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rowan92579's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Outing and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse and Death of parent
b3c's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual harassment
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
dannothedino's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Outing, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
tweesee_93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Outing
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
rnewk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Outing
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Racism, and Death of parent
sirenricobooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Outing
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Incest, Grief, and Colonisation
aaannika's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Moderate: Drug use and Homophobia
Minor: Drug abuse
rosesandproses's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Alex is the POV I kind of love to hate because he is a little shithead, although I imagine if this were told from Henry's POV or switched between them, the pacing would be much slower. I love the pace of this book, and it makes me more confident in my own preferred writing style that leans on vinettes and not always a perfect flow from event to event.
I mean, I saw the movie first, so I knew generally how the story would go and end, but I enjoyed watching the events unfold with the nuance and extra detail of the book that just doesn't fit so well in a two hour movie.
And yeah this is largely a romance novel, and a damn fine one at that, but as someone who was closer to the characters' ages at the time of the 2016 and 2020 elections when the novel takes place, I really appreciated the role of politics in the book. I laughed at the jokes, screaming "too soon!" to myself sometimes remembering how the reality of those situations went down.
The use of articles in this book is also excellent. The role of the media, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, social media, etc is so central to the story and McQuiston uses them brilliantly. None of these pieces felt out of place. Even the format of including text and email conversations is just *chef's kiss* and blends well into the storytelling.
Love the representation in this book as well. It's just sort of there. There's callouts to different aspects of characters where it's important (especially because politics), but characters exist as whole people and not token minorities.
Love this book. Borrowed a copy from a friend but will probably be buying my own to reread. I feel like this really changed how I look back on those particular elections in the real world and gives them a bit of a silver lining instead of the dread I usually saw them in, which is definitely not what I was expecting from a romance novel.
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
Mention of sexual assault but no explicit description,beanith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I think this is a really nice sentiment, and a really human instinct. McQuiston is trying to make an escape for the reader during a very tumultuous time. However, there’s something about it that is broken for me. I can’t seem to nail it down in words. Politics isn’t escape, I guess.
This is a difficult book to rate. It’s fun, often hilarious, the characters are loveable even when they’re too much. But it felt like every page held something that made me think 1) this is completely implausible 2) I would be so stressed out living in this universe 3) how is this going to age?
Political implications abound. FSOTUS dating a prince is a bipartisan issue, to say the least. Meanwhile, there’s no world where the queen gets gently bullied into accepting a gay royal if it’s not fit for the crown. They’d send him away. They’d have him gagged and married. And if he abdicated, they’d do to him what they do to Harry and Meagan.
I don’t know. I don’t want to be mean. I’m sure this book helped a lot of people through dark times. But I can’t turn off the part of my brain that questions the people and the system.
Moderate: Homophobia and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug abuse