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bananas_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-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
4.0
j_ess_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
DAPHNE tries to say a lot, but seems to trip over itself as it shuffles towards its conclusion. Living is hard, and is especially so for anyone who literally "cannot even" with their emotions. (Admittedly a bit tongue-in-cheek here, but Cataplexy is actually pretty scary.)
In a way, nothing really happens. At the same time, it's about the two steps forward, one step back dance we all do to just figure out how to get by in a world that has no time for us to figure our stuff out. This means we either take risks or shut ourselves off from people. (Spoiler: As expected, neither option works out very well for the characters in DAPHNE.)
Boast offers a few moments of clarity and potential in this story, though not enough to make the lackluster journey worth it.
DAPHNE tries to say a lot, but seems to trip over itself as it shuffles towards its conclusion. Living is hard, and is especially so for anyone who literally "cannot even" with their emotions. (Admittedly a bit tongue-in-cheek here, but Cataplexy is actually pretty scary.)
In a way, nothing really happens. At the same time, it's about the two steps forward, one step back dance we all do to just figure out how to get by in a world that has no time for us to figure our stuff out. This means we either take risks or shut ourselves off from people. (Spoiler: As expected, neither option works out very well for the characters in DAPHNE.)
Boast offers a few moments of clarity and potential in this story, though not enough to make the lackluster journey worth it.
endofmytrope's review against another edition
2.0
Would have been more likely to give this a 3 if the ending hadn't dropped off so abruptly. The story needed at least 2 or 3 more chapters to better tie everything together.
Overall, the idea for the plot was interesting enough. The characters and setting had a surface level appeal, but I felt detached from the characters. The dialogue was lacking, making it hard to get fully absorbed in the story.
Overall, the idea for the plot was interesting enough. The characters and setting had a surface level appeal, but I felt detached from the characters. The dialogue was lacking, making it hard to get fully absorbed in the story.
mariakureads's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Daphne took me for some twists and turns and even now, to be honest, not sure what to think about the evolution that the MC went through.
The book went through some twists and turns as Daphne, told in the first perfective of the MC, as we meet her and learn of her rare and sometimes life-threatening condition in which she suffers varying degrees of paralysis when faced with intense emotions, which makes for a small set of people who are aware of it.
Upon a chance with charming Ollie, she takes a chance to let someone new in which seemed like a positive change for her but as the book progressed, Daphne's true colors also started to showcase and she's a lot darker than she first seemed.
As the book is from her perspective, we get a lot of her inner turmoil in which her condition is front and center and she uses it as an excuse for different moments throughout the book the further I listened. I realized her inner turmoil was shaping her decisions and how she saw herself within her friendships and had a lightbulb moment as to how many times people do this similar thing on the daily.
By the halfway mark, as Daphne started to let her darker thoughts get the better of her, it felt like whatever progression for her betterment was for nothing, and she hid back into how she might have been before. Daphne regressed and almost gladly, let go of the pretense of intimacy.
Maybe falling in love isn't for all and Boast explored that in this debut book.
The book went through some twists and turns as Daphne, told in the first perfective of the MC, as we meet her and learn of her rare and sometimes life-threatening condition in which she suffers varying degrees of paralysis when faced with intense emotions, which makes for a small set of people who are aware of it.
Upon a chance with charming Ollie, she takes a chance to let someone new in which seemed like a positive change for her but as the book progressed, Daphne's true colors also started to showcase and she's a lot darker than she first seemed.
As the book is from her perspective, we get a lot of her inner turmoil in which her condition is front and center and she uses it as an excuse for different moments throughout the book the further I listened. I realized her inner turmoil was shaping her decisions and how she saw herself within her friendships and had a lightbulb moment as to how many times people do this similar thing on the daily.
By the halfway mark, as Daphne started to let her darker thoughts get the better of her, it felt like whatever progression for her betterment was for nothing, and she hid back into how she might have been before. Daphne regressed and almost gladly, let go of the pretense of intimacy.
Maybe falling in love isn't for all and Boast explored that in this debut book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Minor: Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Alcoholism
jennyshank's review against another edition
5.0
Daphne, in myth, transforms into a laurel tree when pursued by Apollo, while Daphne in Will Boast's arresting new novel similarly freezes when overcome by emotion. Boast's Daphne suffers from cataplexy, a rare condition that causes strong emotions to paralyze her muscles. She's forged a life in bustling contemporary San Francisco by keeping her days regimented to guard against hits of feeling and surprise, which cause her muscles to give out and land her in a heap on the ground. Boast's crystalline, visceral writing, and Daphne's winning, no-nonsense attitude are transfixing. She's on constant guard against love and other perturbations in a city that relentlessly churns the spirit and presents people who may be worth the trouble of loving them.
_kari_za's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
schoolofholly's review
emotional
informative
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
3.0
I have so many thoughts on this book and I'm going to try being concise in my review:
Good:
- Wonderful to have a protagonist who has a disability and we get to explore their lived experience.
- The writing is beautiful, and with the illness being cataplexy, the descriptions of emotions and experiences is glorious.
- It broaches a whole host of topics from disability to suicide to drug use to animal testing, there is a lot to unpack and think about.
Bad:
- Too short! There were so many interesting side characters that I really wanted to be explored. In particular the members of the support group she attends have such interesting lives and lived experiences but they are moved past so quickly.
- The themes I mention in the good section aren't explored enough. I don't think that a reader needs to be spoon fed but in this case I was left wanting more - particularly around the lab which Daphne works in.
So yeah, it was a story that I got through quite quickly, it is a compelling read but I just felt like a wanted more.
Good:
- Wonderful to have a protagonist who has a disability and we get to explore their lived experience.
- The writing is beautiful, and with the illness being cataplexy, the descriptions of emotions and experiences is glorious.
- It broaches a whole host of topics from disability to suicide to drug use to animal testing, there is a lot to unpack and think about.
Bad:
- Too short! There were so many interesting side characters that I really wanted to be explored. In particular the members of the support group she attends have such interesting lives and lived experiences but they are moved past so quickly.
- The themes I mention in the good section aren't explored enough. I don't think that a reader needs to be spoon fed but in this case I was left wanting more - particularly around the lab which Daphne works in.
So yeah, it was a story that I got through quite quickly, it is a compelling read but I just felt like a wanted more.
auntsphinxy's review against another edition
4.0
Don't tell me this book isn't called Daphne Will Boast.
Anyway, I read it mostly because my name is Daphne and I'm obnoxious. But it's an interesting concept and spin on the Daphne mythos. Though the plot is a little weak (was there one?) it was engaging enough to keep me reading.
Anyway, I read it mostly because my name is Daphne and I'm obnoxious. But it's an interesting concept and spin on the Daphne mythos. Though the plot is a little weak (was there one?) it was engaging enough to keep me reading.
vsobaka05's review against another edition
1.0
My first complaint with this book is that I thought the title was "Daphne Will Boast," which would have been a very cool name. I was severely disappointed to realize that "Will Boast" was actually the author's name.
My second (and more serious) complaint is that this book is incredibly boring. The same thing happens over and over again, the characters are flat, and the prose is very dry. The premise had the potential to be extremely interesting and unique, but ended up just making the book rely on that hope, which, in turn, made the whole book just plain bad.
I don't think I'll be reading another Will Boast book anytime soon... unless the title is as cool as "Daphne Will Boast" could have been.
My second (and more serious) complaint is that this book is incredibly boring. The same thing happens over and over again, the characters are flat, and the prose is very dry. The premise had the potential to be extremely interesting and unique, but ended up just making the book rely on that hope, which, in turn, made the whole book just plain bad.
I don't think I'll be reading another Will Boast book anytime soon... unless the title is as cool as "Daphne Will Boast" could have been.