Scan barcode
hihinotem's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aklesiam's review
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.75
mwalter02's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
melodys_library's review
5.0
I knew this couldn’t end with a happily ever after and got so nervous that this was going to end tragically, and I’m glad I was wrong about both. I almost cried when Renu finally read the letter from Ashok. Bonus points for the nostalgic R&B references.
“In life, the things we most desire are not always what we need.”
“In life, the things we most desire are not always what we need.”
brendow's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
rballenger's review against another edition
5.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: On a list of suggested books - I don't remember if it was through the library or Goodreads.
Overall rating: Absolute perfection. I loved 'Tell Me How to Be.' It was poetic and honest and real and quite literally made me feel like I was living alongside Akash and Renu. This is going to be one of those books that I talk about for a while and absolutely recommend with zero hesitation. The vulnerability and honesty are what make 'Tell Me How to Be' a pageturner. I could keep going on and on but it would just be me gushing about how fabulous of a book this is, how intuitive the writing is, how beautiful and tragic and REAL the writing is. 100 percent, you need to read this book.
Reader's Note: 'Tell Me How to Be' includes sex, violence, and cultural references.
Audiobook Note: Vikas Adam is an extremely talented narrator and truly made this audiobook a work of art.
What made me pick it up: On a list of suggested books - I don't remember if it was through the library or Goodreads.
Overall rating: Absolute perfection. I loved 'Tell Me How to Be.' It was poetic and honest and real and quite literally made me feel like I was living alongside Akash and Renu. This is going to be one of those books that I talk about for a while and absolutely recommend with zero hesitation. The vulnerability and honesty are what make 'Tell Me How to Be' a pageturner. I could keep going on and on but it would just be me gushing about how fabulous of a book this is, how intuitive the writing is, how beautiful and tragic and REAL the writing is. 100 percent, you need to read this book.
Reader's Note: 'Tell Me How to Be' includes sex, violence, and cultural references.
Audiobook Note: Vikas Adam is an extremely talented narrator and truly made this audiobook a work of art.
absolute_bookery's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I wanted to love it but I duno, it was really long to listen to, the resolution was very sudden... Also his brother was a dickhead!!!
kinnimomo's review
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
4.0
erakow13's review
2.0
I liked this but didn’t love it. The subject matter was interesting enough and I thought the storytelling was fairly solid, but the writing style never hit its stride for me. So many clunky metaphors and use of the same adjectives over and over again. Overall, this book felt like a seminar-in-comp essay, but the strong plot and mostly fleshed-out characters still made for an okay read.