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laerkelikesreading's review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
aileensbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Body shaming, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
__lucebrennan's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I became absolutely obsessed with this book. It reminds me of One Day with the inevitability of a couple needing to be together but the complexities of life affecting it. I love Will and Rosie so much, and will be thinking about this book for a while!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Cancer
booksandlattesaddict's review
emotional
sad
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Alcoholism
nineinchnails's review
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
i genuinely wanted to like this so badly but it just falls flat. i think reading this with the normal people comparisons in mind ruined this for me because i love normal people and, aside from the lack of speech marks, they had very little in common. the writing felt stilted and shallow so i struggled feeling connected to our main characters (i found the other characters a lot more intriguing though) and it doesn't help that i found them very annoying. i tend to like "unlikeable" characters but will and rosie were boring above all else. the prose comes off quite tryhard tumblrina to me but i can see why some people might enjoy it this book just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Addiction
murderousscottishgremlin's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A poignant narrative and some beautiful prose. However, the Rooney-esque lack of speech marks did annoy me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide, Cancer, and Infidelity
yajairat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall a good read! I liked that this romance was healing for them. I love books that focus on the transformative power of relationships, especially between two people that are going through hardships.
I was not a big fan of the lack of quotation marks in this case. I’ve read them before and had no issue, but for some reason I found myself having to reread certain parts of the book. I also thought there was not enough focus on some of these topics that were affecting the main characters. The analysis felt a bit half hearted to me.
I was not a big fan of the lack of quotation marks in this case. I’ve read them before and had no issue, but for some reason I found myself having to reread certain parts of the book. I also thought there was not enough focus on some of these topics that were affecting the main characters. The analysis felt a bit half hearted to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicide
textualfantasies's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Eating disorder, and Cancer
iovreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
my god can these people ever catch a break
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Eating disorder
stellahadz's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I can't help but feel a bit conflicted about this book. The story follows basically the same formula as books like Normal People, One Day, and Where Rainbows End -- bad boy meets studious girl, they fall for each other but can't admit it, and they weave in and out of each other's lives through the years. It's a formula that works, but I personally have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, and Talking at Night is no exception. The characters in these stories are almost always traumatized in some way, and the point seems to be that their love for each other "fixes" them, but a lot of the time that love can manifest in toxic ways: poor communication, pain caused to other unsuspecting partners, and unhealthy expectations. Part of the reason I liked the character of Jen in Talking at Night is that she kind of pokes holes in that dynamic - she tells Will that he's not really in love with Rosie, but rather the idea of her that he's built up in his head. Of course, in Will's case, it's not entirely true, but I liked that the "slow burn soulmate"-type trope got called into question.
Overall, the book is a little slow to start, but I was glad I continued reading. The prose was beautiful, the characters were well fleshed-out, and their family dynamics were compelling, especially Will's relationship with his grandmother. The dialogue, as well as the characters' thoughts and emotions, felt realistic. However, some parts of the book verged on a little overdramatic, and it seemed like the author was trying to stuff as much tragedy and drama as possible into the story to advance the plot. For Will's and Rosie's sakes, I wish the book had focused more on how they worked towards healing individually and then grew together, as opposed to relying on their love for each other to magically fix everything, but that probably wouldn't sell as many copies!
Overall, the book is a little slow to start, but I was glad I continued reading. The prose was beautiful, the characters were well fleshed-out, and their family dynamics were compelling, especially Will's relationship with his grandmother. The dialogue, as well as the characters' thoughts and emotions, felt realistic. However, some parts of the book verged on a little overdramatic, and it seemed like the author was trying to stuff as much tragedy and drama as possible into the story to advance the plot. For Will's and Rosie's sakes, I wish the book had focused more on how they worked towards healing individually and then grew together, as opposed to relying on their love for each other to magically fix everything, but that probably wouldn't sell as many copies!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Cancer, and Death
Moderate: Eating disorder, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment