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writtenontheflyleaves's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin ⛈️
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
⛈️ The plot: Aida is the indie rock darling of a generation, her every movement traced lovingly by her devoted fans. Ehsan is her long-ago ex, battling despondency until he sees her again at a dinner party. They fall headlong into a blissful love affair that takes Aida away from her heartbroken fans, but the bliss can't last forever. In fact, they seem doomed to repeat the tragic patterns of mythic lovers before them.
Everyone has those books you know you'll love before you read them, and I was right about this one. The prose is beautiful, and even though I finished it months ago it still comes to me in vivid images, like memories from my own life. I especially loved the chapters told in the collective voice of Aida's fans - they were brilliant and chilling at points, capturing the hunger and entitlement that lurks in the underbelly of fan culture. How divorced our images of celebrities are from their lives, who they are as friends and lovers and family members.
Slight spoiler ⚠️ there is a dark twist in this tale that maybe I should have seen coming but really shocked me. I thought what followed was a really interesting reflection on grief and the parts of us that remain unknowable to our romantic partners. I thought this book was amazing at showing the ways Aida and Ehsan both acutely understood and misunderstood each other. It reflected the fan relationship in a way, that we see what we want or maybe need to see in the people we love.
⛈️ Read if you like vivid, tragic portraits of relationships and stories about fame that aren't focused on glamour.
🚫 Avoid it if stories that include suicide are painful for you right now, or if you want a love story with more hope at its heart.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
⛈️ The plot: Aida is the indie rock darling of a generation, her every movement traced lovingly by her devoted fans. Ehsan is her long-ago ex, battling despondency until he sees her again at a dinner party. They fall headlong into a blissful love affair that takes Aida away from her heartbroken fans, but the bliss can't last forever. In fact, they seem doomed to repeat the tragic patterns of mythic lovers before them.
Everyone has those books you know you'll love before you read them, and I was right about this one. The prose is beautiful, and even though I finished it months ago it still comes to me in vivid images, like memories from my own life. I especially loved the chapters told in the collective voice of Aida's fans - they were brilliant and chilling at points, capturing the hunger and entitlement that lurks in the underbelly of fan culture. How divorced our images of celebrities are from their lives, who they are as friends and lovers and family members.
Slight spoiler ⚠️ there is a dark twist in this tale that maybe I should have seen coming but really shocked me. I thought what followed was a really interesting reflection on grief and the parts of us that remain unknowable to our romantic partners. I thought this book was amazing at showing the ways Aida and Ehsan both acutely understood and misunderstood each other. It reflected the fan relationship in a way, that we see what we want or maybe need to see in the people we love.
⛈️ Read if you like vivid, tragic portraits of relationships and stories about fame that aren't focused on glamour.
🚫 Avoid it if stories that include suicide are painful for you right now, or if you want a love story with more hope at its heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit
spacebornfew's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, and Vomit
Minor: Body shaming
the_literarylinguist's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Islamophobia, Abortion, and Vomit
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