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rachaelwho's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Gosh. Parts of this were so, so good. And parts of it were a huge mess-- over-explained, on-the-nose in a way that didn't seem arch or intentional, overwrought. You could see the wires in a bad way, especially with the unrealistic oversharing body/toilet stuff that she clearly REALLY wanted to work in, but I was kinda ready to forgive that bc the overall story was fun and clever. But then the last three or so chapters were a real disappointment. I think this book was maybe doing too much and it got away from her. I hope her next one is tighter, she can write and is really creative! I wanted to like the whole book as much as I liked most of the beginning, even the first 2/3 maybe, and it bummed me out to cool on it in the end.
Also, for all its handholding, I'm not sure the book managed to say "patriarchy" a single time, which beggars belief-- both bc Robin would absoLUTELY say it and bc it's clearly on the author's mind and she is so very not above beating a dead horse.
Also, for all its handholding, I'm not sure the book managed to say "patriarchy" a single time, which beggars belief-- both bc Robin would absoLUTELY say it and bc it's clearly on the author's mind and she is so very not above beating a dead horse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gaslighting, Abortion, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Blood
Minor: Vomit and Abandonment
charlottefaye's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Kidnapping
el_florence's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, and Animal death
timetotalkbeauty's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Violence and Toxic friendship
jkneebone's review
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The premise for this one is pretty straightforward: queer, partnered, and anti-marriage gender studies PhD student Robin agrees to be the maid of honor for her best friend Ellie, despite the fact that they have seriously grown apart from each other at 34. As teens and in their early twenties, the two were completely intertwined, but Ellie is obsessed with climbing “the ladder” - marriage, house, kids - which Robin openly disdains. Still, she agrees to be MOH for old times sake and is quickly freaked by the lengths that Ellie will go to in order to ensure her marriage is a success - specifically the wedding “charms” which have come into popularity that Ellie wants to try.
I think my enjoyment of this book was tempered by the fact that I misunderstood what the premise of the story would be. It is an absurdist novel, which I didn’t know going into it - the world of the story mostly resembles ours, except with a heavier slant towards the traditional marriage and family values set; it is publicly acceptable to count down until women become “rotten” aka too old to marry - and the plot is mainly skewering the wedding industry, not our societal focus on romantic relationships above all else (what I was personally hoping for!). So, take my review with a grain of salt - I imagine that had my expectations been more accurate, I would have liked this better. That being said, I did enjoy the critique of the wedding industry, and I liked that our MC and narrator, Robin, was clearly flawed, and became aware of those flaws throughout the course of the book - her issues were clear to readers earlier on, but it was cool to see her realize some of her pitfalls herself. I also liked the variety of characters that filled out the rest of the bridal party - the politically inconsistent mom of three, the gay man who’s more invested in marriage than the protagonist, and the hippie-dipper but weirdly insightful yoga teacher. Robin and Ellie’s friendship was also interesting to read about, if pushing the bounds of believability for me, but maybe I’ve just not had a friendship like that.
All in all, this is a short and interesting read which will definitely get you thinking - just be aware going into it that it’s absurdist so you aren’t caught off guard like I was!
I think my enjoyment of this book was tempered by the fact that I misunderstood what the premise of the story would be. It is an absurdist novel, which I didn’t know going into it - the world of the story mostly resembles ours, except with a heavier slant towards the traditional marriage and family values set; it is publicly acceptable to count down until women become “rotten” aka too old to marry - and the plot is mainly skewering the wedding industry, not our societal focus on romantic relationships above all else (what I was personally hoping for!). So, take my review with a grain of salt - I imagine that had my expectations been more accurate, I would have liked this better. That being said, I did enjoy the critique of the wedding industry, and I liked that our MC and narrator, Robin, was clearly flawed, and became aware of those flaws throughout the course of the book - her issues were clear to readers earlier on, but it was cool to see her realize some of her pitfalls herself. I also liked the variety of characters that filled out the rest of the bridal party - the politically inconsistent mom of three, the gay man who’s more invested in marriage than the protagonist, and the hippie-dipper but weirdly insightful yoga teacher. Robin and Ellie’s friendship was also interesting to read about, if pushing the bounds of believability for me, but maybe I’ve just not had a friendship like that.
All in all, this is a short and interesting read which will definitely get you thinking - just be aware going into it that it’s absurdist so you aren’t caught off guard like I was!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
leslieklein's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Animal cruelty
Minor: Gun violence
jenmcvay's review
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
jessamichellexo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book honestly makes me want to strangle the author. The one dimensional personalities of Robin & Ellie are so, so infuriating it isn't even funny. The writing is absolutely sloppy & insensitive on so many different levels. Literally the only thing I liked about this book is the cover. 😤
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
bibliophileroxy's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Mass/school shootings