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hannahmcd94's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-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? Yes
2.5
I feel like I’m in the minority when I read other reviews on this, even though this was a short read it felt like a slog to get through. I do appreciate that for its time it was probably a hugely important book for the depiction of gay men and how so many of them had to hide and couldn’t lead their true life. But it all just felt a little disjointed, the timeline whilst not chronological, just didn’t work me in building suspense, and whilst we know Giovanni dies the reveal fell rather flat for me. I also didn’t totally buy into the relationship with Giovanni and David, but then again I didn’t buy into David’s relationships with anyone, he was a hard narrator to connect with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
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