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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
This is a mesmerizing coming-of-age novel. Tara Isabella Burton writes with directness and delicacy, and with unusual compassion for her troubled boarding-school protagonists, and takes what seems like a predictable narrative into dark and surprising places. This is exactly the book I wanted to read right now, a novel about religious yearning, transcendence, and the difficulty of negotiating the longing for beauty and mystery with the compunction to conform to everyday life, all of it intensified by adolescent sexual desire. I didn't want it to end. I hope for many more excellent novels from Burton.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Antisemitism, Religious bigotry
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury
oh bruv this could’ve been so good… but it just falls short of hitting that perfect sweet spot that i was looking for.
also… i’m so sorry but the writing style took me a solid 30 pages to get used to, and even then, it just didn’t seem to align with what i imagined the the novel to encapsulate ??? it’s a weird mash of 21st-century fandom “cult” mixed with attempts at some donna tartt-like descriptions of academia.
i get that laura’s whole personality is supposed to revolve around virginia, but i started to get annoyed with how one-dimensional she stayed throughout 90% of the book.
the very end is definitely what redeems the novel, but i’ll reiterate that it could’ve been executed in a better way — it was a mid-tier book that got slapped with a would-be insightful ending, which ultimately diminishes the effect of the latter. rip in pieces.
also… i’m so sorry but the writing style took me a solid 30 pages to get used to, and even then, it just didn’t seem to align with what i imagined the the novel to encapsulate ??? it’s a weird mash of 21st-century fandom “cult” mixed with attempts at some donna tartt-like descriptions of academia.
i get that laura’s whole personality is supposed to revolve around virginia, but i started to get annoyed with how one-dimensional she stayed throughout 90% of the book.
the very end is definitely what redeems the novel, but i’ll reiterate that it could’ve been executed in a better way — it was a mid-tier book that got slapped with a would-be insightful ending, which ultimately diminishes the effect of the latter. rip in pieces.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book gave me heathers meets gossips girl.
dark
mysterious
reflective
2.5 stars — although my disclaimer is, I would still recommend this book to friends. I read it in a couple of sittings and had a blast, even though I was disappointed it didn't have the depth it promised.
I'm torn because the book really did have such a fun mix of ideas to explore — the transcendence and devotion angle to the academic novel had moments where it worked. The problem with it is that it reads like a first or second draft — so much promise, but rough execution. I wanted to edit the whole time. Which, in one sense, isn't too bad, because it means it had somewhere to go. The characters weren't built out enough, but if she'd given more than a couple sentences of background to them, they could have lived. The prose was embarrassing, yet read like the crazed high schoolers she was emulating. It isn't hopeless.
As far as religion, the book's really more about faith in and devotion to people and authors. There were some fun theological questions at the beginning that Burton could have gotten into, but my guess is she was trying to keep the book accessible for a wide range of people.
All of this said, I saw some complaints that Laura wasn't relatable and let me tell you — if you were an intense, homeschooled, religiously raised little nerd who wandered into choir and climbed up on stage in raptures over harmonies and lyrics and oh, this is transcendence and beauty and meaning and glory; my small, shy, serious self part of something that mattered — you might stare your 16-year-old self in the face occasionally throughout the book. Shoutout to Burton for having some understanding of and playing with a jumble of backgrounds that called me out. I think you're incredibly cool, even if I gave your book two stars.
If you can go into it knowing it's a bit ridiculous even while it takes itself seriously — like our little fanatic Virginia — you'll have a good time and might even get a chance to think about a thing or two.
I'm torn because the book really did have such a fun mix of ideas to explore — the transcendence and devotion angle to the academic novel had moments where it worked. The problem with it is that it reads like a first or second draft — so much promise, but rough execution. I wanted to edit the whole time. Which, in one sense, isn't too bad, because it means it had somewhere to go. The characters weren't built out enough, but if she'd given more than a couple sentences of background to them, they could have lived. The prose was embarrassing, yet read like the crazed high schoolers she was emulating. It isn't hopeless.
As far as religion, the book's really more about faith in and devotion to people and authors. There were some fun theological questions at the beginning that Burton could have gotten into, but my guess is she was trying to keep the book accessible for a wide range of people.
All of this said, I saw some complaints that Laura wasn't relatable and let me tell you — if you were an intense, homeschooled, religiously raised little nerd who wandered into choir and climbed up on stage in raptures over harmonies and lyrics and oh, this is transcendence and beauty and meaning and glory; my small, shy, serious self part of something that mattered — you might stare your 16-year-old self in the face occasionally throughout the book. Shoutout to Burton for having some understanding of and playing with a jumble of backgrounds that called me out. I think you're incredibly cool, even if I gave your book two stars.
If you can go into it knowing it's a bit ridiculous even while it takes itself seriously — like our little fanatic Virginia — you'll have a good time and might even get a chance to think about a thing or two.
I feel like trying to write a queer version of the secret history was the distraction that made this book fairly unfocused and a little odd by the end. an extremely passive narrator did not help
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Entitled rich private school kids have beef with each other about sex and religion. That's it, that's the book.
This book had a great concept! I was so excited about this book but the execution was not great. I think it took itself way too seriously and just wound up being a bit pretentious. All of the characters were absolutely terrible people, with little to no redeeming qualities. The ending was somewhat satisfying in a sick kind of way.
This book had a great concept! I was so excited about this book but the execution was not great. I think it took itself way too seriously and just wound up being a bit pretentious. All of the characters were absolutely terrible people, with little to no redeeming qualities. The ending was somewhat satisfying in a sick kind of way.