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goinghost's review
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
I bought this book on a whim when it was released and it blew me away with how much I loved it! Novikov plays with form so well; the juxtaposition of what stayed the same between letters vs. what changed and the way we see such clear thread of the main character's life bleed into her art in such a real way i thought was so cool! This book is about someone trying to rid herself of doomerism by becoming an active part of change in the world and told through that same person not accepting the passive niceties of the publishing community and stripping them of their use. It rules!
clacksee's review
5.0
I mean this with the utmost respect: WTF did I just read? This book is completely unclassifiable. Sublime and ridiculous doesn't even begin to cover it. Any author who's ever offered their work up for others to read (agents or otherwise) will connect with this one, as will anyone who'd ever felt helpless in the face of climate change.
greeniezona's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
voxvenati's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was such a delightful read. I laughed. I surprised myself by crying. I had a fantastic time.
I almost don’t want to discuss specifics, because I went in knowing very little and was pleasantly surprised at every turn. What I will say is that the structure/formatting made this so much fun. Like a game. And the narrator was a treat.
I could have read another dozen letters.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to Zilla and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
I almost don’t want to discuss specifics, because I went in knowing very little and was pleasantly surprised at every turn. What I will say is that the structure/formatting made this so much fun. Like a game. And the narrator was a treat.
I could have read another dozen letters.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to Zilla and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
mslanna's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
The story seeps slowly into the deteriorating query letters. At first I was unwilling to follow, more interested in seeing many things we never dare put into those letters on the page. As the two threads unfold they take turns at being the framework.
Clever crafting and impactful prose bring the pieces together into an excellent whole that I read in one go.
Clever crafting and impactful prose bring the pieces together into an excellent whole that I read in one go.
clari's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
An incredible piece of work that needs to be read by anyone who loves books.
It explores the submission process in a witty succession of query letters that slowly begin to reveal more about the protagonist than the novel she's written.
This novella inhabits that place where only the best pieces of art hang out: that misty place where humour and despair combine to say something deeply meaningful about the human experience.
It explores the submission process in a witty succession of query letters that slowly begin to reveal more about the protagonist than the novel she's written.
This novella inhabits that place where only the best pieces of art hang out: that misty place where humour and despair combine to say something deeply meaningful about the human experience.
bzedan's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
I am a sucker for a book that relies on novel form and oh boy did this deliver. It’s funny and fast and the slow seep of weird ramps up in delightful way before turning to something soft and genuine and hopeful.
I’m grateful I preordered and got a physical copy, the A6 format is a delight as an object to interact with and makes the process of reading it feel like reading a diary.
(Reading an epistolatory book made of query letters has a little extra sting when you e been hung on actually writing one for a while, I’ll note.)
I’m grateful I preordered and got a physical copy, the A6 format is a delight as an object to interact with and makes the process of reading it feel like reading a diary.
(Reading an epistolatory book made of query letters has a little extra sting when you e been hung on actually writing one for a while, I’ll note.)
sharknerd's review
funny
reflective
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? No
4.5
This book tells its story in a unique way, through an author's query letters to a large variety of publishers. While I cannot, personally, relate to that experience, as I am not an author, I found the novella to be funny and compelling.
The main character grows a lot throughout the story as she starts meeting up with an activist group after work, and we clearly see her changing moods in each of her letters. It's funny to see how even things included in every letter start to change as the author gets more and more annoyed with writing them, such as her address and the title of her novel. It does get a bit repetitive at times but this is also part of the intention, showing how tiring it is to have to write and send all of these letters.
The novella also contains references to Canadian life, mentioning McGill in passing and the Greenbelt a lot, for example, which is also nice to see in a time when media is saturated with US references. I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of who's who, but this is not very important in the novella.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for something fairly quick and different to read.
The main character grows a lot throughout the story as she starts meeting up with an activist group after work, and we clearly see her changing moods in each of her letters. It's funny to see how even things included in every letter start to change as the author gets more and more annoyed with writing them, such as her address and the title of her novel. It does get a bit repetitive at times but this is also part of the intention, showing how tiring it is to have to write and send all of these letters.
The novella also contains references to Canadian life, mentioning McGill in passing and the Greenbelt a lot, for example, which is also nice to see in a time when media is saturated with US references. I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of who's who, but this is not very important in the novella.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for something fairly quick and different to read.