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araowl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book deals with heavy themes related to sexual and physical abuse, trauma, and the gentrification of a dying Indiana city. As someone from Indiana, the way the author described the setting felt extremely accurate and hit close to home. These rust belt towns are places of rusty chain-link fences, random rubber shoes on the road, and broken glass covering every street corner. They're places where people born into poverty often never get a chance to leave. Blandine is extremely intelligent and had a rare opportunity to transcend this small town through academic achievement, but unfortunately, the effects of abuse and trauma make that kind of thing easier said than done.
Overall, every character in this book is ultimately searching for meaning and human connection. A current of loneliness and existential dread pulse through the entire story. The book is often satirically witty, and has a lot of commentary on the wildness of the internet and the detrimental effects of late-stage capitalism on both humans and the environment. I found the themes extremely resonant and thought-provoking, and the characters richly detailed and compelling. The only criticism I have is that some of the character's stories felt a little underdeveloped, but I definitely see how each and every character contributed to the overall meaning of the book.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes modern literary fiction, witty and irreverent writing, and intelligent social commentary. I'd definitely steer clear if you are sensitive to depictions of sexual abuse, violence, and trauma - or if you just prefer your fiction on the more lighthearted and plot-driven side.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Mental illness
lebouefcasey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
namizaela's review against another edition
3.75
However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I admired it. There were some parts, such as the storyline about Moses, that felt too underdeveloped to make an impact on the whole story. I think this novel would have been more compelling if it had focused entirely on Blandine, her roommates, and James. I still enjoyed reading about the side characters, but I viewed them more as a distraction. Additionally, this is just my personal preference, but some of the dialogue in the book felt extremely unrealistic, as if the author was just using the characters as mouthpieces for conflicts of different schools of ideas. The particular conversation I'm thinking of is
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Animal cruelty, Violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
dustghosts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death
acorn192k's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Drug use and Animal cruelty
calamitydane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty
indigo666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Vomit, Gore, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Violence
sofiajearally's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
I want to start by pointing out how gorgeous Tess Gunty's writing is! It sometimes might be over-flourished for some readers but it was mind-blowing for me. Besides, she can really change her style to fit the characters or the setting of the scenes, which makes the writing never boring.
However, I struggled to get through the first quarter of the book and ended up reading it over the course of several months. Both because life happened so I couldn't read much but also because I felt that the story dragged on and on and on. In fact, I felt like there was no story because of the multiple storylines that added up to nothing. That is, until the chapter Variables (the girls that get it, get it). Suddenly, I couldn't put the book down. Then there were a few good chapters until the rise to the climax but I was a bit less invested.
So, when I finished it, I didn't really know what to think. Did I like it? I wasn't sure, beside that chapter. But I knew I wanted to skim it in order to annotate it because of the superb writing. When doing that, it hit me, I understood some of the author's choices way better in terms of storylines and realized it all came together by the end of the book. However, I stand by the fact that some things could have been cut off or shortened to make the whole more coherent and cohesive.
So, if like me you struggle at the beginning, please try to persevere for your own sake, it's really worth it!
To finish, I want to talk about Blandine's character. I didn't like her at first. But as the story went by and especially when I went back to annotate the book, I understood what had happened: she's seen by every character as this I'm-not-like-other-girls type of girl/manic pixie dream girl, and I fell for it too! But when you pay attention when it's her POV, she's just a girl. A teenage girl. Sure she can seem a bit weird but first off, she's traumatized and second, who's never had specific interests others deemed as weird as a teenager or wanted to dye their hair? She's actually very relatable, like when she plucks her leg hairs thinking of all the other things she could be doing instead, or the whole story with James (he's an ass and I hate him more and more by the way). So yeah, go Blandine!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Gore
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Medical content
auudrey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Excrement, Mental illness, Animal death, and Sexual content
stveit22's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness