Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - No estás en la lista

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

No estás en la lista by Alison Espach

840 reviews

adventurebound7's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

junoorabbit's review against another edition

4.25

funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Almost DNFed but I’m glad I finished. Not a shocking or crazy ending but enjoyable nonetheless. I appreciate the care the author puts into having complex, nuanced characters.

Content Warnings

aislingmfinlon's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

monalyisha's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

“Every wedding, even a successful wedding, is a waste…But…”

I’ve been thinking about weddings a lot, as I write my sister’s wedding ceremony, with my side hustle as an officiant and my husband’s profession as a photographer in the full swing of wedding season. It’s also our 10th wedding anniversary next week! And let me tell you, the above quote is absolutely true. But so is the “but.” At least, that’s what I tell myself to justify the waste. 😅

I read this for my IRL book club and forgot that it was going to be set in Newport. I live in RI, worked (briefly) in a fancy hotel in Newport (worst job of my life), and I recognized, with glee, many of the locations. We even have a gift certificate for a Water Journey (at the unnamed Bodhi Spa), which we’ve inexplicably been sitting on for way too long!

I found this compulsively readable. I appreciate Espach’s voice. She deals with some big topics like, “Who determines what “waste” is — especially when examining the trite phrases we use after a death (self-inflicted or otherwise), like “What a waste”? She also has a talent for writing realistic and quick dialogue, which is rare, and which balances the weightiness of her subject matter. Furthermore, where else was I going to learn that Pawtucket, RI was the last place in America to make socks? Who knew?!

Not a perfect text. It’s very white and very privileged but pretty self-aware. I managed to refrain from judging the characters too harshly, which is a feat for me and I’m sure has something to do with the author’s talent. She makes it clear that everyone is going through something, and oftentimes that “something” is huge (depression, grief). I’ll admit I did judge the MC’s suitability as a pet owner. 🙈 Ultimately, a book I’m very happy to have read.

Content Warnings

courtneyer's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This was a great read to pair with The Road to Tender Hearts. Both have dark, despairing beginnings that set the stage for funny, hopeful, life affirming stories. Phoebe’s pure wonder at being alive—the little joys of it, the reconnection to her body and to other humans—was my favorite part. And of course, a wedding setting always leaves plenty of room for drama, comedy, and space to see characters at their best and worst. I felt tender towards all of them and thought the author did a great job making them all nuanced, flawed but lovable. Really loved this whole thing.

Content Warnings

contextremoved's review against another edition

5.0

dark funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Content Warnings

taylormoore's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

britlave916's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Content Warnings

laurlovescheese's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

Content Warnings

axkerti's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 29%

Honestly, the tonal shift from I'm going to kill myself to I'm happy to be alive I'm going to be a new person in the span of like a paragraph without any sort of therapuetic intervention, just the MC being worried she was going to miss the end of a speech made me give up any sense of realism in the novel.

Content Warnings

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