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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
What a weird, sad, strange little book. Our main character is suffering from an unknown illness that may be long Covid, may be depression, may be something completely medically different, may be an unexplored heartbreak. At first, it's slow going - in part because it's so in her head (though she begins hallucinating a long-dead playwright who might have been the original writer of Romeo & Juliet, so at least she has someone to talk to).
Eventually she begins to venture upstairs and we have actual human contact with her neighbors, and the story gets more interesting, but it's still a weird, sad, strange little book.
Eventually she begins to venture upstairs and we have actual human contact with her neighbors, and the story gets more interesting, but it's still a weird, sad, strange little book.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
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
I wanted to love this so much, as someone who struggles with both mental and physical chronic illnesses and often plays the “illness blame game” (is this symptom from x or y condition?).
This is full of ambiguity and maybe that’s the point. But unfortunately (for me) I wanted more from this? The ambiguity wasn’t necessarily the issue — I don’t *need* to know what illness Vita has — but it got in the way of understanding the story. I think maybe there was just too much going on (with Luigi there(?), too).
This is full of ambiguity and maybe that’s the point. But unfortunately (for me) I wanted more from this? The ambiguity wasn’t necessarily the issue — I don’t *need* to know what illness Vita has — but it got in the way of understanding the story. I think maybe there was just too much going on (with Luigi there(?), too).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Sexual assault