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mpeach's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Body shaming
mbgates's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
oh my god, so good. hot girl booktok is going to DEVOUR this one. if you like sally rooney, you'll love A Very Nice Girl!! A Very Nice Girl examines the power dynamics in relationships, a theme that is almost constant in rooney's work. and like rooney, this novel and the dialogue in it felt incredibly realistic. however, i want to impress that these are just comparisons, and actually, i found A Very Nice Girl unique in it's own right. I think it succeeds where rooney fails sometimes - in many rooney novels, the female characters are primarily defined by their relationship to the male characters. I felt A Very Nice Girl really analyzes this issue delicately, as it's not just a literary problem, many women in our own lives are seemingly defined by their relationships to men as well, or at least present as such. it was so interesting to watch anna start to define herself and her life by max. it was so frustrating to see the progression of anna's decisions and mistakes, but i could not stop reading towards the end!!! the opera aspect of the story was fascinating and really added so much to the story. The writing was rich and descriptive, but not overbearingly so, and I could see the exact picture the author was describing. and god, i just LOVE a female main character in her 20's figuring it all out, i am a sucker for it every time. I will say, however, that at times, the dialogue needed re-reading, a way i haven't felt about books lacking dialogue marks before. i also felt like booktok will love this one, and can see the really interesting discussions stemming from it. I cant wait to talk about the feminist implications of Mil, and the morality of Max, and what actually was reliable from Anna's narration regarding the other characters in the book. i really loved this one, thank you so much netgalley and Henry Holt books for giving me access to the arc! tdlr; 4/5 stars, incredible debut novel, WILL become a gen-z hot girl literary booktok staple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol
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