Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Beautiful World, Where Are You

The scenes where all four characters were together were so lovely to read, and just felt so realistic and well done. I will say the pandemic being included at the end felt strange and maybe unnecessary to me, since it will inevitably date what otherwise felt like a pretty timeless story. This one will stick with me for sure, especially quotes about Eileen and Alice, like this one:

Then they went to each other, meeting halfway down the stairs, and they embraced, holding one another tightly, their arms clasped hard around each other’s bodies, and then Alice was saying: I’m sorry. I’m sorry, and Eileen was saying: Don’t apologise, I don’t know why we’re fighting. […] For a time they sat there on the stairs, not speaking, or speaking about things that had happened a long time ago, silly arguments they’d had, people they used to know, things they had laughed about together. Old conversations, repeated many times before.

Content Warnings

kyahs's review

Go to review page

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

3.75

I'd say it's best if Sally Rooney. Similar to the other book, some of the characters do seem very self absorbed but I enjoy their quirkyness and exploration of mental health and relationships.

Content Warnings

zara89's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

heykieramc's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I wish I had realized before I started reading how much of the book would be about sex and religion. The transitions were jarring, especially since this was my subway listen for the past few days! I also found the back-and-forth personality clashes between the couples really off-putting, and

the final chapter alluding to the pandemic

felt like it was tacked on to an already-completed manuscript. Overall, Rooney's writing style was good enough to keep me listening, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book. However, if she did write a book of essays similar to the emails (oh! the emails!!), I might be inclined to pick it up.

Content Warnings

onion's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

pregyal's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful reflective relaxing 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

4.0

loved this! it was a bit slow in the middle, but the ending really hit home for me. the way sally rooney writes so earnestly on otherwise mundane social interaction is so inspiring. i could see a part of myself in all her characters. i also enjoyed the marxist undertones throughout the book. sally rooney is profound without even trying, it feels like she personally picked my brain and managed to so beautifully phrase some of my thoughts in ways i didn’t even know could be expressed.

Content Warnings

_susenkaaa_'s review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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

3.25

Content Warnings

b_carlson's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really liked this book but it was very different to Rooney's other two books so my only advice would be, going into it, don't expect to get what you have got before from Rooney. There are certainly undeniable Rooney elements to the book but it is a very different format and has a very different goal. I loved the exploration of themes and also loved the way the writing blended character perspective and a sort of outside observer perspective at the end of chapters which gave the effect of "the world". A very different book but a beautiful one nonetheless.

Content Warnings

More...