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matheo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Drug use, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, and War
jenmcreads's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book. I will say, I am glad I was forewarned that this is not a rom-com. I think it was somewhat marketed that way, and the initial premise of waking up married to a stranger in Vegas sounds like the start of a rom-com. There is romance in this book, but more than anything it is a book about burnout and mental health, barriers in academia (for Black women specifically in the case of the protagonist), and defining your own life goals rather than allowing them to be set by outside pressure and prestige.
Grace is a well-written protagonist, and I found I continued to root for her even at times she was lashing out or allowing herself to implode or making what might be seen as questionable decisions. The tensions she felt within herself were clear throughout - should she placate her overbearing and ambitious father, or should she live a life she can enjoy? Does she want to push for prestige and success in her chosen field, or does she want to prioritize happiness? How much of life should be eaten up by work and achievement? I think these struggles are extremely relatable, particularly as the millennial generation grapples with the economic fallout of the pandemic. Morgan Rogers wrote these struggles with understanding and sensitivity, and did not shy away from the occasional darkness of mental health struggles.
I loved Yuki, Grace's wife as well. In particular, Yuki's presence brought the metaphors around monsters and lonely creatures which I thought were woven in beautifully to the text. The found family in this book, both Yuki's roommates and Grace's friends in Portland were beautifully supportive and flawed humans.
This book is sticking with me, having finished it a little while ago. It touched and moved me and I will look forward to reading more by Morgan Rogers.
Grace is a well-written protagonist, and I found I continued to root for her even at times she was lashing out or allowing herself to implode or making what might be seen as questionable decisions. The tensions she felt within herself were clear throughout - should she placate her overbearing and ambitious father, or should she live a life she can enjoy? Does she want to push for prestige and success in her chosen field, or does she want to prioritize happiness? How much of life should be eaten up by work and achievement? I think these struggles are extremely relatable, particularly as the millennial generation grapples with the economic fallout of the pandemic. Morgan Rogers wrote these struggles with understanding and sensitivity, and did not shy away from the occasional darkness of mental health struggles.
I loved Yuki, Grace's wife as well. In particular, Yuki's presence brought the metaphors around monsters and lonely creatures which I thought were woven in beautifully to the text. The found family in this book, both Yuki's roommates and Grace's friends in Portland were beautifully supportive and flawed humans.
This book is sticking with me, having finished it a little while ago. It touched and moved me and I will look forward to reading more by Morgan Rogers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
ellav18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Racism, Sexual content, and Mental illness
anniereads221's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, and Racism
cemeterygay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For college students of color struggling with racism and college burnout, this is the book for you or maybe not depending on how close you are to dropping out. I need to emphasize that if you are looking for a romance, this not the book for you because while the romance does take up a lot of the book, the book is definitely way more focused on Morgan's struggle with burnout and systemic racism in academia.
I adored Morgan so much as a primary protagonist and I wanted to watch her get the help she needed so desperately. While I didn't always like her choices, I always understood why she made those decisions. I loved her interactions with her friends and family and loved the way the book discussed how those relationships can be both provide support and pressure when moving through academia.
The emotional journey of this book is just phenomenal, I love how the romance supports it, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
I adored Morgan so much as a primary protagonist and I wanted to watch her get the help she needed so desperately. While I didn't always like her choices, I always understood why she made those decisions. I loved her interactions with her friends and family and loved the way the book discussed how those relationships can be both provide support and pressure when moving through academia.
The emotional journey of this book is just phenomenal, I love how the romance supports it, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Racism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Additional cw: Marijuana use, past parent death (not main character), suicide attempt past by side character, past limb amputation due to war injury (side character)tiastravels's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual content
reeno's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm
Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia
dakarif's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really liked this book. There was one moment that was cringey, but overall I could relate to the themes of loneliness and lostness. I do not think I would have rated it so high if I were at a different point in life. But as a Black grad student who is leaving her PhD program, it was kind of reassuring that the academy is trash. Also I love a sapphic romance with a Black lead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Sexual content
caitlincrtr's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Self harm and Sexual content
sarah984's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I can see why other people like this book and I do think some of the commentary on race and perfectionism is worthwhile, but I just did not like this book at all.
The writing style is very florid and full of repetition (yes she smells like sea salt I KNOW) and annoying fanfic tropes (they keep calling each other by their full names??). The main character is an astronomer but does no astronomy in the book, barely thinks about it despite apparently loving it, and doesn't seem to know why she liked it in the first place. The one piece of "astronomy" in the book (aside from some poetic "you are made of star stuff" nonsense) is a paraphrase of an annoying Tumblr post about a mars rover. I think this felt so glaring to me because I read "The Disordered Cosmos" so recently and it's by an author who is theoretically so similar to this character - a Black lgbtq+ astrophysicist - but had such a strong enthusiasm for the subject matter.
The characters are mostly meant to be pushing thirty but all read very young and immature. There's a character who is a candy striper or something who reveals someone’s private medical details without their consent and no one cares. The love interest is essentially a manic pixie dream girl (also she's Japanese and this is handled very weirdly) and loves the main character even though she treats her badly. The whole thing kind of feels like a fantasy where everyone else puts aside their problems to hold your hand - no other characters’ issues that are brought up are resolved. It also feels like every character just sort of parrots the author’s political opinions despite their actual situation - the main character living off her parents’ money (she's 29 and her dad is paying her rent!) is required to make the plot work but she's joking around about how she's a broke millennial who will never be able to retire and ragging on people with "generational wealth".
The writing style is very florid and full of repetition (yes she smells like sea salt I KNOW) and annoying fanfic tropes (they keep calling each other by their full names??). The main character is an astronomer but does no astronomy in the book, barely thinks about it despite apparently loving it, and doesn't seem to know why she liked it in the first place. The one piece of "astronomy" in the book (aside from some poetic "you are made of star stuff" nonsense) is a paraphrase of an annoying Tumblr post about a mars rover. I think this felt so glaring to me because I read "The Disordered Cosmos" so recently and it's by an author who is theoretically so similar to this character - a Black lgbtq+ astrophysicist - but had such a strong enthusiasm for the subject matter.
The characters are mostly meant to be pushing thirty but all read very young and immature. There's a character who is a candy striper or something who reveals someone’s private medical details without their consent and no one cares. The love interest is essentially a manic pixie dream girl (also she's Japanese and this is handled very weirdly) and loves the main character even though she treats her badly. The whole thing kind of feels like a fantasy where everyone else puts aside their problems to hold your hand - no other characters’ issues that are brought up are resolved. It also feels like every character just sort of parrots the author’s political opinions despite their actual situation - the main character living off her parents’ money (she's 29 and her dad is paying her rent!) is required to make the plot work but she's joking around about how she's a broke millennial who will never be able to retire and ragging on people with "generational wealth".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism