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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A tough one but really beautifully done. Slow start but really stuck the landing.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
This was such a great read. They tackle the greatly under told story of the queer community in the 80's and 90's during the AIDS epidemic. They draw beautiful connections between their massive loss and how it reshaped the whole world and the similarities that past generations felt from the great war. And continue the thread to current day showing how the world has continued to change and the people who were so greatly impacted.
I reeeeeaaaaally loved this book. Sobbed through at least the final 100 pages. So well done.
emotional
sad
fast-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:
Yes
A masterpiece! I rarely cry at books, but this one got me. Incredibly emotional, and probably the best fictional piece of work about the AIDs crisis that I’ve ever read (or watched!) - it’s not often that we are shown the aftermath after the peak of the crisis, and the impact it had on all the people it left behind. We also never hear women’s stories during that period, and this book dealt with that well.
Sometimes I find it hard to follow stories that have lots of different characters, but I felt like I knew them all and there was never any confusion about who’s who. I loved how the book explored time - staring at days on calendars, slowing down time at protests etc. it really emphasised how precious life is.
Loved how the fictional story was woven with real events and protests.
I didn’t care for as deeply about some of the storylines - the art, Claire’s spite for her mother - but the way the author controlled the tension, and beautiful use of language had me completely gripped so I couldn’t mark it down.
Sometimes I find it hard to follow stories that have lots of different characters, but I felt like I knew them all and there was never any confusion about who’s who. I loved how the book explored time - staring at days on calendars, slowing down time at protests etc. it really emphasised how precious life is.
Loved how the fictional story was woven with real events and protests.
I didn’t care for as deeply about some of the storylines - the art, Claire’s spite for her mother - but the way the author controlled the tension, and beautiful use of language had me completely gripped so I couldn’t mark it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Moving and immersive, sad and somehow- impropably- hopeful. I couldn't put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit
This was an epic novel, but a little too meandering at times. Definitely the best fictional work I've read about people with AIDS in the 80s, and that alone makes it worth a read.