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

Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

No estás en la lista by Alison Espach

297 reviews

fedoratheexplora's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

bladedented's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kaylay1216's review against another edition

3.25

emotional hopeful 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

Content Warnings

nstinch54's review against another edition

4.25

emotional 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

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

1.0

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Short review: If this wasn't the book club pick for two of my book clubs in March/April, I would have DNFed this book so fast. I tend to stick with book club books far longer than they deserve, mainly because I want to know anything/everything that could be discussed.

Longer review: I should know by now. If a book is a celebrity book club pick, chances are I'm not going to like it. I don't like these books. They're overrated and the characters are generally garbage. I don't think I've ever hated a celebrity book club pick quite like this one, though. None of the characters are likeable, except maybe the teenager? Let's get into it.

Things I Liked (it's a short list):

Juice. At first I was put off by this sullen teenager who only wants to stare at screens but when her virtual dog dies, that's when Juice really comes to life. I felt for her in a way I didn't feel for any other character. She's going through this hell of a time and the one thing she has that connects her to her mother suddenly dies and she's just supposed to get over it because it's a piece of plastic? Nah, Juice, I'm with you. You have every right to be upset and I love that she's so willing to just feel her feelings even though she probably knows everyone is going to think she's a baby. The more Juice was in the story, the more I wanted a little spinoff that focused solely on her. (This is probably a big reason why I love middle grade and young adult lit. I'm more drawn to the teenager than the adults and I don't want to read about the adults doing stupid shit that I can excuse when it's a teenage protagonist).
I guess the ending is hopeful? For Phoebe, at least. I think.

Told you it's a short list.

Things That Didn't Work for Me:

None of the characters are likable. NONE. OF. THEM. (Juice excluded). I hated Phoebe and Lila, the two main characters. Matt, Phoebe's EX-husband (by god just call him your ex already) was trash on so many levels and then he got worse as the book went on? Marla, Gary's sister, is entirely too.. ew? I don't even know what word to use for her but I also hated her. I mean, maybe Gary is ok? But I didn't love how he connected (or didn't) with Lila and Juice and didn't talk about things with his brother-in-law/good friend, Jim. Lila's mother is a piece of work. I mean, was I supposed to like these characters? Nope, not happening. (I know, I know. People are complex, Danielle. We see some of their backstory and get to learn more about them so we understand why they are the way they are. Yes. Fair. But we really have a whole-ass book with zero likeable characters? Give me someone, besides the dead plastic dog, to root for.)
Lila. Girl. Who are you? What do you stand for? You start all these big, public fights all the time but yet I'm supposed to believe you haven't said a darn word about not liking art or even your fiancé all that much? Nah. Don't buy it. I also don't buy that a girl like Lila really has that superficial of relationships. You know she would have racked up a whole sorority of girlfriends in college and yet the only friends that show up are two girls from high school who clearly haven't been part of the relationship? I just wanted to shake her. WHAT DO YOU WANT? Lila has spent $1 million (get the fuck out) on a wedding sharing exactly what she wants yet she can't be bothered to actually acknowledge her true feelings? EYE ROLL. I know these women exist but come on. Does anyone want to read about them? Especially when they're ✨the bride✨?
Phoebe. I understand as we age we all have this vision of how our lives will look and it can be hard to realize so much time has passed and all these things have happened to us and then all of a sudden you look around and realize how much time has passed. Yes. I can get on board with that. I cannot get onboard with a character living in the past for so long that they no longer recognize themselves or their life. For the love of everything, Phoebe, acknowledge what is happening. Matt is your EX-husband. He left. He is not your husband. He hasn't been your husband for quite some time and whether or not you like it, you can't keep calling him that. He can be your ex or even your Matt but he is not your husband. Also. Phoebe is an adjunct professor and she has money to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe at the drop of a hat (sparkly sweater). No she doesn't. She doesn't have any money.
The way Lila picks up Phoebe to be her maid of honor is just so bizarre. It's not cute or endearing. "Hey, let me make this random stranger my maid of honor and pretend I know everything about her." Like, how unrealistic and fake. Just like Lila, I guess.
This book felt so much like Really Good, Actually, which was one of the worst books I've read in a while. Once I made the connection I couldn't unlink the two in my brain. It just got worse and worse. Except in this book there are two women destroying their lives instead of one?
One of my biggest issues with this book is how suicide is handled. It felt like a joke. Like "oh I might kill myself with all these wedding people around but wait I want to be included with these people I've never met and just like that I'm cured and I get to have a week long vacation paid for by the bride". Suicide is not a joke. Getting through suicidal feelings doesn't happen overnight. And it surely doesn't happen while getting an all expenses paid trip. Yes, Phoebe needed a change and she needed something to shake her out of the monotony of her life. But I'm supposed to believe she was able to get those cat pills out of her system herself, she was completely fine health-wise, and then her mental health magically got better because Lila asked her to be the maid-of-honor? No. That is so unrealistic and, quite frankly, demeaning to everyone who has struggled with their own mental health. It's a journey and one that is full of peaks and valleys but it is not a rocket out of suicidal thoughts/depression. It's 2025. We should be treating mental health far better than this in current writing. (If you or someone you love is struggling, remember the suicide hotline is available at 988).

I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I just can't in good faith recommend this one. There are much better books out there about recovering from depression that don't involve immediate recovery and a million dollar wedding.

Content Warnings

basil25's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-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

Content Warnings

thessamith's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny reflective 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: Complicated

Content Warnings

jonathancliff's review against another edition

2.5

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

kristiamber94's review against another edition

4.0

I was not prepared for the heaviness in which suicide comes up or is joked about.

Content Warnings

sarahemily0425's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I feel like I got tricked into reading a wedding rom com novel! It balanced dark and heavy with comedy and lightness. The author nailed women’s internal monologue. The writing style was like I received a letter from my best friend. Cheesy and simple and good

Content Warnings

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