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camjam36'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the first novel I ever started and finished in a day. It was hard to read. It was even harder not to read. Eve's own little world enraptured me as swiftly and securely as any fantasy from my childhood if not moreso. Eve's sexual identity was painfully relatable in ways I cannot describe. The choices she made were immoral, yet unavoidable. The book is steamy and intense all the way through—in some ways like sharing a sauna on your honeymoon, in others like humid summer's fish market. That is to say, it was as sweet as it was sickening. My lesbian perspective on such a deeply bisexual story is surely preventing me from engaging with it on a deeper level than I already have, but I've still closed this book feeling touched, maybe even a little gently violated. Fishman's prose is robust and extensive, sometimes to its detriment. Character dialogue sometimes reads a little too closely to the ramblings of Eve's mind. Also there are no quotation marks. I tolerated it, but I definitely didn't like it. At all. I did like the book though. I think. Probably.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
auboobee's review against another edition
characters were too insufferable and pretentious to be invested in.
some of the narrators thoughts on male validation were interesting but ultimately did not feel worth my time.
some of the narrators thoughts on male validation were interesting but ultimately did not feel worth my time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
imrereads's review
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
3.25
I have mixed feelings. I felt the writing was strong, but my perhaps the biggest issuenwas structural– or rather, in regards to time. I didn't feel like the amount of time that passed actually did pass. I was often thrown off, because it says a year has passed and it read to me like a few months.
Another thing that nagged on me, was the question of Nathan's charm. He's constantly described as charming, but I struggle to see it.
In terms of the story at large, it was thoughtful and contradictory, very much an interesting book.
Another thing that nagged on me, was the question of Nathan's charm. He's constantly described as charming, but I struggle to see it.
In terms of the story at large, it was thoughtful and contradictory, very much an interesting book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
ylvyly's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Sexual harassment
dlynn07's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Sexual content
placeholder13's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Biphobia, and Toxic relationship
yasmeenk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was interesting to read about the experiences of a young woman exploring her sexuality and grappling with the impacts that exploration has on her life and existing relationships. She reflects on her own desires and seeks out the opinions of others to assist her. Fairly unlikeable but I appreciate the characters still. I feel like the end could have been a bit less abrupt and tied up more loose ends. Some points could have been a bit less abstract.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
marieantoinette's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Violence, and Mental illness
madelinequinnee's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I can’t really describe how I feel about this book. I understand the message it was trying to portray, that what you once believed your sexuality entailed can change, since sexuality is so fluid, and that love doesn’t necessarily mean you want to have a whole life with a person and involve them in everything, but i don’t know, it just feels like at times it missed the point slightly.
There were some beautiful lines in this novel, so i did appreciate that, but i’m not a fan of books that don’t use speech marks when someone is talking, it always makes it so much harder to follow.
I don’t really understand what Olivia and Eve saw in Nathan, it kind of just felt like a story about two women following a mediocre man just because he could fuck well?
I just found this kind of boring at times, and i’m not a huge fan of lit fic so that probably had something to do with it.
There were some beautiful lines in this novel, so i did appreciate that, but i’m not a fan of books that don’t use speech marks when someone is talking, it always makes it so much harder to follow.
I don’t really understand what Olivia and Eve saw in Nathan, it kind of just felt like a story about two women following a mediocre man just because he could fuck well?
I just found this kind of boring at times, and i’m not a huge fan of lit fic so that probably had something to do with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Homophobia
noshinbean's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity and Gaslighting