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kimwritesstuff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was devastating, and I loved it. It brought me right back to being an awkward college student trying to navigate life and feelings, while also learning the hard way that there are people who can sense that vulnerability and take advantage of it.
The heart and soul of this story is Natalie, a freshman at the University of Toronto. She's that nervous and slightly awkward teen who is trying to fit in but doesn't really know what that means or what she even wants. She hasn't even decided her college major. One of the classes she takes is a poetry seminar that focuses on nature poetry. While searching for inspiration in a local park, Natalie meets Nora. At first, they just keep bumping into each other, but soon they find themselves intertwined in each other's lives even though Nora is much older.
This story is so well done, and the prose is beautiful. Even though you know the romance is doomed from the start, you can't help but read how Natalie is discovering herself. Early on, Nora establishes a strong physical connection to Natalie and as a reader, you can see how unhealthy it is, but you can't stop Natalie from getting pulled in. Her whole life revolves around this one person, and she doesn't even tell her friends about the relationship. Ugh, I don't want to spoil anything, but I honestly could talk about this forever.
There were a few reasons this wasn't a 5-star review for me. One was kind of silly, but I wish the names Natalie and Nora were more different. I had a hard time differentiating the characters at times, which could be a me thing because I have ADHD. The other was the classes that Natalie was taking; she was meant to be a freshman, but her classes seemed very obscure to me. She never mentions like an intro class or a class all freshmen have to take. It seemed really odd and arbitrary.
This book was a wonderful and devastating queer coming-of-age. I honestly might add this to my reread list because I liked it so much.
Thanks to Algonquin Books for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
mlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Infidelity
baileyanabella's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Sexual content
sissizc's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
mmefish's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
I felt myself hunch, helplessly. I wanted to show her that I wasn't trying to argue, and that if I was accidentally, then I wanted to lose. I wanted her to win.
This is just the kind of book I love to read and will probably never get tired of.
It's a "sad girl book", and you know the author has a MFA degree. The main heroine is an anxiety-ridden teenager (18) who is equally relatable and frustrating. She falls in love with an older woman she knows nothing about. It's a simple story. You will probably enjoy it if you like this type of fiction; and you won't if you don't.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Stalking
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