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calamityin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
It's about exhaustion, it's about burnout. Can I ever live up to the life I was supposed to have? Is it even worth trying?
One possible theme is that one cannot stop, but must always keep moving, something Brown directly challenges with her character who questions why the movement is necessary. Much of this questioning rings into suicidal ideation, with detachment, confusion, and resignation all seeping into the words, and the main character's consideration of her cancer diagnosis further bolsters this idea.
As the book came to a close, I was left with the distinct impression that this book was supposed to be a speech more than a novel. It was saying something not about a narrative story but about experience on the whole, which I can understand turns many readers away when they find they cannot connect with the characters. I, however, thought this worked beautifully and could feel myself aligning with an orator who can tell the audience is not getting what they should from the presentation. By the end, I was drawn back to the early image of a talk at a school for young girls, encouraging them to pursue the life of the MC, while the MC herself is questioning if she wants to continue pursuing this life.
Altogether a beautiful book that I will be buying a personal copy of so that I can make my own annotations to the text on my next read.
One possible theme is that one cannot stop, but must always keep moving, something Brown directly challenges with her character who questions why the movement is necessary. Much of this questioning rings into suicidal ideation, with detachment, confusion, and resignation all seeping into the words, and the main character's consideration of her cancer diagnosis further bolsters this idea.
As the book came to a close, I was left with the distinct impression that this book was supposed to be a speech more than a novel. It was saying something not about a narrative story but about experience on the whole, which I can understand turns many readers away when they find they cannot connect with the characters. I, however, thought this worked beautifully and could feel myself aligning with an orator who can tell the audience is not getting what they should from the presentation. By the end, I was drawn back to the early image of a talk at a school for young girls, encouraging them to pursue the life of the MC, while the MC herself is questioning if she wants to continue pursuing this life.
Altogether a beautiful book that I will be buying a personal copy of so that I can make my own annotations to the text on my next read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Hate crime, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Deportation
Minor: Body shaming, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
marissab's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Medical content, Trafficking, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship