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culown's review against another edition
3.75
Loved the beginning but it git a little slow at the end. ADORED the recipes at the start of the chapters and the structure in general.
Ps. It gets pretty heavy during some passages so check the tws.
Ps. It gets pretty heavy during some passages so check the tws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, and Toxic relationship
keepreadingbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-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
The endorsements on the cover of Supper Club call it joyful, celebratory and funny (besides dark, carnal, feral and indulgent), and I have to say that, to me, that felt slightly misleading. I’ll give it celebratory, but I rarely found it joyful or funny. The main character, Roberta, and her friend Stevie create the Supper Club – a food club for women to eat with abandon and indulge themselves, to take up the space that is denied them in society, both metaphorically and physically. And you would think, “how great that they do this!”, except it never really feels like Roberta actually does celebrate herself or allow herself to take up that space she’s trying to occupy. Her motivation to start the Supper Club stems from a traumatic assault during her university years, and as such, her inability to become the woman she wishes to become is unequivocally linked to her unwillingness to deal with that trauma. She still keeps second-guessing, overthinking, pleasing (particularly men) in every aspect of her life, and it’s often painful to witness. When development finally happens and actual joy finds its way through the cracks, the book is practically over.
Not that any of this made it a bad book, it just made it a different book; a book that I shifted between relating very much to and being rather frustrated by. Sometimes Lara Williams hit the nail right on the head, describing something that I had never thought to describe, and I immediately thought “that’s it! That’s what I feel/experience too!” Other times, I had trouble understanding the character’s choices and motivations. Generally, though, it was a well-written, impactful book that somehow read quickly even when nothing much happened. It might not be joyful or funny, but it’s undeniably a feminist book, a book to make you mad, and to make you want to take up space too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Eating disorder
wild_er_ness's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
parton4proletariat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
From a technical standpoint, I enjoyed this book. So much of the writing was just stunning. I also enjoyed the non-linear structure of this story. However, I have a hard time considering Supper Club to be the feminist story it claims to be. The only trans character in the book, who is only briefly mentioned, is misgendered when referred to before her transition. While I don't think the author intended to be transphobic, it is clear that this was not handled with the sensitivity it should have been. it is dangerous to consider any story that mishandles marginalized people in such a way to be "feminist."
I also found the main character, Roberta, to be too unlikeable. Her relationship with Stevie was difficult to read, and I found myself feeling bad for Roberta's boyfriend, Adnan. Unless I missed something, he seemed to be kind and the most normal character in the book. I found myself siding with him at the end.
I also found the main character, Roberta, to be too unlikeable. Her relationship with Stevie was difficult to read, and I found myself feeling bad for Roberta's boyfriend, Adnan. Unless I missed something, he seemed to be kind and the most normal character in the book. I found myself siding with him at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Vomit
Moderate: Transphobia
rivalmancy's review against another edition
2.0
should've dnf'd
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use and Eating disorder
Minor: Deadnaming
freyanjani's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
This book was… surprising. First of all, I read a lot of reviews about how this book was disappointing and didn’t live up to its main theme and title, but I’d like to differ. I think this book was everything it’s supposed to be, it was reflective and (way too) relatable and it’s a coming of age—both for early twenties and late twenties because the main character time hops a lot to her univerity times and present.
The book is wrapped as this female Fight Club-esque story, about women who made a Supper Club to eat (a lot) and take space. I do agree how the title misled what this book was about because the Supper Club itself only took up like probably 30% of the plot, and the rest focused on Roberta and the back and forth storytelling of her University times and current problems. But I didn’t mind it, to be honest. I think both aspects were perfectly balamced, but I do wish the Supper Club was more incorporated to Roberta’s plot.
My only strong feeling about this book is that it’s too relatable. Everything that Roberta narrates are so eerily… me. At times I keep thinking I hated the way she feels about certain things and I’m like “Wait, is it because I also think that way??”. Roberta’s so self-depricating and sad, and most of all she rarely believes in herself. Some parts of her thoughts are so embarrassing and negative and I keep realizing I’m only apalled because I am exactly the same. If this book makes you question Roberta’s personality and morals I think it might have hit you too close to home, at least it did with me.
Sometimes it’s also romanticizing a lot of harmful things, almost indulgent, like the part about self harm. But then again I think it does Roberta’s narrative some justice, after all the book Is from her pov. I do think if one was suicidal/actively SH, this would’ve been triggering. There was a part where there’s a trans character as well but the author went back to using their old pronouns just to give this dramatic transformational effect that I thought wasn’t necessary but I digress because I don’t have a place to say whether that’s ethical or not as I am a cis woman.
All in all, it was satisfying but there are too much ehhhh moments that didn’t make it spectacularly good. It’s a solid read and I think it gives a unique perspective on late adulthood coming of age, people in their 20s deserves more of these stories. If you liked Normal People, My Year of Rest and Relaxations, or any other book with a passive—almost unlikeable—female narrator and main character that’s deeply sad and more than a little fucked up; this is for you.
The book is wrapped as this female Fight Club-esque story, about women who made a Supper Club to eat (a lot) and take space. I do agree how the title misled what this book was about because the Supper Club itself only took up like probably 30% of the plot, and the rest focused on Roberta and the back and forth storytelling of her University times and current problems. But I didn’t mind it, to be honest. I think both aspects were perfectly balamced, but I do wish the Supper Club was more incorporated to Roberta’s plot.
My only strong feeling about this book is that it’s too relatable. Everything that Roberta narrates are so eerily… me. At times I keep thinking I hated the way she feels about certain things and I’m like “Wait, is it because I also think that way??”. Roberta’s so self-depricating and sad, and most of all she rarely believes in herself. Some parts of her thoughts are so embarrassing and negative and I keep realizing I’m only apalled because I am exactly the same. If this book makes you question Roberta’s personality and morals I think it might have hit you too close to home, at least it did with me.
Sometimes it’s also romanticizing a lot of harmful things, almost indulgent, like the part about self harm. But then again I think it does Roberta’s narrative some justice, after all the book Is from her pov. I do think if one was suicidal/actively SH, this would’ve been triggering.
All in all, it was satisfying but there are too much ehhhh moments that didn’t make it spectacularly good. It’s a solid read and I think it gives a unique perspective on late adulthood coming of age, people in their 20s deserves more of these stories. If you liked Normal People, My Year of Rest and Relaxations, or any other book with a passive—almost unlikeable—female narrator and main character that’s deeply sad and more than a little fucked up; this is for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
smallcasualbooktok's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.0
I *liked* this, i just didn't *love* it, and for a premise essentially made for me, that speaks volumes! I'm bummed, i really thought I'd be obsessed with this one. I love the premise but turns out the actual supper club is a very small part of the book. I felt like the timeline switching took me out of the story and it confused me in some places. Sometimes, I felt like the book meandered and lost it's way. There are definitely lots of quotes I underlined, but I oftentimes felt somewhat removed from the characters. That being said, the writing about food made me so hungry, so obviously, the prose fit the premise and I really liked that! But like I said, it was a good enjoyable read, but i expected so much more, so in that way, I am kind of let down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Self harm
atomiccwitchbooks's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
nzmerchant's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Rape, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Infidelity