Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
fast-paced
i really wanted to like this book but it just felt so unfinished! i have to give austin credit, though — this was a very anxiety-inducing read and she writes the chaos and anxiety of gilda’s life very well
2.5 ⭐️ This book was just okay. It was often a bit frustrating for me and a few times I almost gave up. I admit for the first quarter of the book I perceived the character as deeply unlikeable before I eventually realized she was just mentally ill and so I did my best to view her streams of consciousness with more compassion. Despite that, I would say the structure of the book was not enjoyable and often repetitive. Gilda was a bit too ~quirky~ and self-centered and seemed to think she was the only person who ever thought about death or humanity or the world ending. I wish they would have gone deeper into Eli’s storyline and I would have loved to read more about his life and his character development. Somehow, it was still pretty easy and quick to get through which is why I gave it 2.5 stars.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
dark
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Incredibly dull plot and extremely unlikable main character. I’ve read reviews saying that people loved this novel because they could relate to Gilda so much, but I simply could not. The consistent terrible choices and overthinking triggered my anxiety in an annoyed way, not a relatable one. Parts of it were hard to get through for me not because of the subject matter but just cause I didn’t like the characters.
3/4 of this book is the same drudgery of Gilda’s life: battling her mental health, her lies, and complete inability to communicate like an actual human being. It’s boring, dull and gives nothing.
Then in the last quarter of the book, the plot picks up and we are teased with a potential plot twist, but lol jokes on you, there’s no plot twist, and the reality is a lazy writer’s choice. The ending was abrupt and left so many loose ends and unanswered questions.
I wouldn’t recommend this book but I’m glad Mittens was okay in the end.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
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