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libbyhb's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Okay, so I did really have a good time reading this for some reason. I did not like most of the characters and the themes, but the reading experience itself was fun, if that makes any sense? I loved the writing style, and look forward to whatever else Naoise Dolan writes after this. I also enjoyed the tangents Ava's thoughts went on that spoke to Irish language or relationships. Others have made good points here and on Goodreads about the way it's set in Hong Kong but that doesn't seem to have that much of an impact on the story, as well as how few Asian characters are featured and how under-developed they are - definitely check those out. I found those points very compelling and they made me like the book less. Overall, I enjoyed myself during this but it definitely didn't move me or have that much of an impact on me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Racism, and Xenophobia
novi's review against another edition
At first I really like it. It felt fast and I like a lot of the sentences, they are very quotable and I found the main character to be quite relatable. But then I got SO tired of being in her head. She's so whiny and insecure and never did anything. I just wanna scream at her and said "stop looking for validation and take over ur life i don't have time to listen to all of ur shit!". And then I read the reviews for this to see if it's worth continuing and turns out I'm not alone and that this book is actually way more problematic than that. There's even a part about the main character not believing in wearing mask when she's sick and no one thought about editing it out. It's released in the middle of a pandemic!!! oh my god. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with this book anymore. Not an exciting time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
samdolan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first 70 pages were slow but after I got past that I couldn’t put it down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Sexism
sommer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
literaryelephant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An exciting addition to this year's Women's Prize list; Dolan admirably captures the plight of a young bisexual woman who's not sure what she wants from life or how to get there. Our MC's two romantic relationships upon moving to Hong Kong fulfill very different needs for her, pulling our protagonist in conflicting directions and eventually forcing her to choose a single path. Dolan's writing is sharp and intuitive, the MC's longing and malaise shockingly sympathetic. My only complaint is that the first two sections of the book, covering each of Ava's romances individually, ran about twice as long as I needed to understand them and left me somewhat bored, while the final chapter of the three characters juggling each other I found so tense and captivating that I wished this dynamic had taken up the bulk of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
apaperbackgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug abuse and Medical content
anna_j's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Homophobia, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
musewithxara's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Whilst I wouldn’t say I devoured Dolan’s detached prose, I certainly read Exciting Times pretty swiftly and personally enjoyed it more than Sally Rooney’s writing style. Dolan writes about intimate occurrences in such a strangely impersonal way! I will also admit that it’s rather marvelous how she can write the minutiae of the world into such simple sentences. Writing aside, however, the plot left something to be desired. I find this subgenre (flailing twenty-something’s diaristic analysis of their unhealthy relationships) to be a tad underwhelming. I like character-driven narratives, but struggle if those said characters are quite unlikeable.
And yet... Having studied abroad in Hong Kong in 2018, I cherished the setting of Exciting Times. I also really enjoyed the exploration of the class system and wealth in Ireland, England and Hong Kong. The comparisons and connections made between these three places were very insightful. I also appreciated the honest writing surrounding Ava’s burgeoning sexuality. However, whilst the themes of the narrative piqued my interest, the actual story itself did not keep me on my toes and the ending was rather predictable in that it could only really go one of two ways. I’m still ruminating on the conclusion - did Ava grow or regress over the course of the book? I’m going with the former simply because anything she did in the end was going to be better than staying in her stagnant state for any longer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
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