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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
Most Wonderful is a multiple POV that follows siblings; Liz, Birdie and Rafi as they navigate their love life, trauma and the holidays while visiting their eclectic mother who is a famous actor and singer.
Most Wonderful is full of queer joy and it is executed so well. We get to follow each sibling equally with their own unique love story. You get a little bit of everything; friends to lovers, a meet cute, and workplace romance. I loved that each sibling has their own trauma that they need to sort through when dealing with their prospective partners and the conversation of depression was dealt with in such a caring way. There is a lot going on these stories but it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel chaotic or hard to follow.
Overall this is such a fun wonderful queer story. It’s not overly Christmas heavy but certainly a perfect read to put you in a bit of the holiday spirit. This does deal with some deeper issues like chronic illness, depression, and alcoholism but it’s done in a very respectful caring way. The cast of characters are memorable and fun. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for this review.
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet and chaotic. Most Wonderful follows three siblings—Liz, Birdie, and Rafi—leading up to Christmas. The novel spends equal time with all three siblings and all of them have their own rom-com storylines. There was constantly a lot going on, but I thought Clark did well to go through everyone’s stories through their own eyes and their families. I struggled with the narrative voices at times—Birdie’s sections were a lot to get through and a lot of the dialogue felt too corny and extra (“Lady of the labia”, “Sexy Head”, “You haven’t taken V.G. to pound town? Thrown your hot dog down her hallway?”, etc)—and Rafi’s complete inability to read romantic situations properly gave me incredible amounts of secondhand embarrassment. I enjoyed Liz’s parts the most, but felt like her happy ending was the least satisfying. Since there were so many characters and plot lines to juggle, it felt like the resolutions were rushed and stressed. Clark works through many issues at once—racism, homophobia, self-identity, chronic illness, familial pressure, and so on—that a lot of the discussions felt simplified and reduced to therapy speak. The solutions weren’t easy, but the progress didn’t necessarily feel earned. I don’t mind leaning into the fantasy of romance and I enjoy the inclusion of “heavier” topics, but it falls flat when the dialogue sounds like someone reading from a textbook definition instead of speaking like a human. Overall, Most Wonderful is a very queer and fun Christmas-themed romance book, and I think lots of people will enjoy reading it.