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poenaestante's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very brainless beach read-type book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment
esquires1214's review against another edition
3.0
This isn't my usual fantasy but it's definitely a world/career that's unfamiliar to me (which is anything not education). It's a good story about the intricacies of social media and relationships.
taradyula's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
2.75
smoothunicorn's review against another edition
4.0
Started kinda slow, definitely had a case of "first novel syndrome". There is a lot - a LOT - of internal dialogue that goes on. One character would say something, and the other would spend a full page thinking about it, meandering through memories, going off on tangents, then would respond and by that point I'd forgotten what had just been said.
However, I began to love that about it as I read on. This introspection, while it could have been handled more discreetly (there was a lot of oversharing whereas some of it could have been left to the imagination or for readers to discern for ourselves), ultimately led to extremely well-thought-out characters. There are three primary points of view, and I found myself identifying with each of them for different reasons.
The book never explicitly addresses issues of emotional intelligence, but it certainly demonstrates them in spades. Each character has fundamental flaws - and not just one or two that define that character as a trope, but often several that make sense for the character and add to the complexity of the story. Will the journalist write an article even if it means possibly ruining her relationship? Will a woman who has been sexually harassed at work say something about it publicly, and if so, will she do it because it's the right thing to do or out of spite? What do you actually do when you're unhappy in your marriage but divorce is clearly not on the table?
There's no obvious bad guy or good guy. No protagonists or antagonists. It's just people, and to me it felt almost voyeuristic to read about them.
I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for Shafrir's future works, as she can only go up from here.
However, I began to love that about it as I read on. This introspection, while it could have been handled more discreetly (there was a lot of oversharing whereas some of it could have been left to the imagination or for readers to discern for ourselves), ultimately led to extremely well-thought-out characters. There are three primary points of view, and I found myself identifying with each of them for different reasons.
The book never explicitly addresses issues of emotional intelligence, but it certainly demonstrates them in spades. Each character has fundamental flaws - and not just one or two that define that character as a trope, but often several that make sense for the character and add to the complexity of the story. Will the journalist write an article even if it means possibly ruining her relationship? Will a woman who has been sexually harassed at work say something about it publicly, and if so, will she do it because it's the right thing to do or out of spite? What do you actually do when you're unhappy in your marriage but divorce is clearly not on the table?
There's no obvious bad guy or good guy. No protagonists or antagonists. It's just people, and to me it felt almost voyeuristic to read about them.
I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for Shafrir's future works, as she can only go up from here.
issjass's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I really didn't enjoy it all that much. It was okay overall. It's very much about office drama and such. The story felt a bit weak and the characters weren't compelling. Considering the author used to work at Buzzfeed, I'm not all surprised.
brittradomski's review against another edition
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
c0urtn3yy's review against another edition
1.0
yikes; I guess I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum on this one... I heard this book was funny, especially if you work in an office environment, but I could not relate. I didn't think it was funny at all; in fact I kind of hated all the characters & the obsession over social media. I almost didn't finish it, but I trudged through. not a fan. totes disappointed this was my first BOTM read.
coolleen's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me deeper into the tech world than I had ever been. There were parts that were both so exciting and so fucked up that I couldn't stop turning the pages. One feeling stuck with me throughout: "Women are not to be fucked with." Well done, Doree!