Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

22 reviews

hanbroloo's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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

4.75


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sixtinelys's review

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

5.0

I devoured this book. I just love Rooney’s writing so much, her very direct descriptions, her dialogs. Especially the dialogs. My heart ached vividly while reading, here writing brings me to tears often, or makes my laugh audibly. It’s sometimes difficult to read, like her other novels, because it disturbs me, but in a good way. I was a little taken aback by the email parts at the beginning, but I ended up liking them actually. It made me want to reread her other books.

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racbuckallew's review against another edition

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

3.25

mad that after everything we got a pandemic not a foursome 

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elliefardell's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.0


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stephe's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I WISH I knew millennials who wrote emails like this. 
 
I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but I’m so glad my expectations were upended. Rooney writes with such generous, close observance, deftly threading the needle between ironic distance and saccharine melodrama. It’s not hard to care for the weirdos in this novel, even as they sometimes seem bent on their own crumbling. Also, as a person of faith, kind of fun to see some cool Christian representation—something almost as rare in the real world as it is in literary fiction. 

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a_rash_read's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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lexa's review against another edition

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4.25

This book took a bit of time for me to get into… and then I was hooked. Drawn in my the drama and screwed up characters. 

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pmejia's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

4.75


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shaylac's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.5

The characters and their relationships are intriguing, yet there's a sense of self-absorption that can be a tad much. The prose, while occasionally sophisticated, may border on pretentious, and the pacing tends to drag in certain spots.


The exploration of friendship and love carries depth, but it feels like Rooney didn't quite hit the mark. There are glimpses of brilliance, but the overall storytelling lacks the punch I was hoping for. It's a hesitant four stars, acknowledging the highlights amid the imperfections.

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katjayorke's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative lighthearted 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

4.0

This was a breezy, stimulating read that covered macro and micro topics. The love stories were realistic and jarring, similarly to the characters themselves. It was relatable and relieving all in one. 

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