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kylieqrada's review
reflective
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
3.5
3.5 ⭐️s. Lesbehonest, this was a Goodwill cover buy, because she is STUNNING, HONEY. However, I'd always heard about Zadie Smith being a staple of lit fic, so I thought I'd give her a try. I honestly really liked this. I loved how unlikable and nuanced all of the characters were allowed to be while still being clear that their opinions, such as fatphobia or racism, were not supported by the author. However, it was a little too intellectual for me, and I hate a butthole description
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, and Cancer
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
skbgfd's review
emotional
funny
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
4.0
The characters are so vivid and the writing is beautiful and flows so well. There just isn’t much of a plot and parts of the story that could have been (maybe should have been) more fleshed out, weren’t.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent
aweightytome's review
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
I’ve sat with this book for a week now and I am still in awe with the way Zadie Smith writes people. These characters felt real, their flaws are real and each character has a unique voice. Perhaps it’s my small brain, but parts of the book I was lost. I would recommend if you enjoy a character based plot where people make questionable decisions and make you hurl your book across the room
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I had a few false starts with the print version of this book, so I went ahead an listened to the audiobook. I did enjoy the twisty turns and how drama-ridden this book was. Overall, though, I don’t think it was for me. I am not really into books where characters wreck their own lives unnecessarily (ahem, Howard). I’m also unfamiliar with the source material, so that wasn’t a draw either. Oh well
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Racism, Grief, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Body shaming
Minor: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Homophobia, Islamophobia, War, Xenophobia, and Cancer
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