could finish the book without feeling like absolute shit?). i wasn’t sure what to make of the interpersonal violence or what the intention was or what i was supposed to think of it. i guess all i can say was it made me wildly uncomfortable, which clearly was part of the point but definitely not the whole point. definitely feel like i was missing something.
biggest pet peeve with this book was it’s very important to me to be able to track where people/things are in space, and it was so difficult for me to do that throughout. i just felt like the descriptions of scene/setting/movement were extremely confusing and i very often could not follow, and it didn’t particularly strike me as intentional, so that really didn’t work for me.
it was a really tragic story but not without a tinge of optimism (or maybe i just imposed that on it so i could finish the book without feeling like absolute shit?). i wasn’t sure what to make of the interpersonal violence or what the intention was or what i was supposed to think of it. i guess all i can say was it made me wildly uncomfortable, which clearly was part of the point but definitely not the whole point. definitely feel like i was missing something.
biggest pet peeve with this book was it’s very important to me to be able to track where people/things are in space, and it was so difficult for me to do that throughout. i just felt like the descriptions of scene/setting/movement were extremely confusing and i very often could not follow, and it didn’t particularly strike me as intentional, so that really didn’t work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Vomit, Racism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm
cadystanton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Outing, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship