Reviews

My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

mushypeasonearth's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

depressingreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

durun99's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark 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

3.5

Bleak.

bettyjett's review

Go to review page

2.0

2.5 stars

gomizhou's review

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

the combo of starting therapy to process family trauma, and approaching 25 while reading this was supreme

eboweshulman's review

Go to review page

reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Parents will screw you up but maybe you can screw up your parents too?

raegaroo's review

Go to review page

5.0

✔️london
✔️strained mother-daughter relationship
✔️spare prose
✔️quietly vegan narrator
10/10

bluestarfish's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark medium-paced

5.0

This was an unsettling and unflinching observation of Hen and Bridget and their relationship. The phantoms are in some ways Bridget's parents and the toxic environment they have created. Her father someone to be endured, ignored where possible, and escaped as soon as allowed. Her mother is more compelling and still involved in her life in the ways that could be with all the barriers of communication and differing expectations and realities. The repetitions and cycles of their relationship seem to never go anywhere new. The dialogue and the details make for a rich experience considering how short it is - so much conveyed in such short a time. Hen remains unscrutable to Bridget and the ending is haunting. This was such a rich book. 

mairi_curly's review

Go to review page

4.0

A haunting and beautiful story, so glad I've read this!

issywelsby's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

Not sure if I’ll pick anything else up by this author as the writing hasn’t really stuck with me but I thought this was a solid character study and a really affecting read