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camreading's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoyed the quintessential white-girl-with-mental-health-issues vibe of My Year of Rest and Relaxation but are looking for something that's not quite as god damned depressing, this is your read. I teetered back and forth between rating this a 3 or a 4 (ideally would rate 3.5) but in all honesty, I had a great time reading it. I finished it within three days, felt drawn to it on my breaks at work and was excited to read more when I woke up in the morning. Williams uses the protagonist to address feelings of social anxiety, not having a place in the world, aimlessness, lack of ambition/goals and more in a way that I feel could resonate with many. Roberta's interactions with each character serve to showcase different parts of herself, and I liked that the author didn't always have to say outright what Roberta was feeling after an interaction or dialogue, as it felt like partway through the book we knew the character well enough to infer what she felt. The relationship between Stevie and Roberta as this all-encompassing, larger-than-life, inherently-romantic-but-simply-platonic ordeal is something I think many queer people can understand (i.e. borrowing the trope of that one friend you were really oddly close with in middle/high school or college before realizing you were queer) and I wish it had been explored more, especially at the end.
When reading realistic fiction, I find myself always asking of the characters, "why don't they just communicate with each other!?" which this book is no exception to, but the miscommunications between Roberta and Stevie, Adnan, Arnold, etc. did feel understandable to me. I say that loosely as the entire time Adnan expressed his disapproval for supper club / Stevie as a friend I just thought "did I accidentally skip a page? do I need to go back and reread something?" as I felt there was so little background for WHY he felt that way, WHY it bothered him so damn much. This part of the ending was also unsatisfactory for me, not knowing the result of Adnan and Roberta's falling-out, but I'll allow that it sort of makes sense as a plot device for the ending, allowing the reader to conjure multiple possibilities of what we think may have happened.
At times, this book felt like talking to a friend. I think Williams did well with the time sequencing - switching between Roberta's present life and her college years was easy to follow for me, which not all authors achieve with that type of flip-flop setting. I wasn't as impressed with the food narratives and recipe descriptions that often introduced the chapter, though I understood what the author was trying to do with them. Unfortunately to me they felt a bit on the nose, or unnecessary to just say whatever was trying to be said.
I enjoyed how this book equally saw Roberta's struggles for romance and for friendship/companionship, and how it implied throughout that both are worthy if not equal pursuits. If you've struggled making friends as an adult, it's uplifting to see how Roberta does so too for near a decade of adulthood before finding herself surrounded by several lovely, unique women in a way that she couldn't have expected. I've read other reviews that talk about how it's hard for them to sympathize with Roberta's search for friendship when she frequently turns down offers from her flatmates to socialize and generally refuses to help herself - and while that frustrates me too, I think it's indicative of that feeling where you'd prefer not to try so that you aren't stung by failure rather than seize those opportunities for potential friendship only to still end up alone. Even with Supper Club's issues (as some other reviews have mentioned), I would still venture to read another Lara Williams book in the future.
When reading realistic fiction, I find myself always asking of the characters, "why don't they just communicate with each other!?" which this book is no exception to, but the miscommunications between Roberta and Stevie, Adnan, Arnold, etc. did feel understandable to me. I say that loosely as the entire time Adnan expressed his disapproval for supper club / Stevie as a friend I just thought "did I accidentally skip a page? do I need to go back and reread something?" as I felt there was so little background for WHY he felt that way, WHY it bothered him so damn much. This part of the ending was also unsatisfactory for me, not knowing the result of Adnan and Roberta's falling-out, but I'll allow that it sort of makes sense as a plot device for the ending, allowing the reader to conjure multiple possibilities of what we think may have happened.
At times, this book felt like talking to a friend. I think Williams did well with the time sequencing - switching between Roberta's present life and her college years was easy to follow for me, which not all authors achieve with that type of flip-flop setting. I wasn't as impressed with the food narratives and recipe descriptions that often introduced the chapter, though I understood what the author was trying to do with them. Unfortunately to me they felt a bit on the nose, or unnecessary to just say whatever was trying to be said.
I enjoyed how this book equally saw Roberta's struggles for romance and for friendship/companionship, and how it implied throughout that both are worthy if not equal pursuits. If you've struggled making friends as an adult, it's uplifting to see how Roberta does so too for near a decade of adulthood before finding herself surrounded by several lovely, unique women in a way that she couldn't have expected. I've read other reviews that talk about how it's hard for them to sympathize with Roberta's search for friendship when she frequently turns down offers from her flatmates to socialize and generally refuses to help herself - and while that frustrates me too, I think it's indicative of that feeling where you'd prefer not to try so that you aren't stung by failure rather than seize those opportunities for potential friendship only to still end up alone. Even with Supper Club's issues (as some other reviews have mentioned), I would still venture to read another Lara Williams book in the future.
makenziehyatt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
blossom91's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lydia_woolf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
cowgirlcrybaby's review against another edition
DNFing a little over halfway, TW: ED, SA — was promised a juicy wagyu steak of female hedonism but in turn got a cheap cut of SA recovery and disappointment……. perhaps harsh as i didn’t finish but reviews aren’t super promising, should have known the disordered eating would be a lot but combined with choppy storytelling and an unexpected and very detailed SA and periodic retelling I cannot continue. loved the premise and prose, saddened by the execution
jacyjean's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-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
4.5
testingmywilltolive's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
meghan_plethoraofpages's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up
Supper Club is one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year; I loved parts of it and cringed at others. I feel muddled.
This book is about Roberta, following her through two different times of her life - in her university years and ten-ish years later in her late twenties. She and her first close friend Stevie start a secret society that hosts Supper Club, where women come together to eat with abandon, untethered by societal constructs about politeness; they eat to satisfy cravings both literal and figurative, and to thwart their perceived expectations that men have for them. They eat to grow, to take up space.
There were so many parts of this book I loved. There are profound quotes aplenty. I think messaging about female apologizing, appetite, loneliness, expectations, and female friendships was well done. While some of the millennial issues that Roberta, Stevie and others were experiencing were somewhat cliche, I still felt like the writing was clear and I felt connected to the anxiety and despair they were feeling, for the most part. I loved the descriptions of cooking & food, the art and meaning of it; this author needs a side hustle working for a food magazine or something because she’s absolutely fantastic at it.
I felt like the whole Supper Club evolved into something less positive and more self indulgent. I was frustrated by Roberta’s choices at times. The conclusion was unsatisfactory; yes we are all a work in progress, but I really didn’t see how the other women in the Club faced fears. I didn’t see enough to be attached to their stories or see their growth. They were uninhibited and took drugs and threw food around, but, so what? I appreciate that Roberta was able to begin to heal from the trauma she endured, but everything else felt unresolved.
I would actually recommend this book, but I don’t think everyone would enjoy it.
[Trigger warnings for rape and self harm]
Supper Club is one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year; I loved parts of it and cringed at others. I feel muddled.
This book is about Roberta, following her through two different times of her life - in her university years and ten-ish years later in her late twenties. She and her first close friend Stevie start a secret society that hosts Supper Club, where women come together to eat with abandon, untethered by societal constructs about politeness; they eat to satisfy cravings both literal and figurative, and to thwart their perceived expectations that men have for them. They eat to grow, to take up space.
There were so many parts of this book I loved. There are profound quotes aplenty. I think messaging about female apologizing, appetite, loneliness, expectations, and female friendships was well done. While some of the millennial issues that Roberta, Stevie and others were experiencing were somewhat cliche, I still felt like the writing was clear and I felt connected to the anxiety and despair they were feeling, for the most part. I loved the descriptions of cooking & food, the art and meaning of it; this author needs a side hustle working for a food magazine or something because she’s absolutely fantastic at it.
I felt like the whole Supper Club evolved into something less positive and more self indulgent. I was frustrated by Roberta’s choices at times. The conclusion was unsatisfactory; yes we are all a work in progress, but I really didn’t see how the other women in the Club faced fears. I didn’t see enough to be attached to their stories or see their growth. They were uninhibited and took drugs and threw food around, but, so what? I appreciate that Roberta was able to begin to heal from the trauma she endured, but everything else felt unresolved.
I would actually recommend this book, but I don’t think everyone would enjoy it.
[Trigger warnings for rape and self harm]
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This kept coming up as a recommendation for me, so I tried it. I’m glad I did, although I will say I found it very triggering and definitely thought about not finishing it at times 😳 (Content warnings to explain why will be below.)
An ode to human, messy friendships and relationships, Laura Williams doesn’t shy away from the horrible person that Stevie can be and from Roberta’s hurt that comes out through her actions.
Supper Club sounds kind of fun though 😂 I’d be down to try it 👀
I THOROUGHLY loved Roberta’s reunion with Arnold, where she TALKS OVER HIM and says ‘I’m not interested in talking about that’ whenever he brings up some shitty spiel. THE CONFIDENCE 🔥
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
An ode to human, messy friendships and relationships, Laura Williams doesn’t shy away from the horrible person that Stevie can be and from Roberta’s hurt that comes out through her actions.
Supper Club sounds kind of fun though 😂 I’d be down to try it 👀
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Mental illness, Drug use, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Rape