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happylilkt's review against another edition
4.0
I am still deciding what I think of this one, but I am giving it 4 stars because it is highly original. It is a very experimental piece of writing, which I think is good to know going in, but I actually would recommend not knowing much more than that? I purposely avoided reading the blurb of this book and had no awareness of Patricia Lockwood previously, so it was a bit of a surprise jumping right into this short (perhaps slightly autobiographical?) novel. Especially because the first half doesn't read like a novel, but just satirical social commentary.
I can't really recommend this to anyone who is sensitive to profanity and sexual content. There aren't really any sex scenes, but the humor relies on a lot of the profane topics of the internet, so ...
I will say that the first half often made me think of the wife in Fahrenheit 451... if she were living in the here and now, would this be her story? The second half ... there is definitely a shift and the book is less satire and more novel.
I can't really recommend this to anyone who is sensitive to profanity and sexual content. There aren't really any sex scenes, but the humor relies on a lot of the profane topics of the internet, so ...
I will say that the first half often made me think of the wife in Fahrenheit 451... if she were living in the here and now, would this be her story? The second half ... there is definitely a shift and the book is less satire and more novel.
mateaaah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
jayseewhy's review against another edition
4.0
The first part of this book tells the story of someone who is always online, through fast paced, disjointed snippets that are absurd, funny, and at times poetic. A good chunk of the referenced memes went over my head — maybe that was the point.
The second part told an authentic story of life and grief in sharp contrast to the chaos of the online world. Maybe this was influenced by recent experiences I’ve had, but many of the scenes towards the end of the book resonated with me quite strongly. I felt like I was in the sadness.
I skimmed the acknowledgments and it was only then (when I realised there was more truth to the story than I’d thought) that I had a little cry.
The second part told an authentic story of life and grief in sharp contrast to the chaos of the online world. Maybe this was influenced by recent experiences I’ve had, but many of the scenes towards the end of the book resonated with me quite strongly. I felt like I was in the sadness.
I skimmed the acknowledgments and it was only then (when I realised there was more truth to the story than I’d thought) that I had a little cry.
scohen_'s review against another edition
5.0
Devoured in a sitting to start off 2022 right. Despite the controversial thoughts twitter had i loved it. Laughed out loud and also cried. Biiiig recommend
karenaerts's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annanaz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
willowbiblio's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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? No
5.0
“What do you mean you’ve been spying on me, with this thing in my hand that is an eye?”
——————-
This book was so unique and its style. I felt like Lockwood saw right through to the essence of what life is like today, especially the essence of being so online that your references and reality become a segment all their own.
The prose captures the absurdity of life and society, but also the earnestness – how can you not be moved by stories of loss of complete strangers, delivered in under two minutes?
The tone of this book and the narrator shifts to something devastatingly serious. Lockwood addresses the legislation around pregnancies and women’s bodies through what appears to be a deeply personal lens. The main character’s father represents many men who believe they *must* know better and more than women and then are confronted with the consequences of their beliefs and no longer want to stand behind them when it is too late.
The way Lockwood wrote about loving and grieving a child who was wanted, but brought into the world to live only assisted and in struggle felt like such an immense emotional experience to witness. This pivotal experience, this re-ordering of priorities and perspective, left her disconnected from the Portal and her previous self.
What does any of it matter when you experience something so profoundly altering? Hilarious, zany, sad and thought-provoking. An excellent book.
——————-
This book was so unique and its style. I felt like Lockwood saw right through to the essence of what life is like today, especially the essence of being so online that your references and reality become a segment all their own.
The prose captures the absurdity of life and society, but also the earnestness – how can you not be moved by stories of loss of complete strangers, delivered in under two minutes?
The tone of this book and the narrator shifts to something devastatingly serious. Lockwood addresses the legislation around pregnancies and women’s bodies through what appears to be a deeply personal lens. The main character’s father represents many men who believe they *must* know better and more than women and then are confronted with the consequences of their beliefs and no longer want to stand behind them when it is too late.
The way Lockwood wrote about loving and grieving a child who was wanted, but brought into the world to live only assisted and in struggle felt like such an immense emotional experience to witness. This pivotal experience, this re-ordering of priorities and perspective, left her disconnected from the Portal and her previous self.
What does any of it matter when you experience something so profoundly altering? Hilarious, zany, sad and thought-provoking. An excellent book.
lagaialettrice's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Child death, and Death