Reviews with content warning for Pandemic/Epidemic - Beautiful World, Where Are You

I appreciate sally rooney’s commitment to reality in the telling of this story. and I have to acknowledge that she writes characters that I relate to so deeply it’s uncomfortable. but the reality of it, while rendering it very thought-provoking at points, makes it boring at points.

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plumdustsuns's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-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

2.0

I HATED Felix so much. Maybe I still do. I actually had to stop reading because his abusive, manipulative, putting down behaviour triggered me so much. And then he sort of did an 180 after the party and I was like… hmm… was he being cruel to avoid his own feelings then? But still does that mean we excuse him? I don’t know. I just think Alice deserves better (much like that fan she mentions by the end, haha). And it seems like he has improved but… 😡
I like Simon, I believe, but Rooney’s choice with the age gap with him and Eileen made me SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Yes, they’re both older now but it was insinuated that he had these feelings since she was young even though he didn’t act on it.
I’m not sure if I feel the best towards Eileen, though. While I understand her, she also undermined Alice’s work and mental health a lot and I don’t think that was fair or nice of a friend to do. Especially as someone who’s also in the literary field, it’s a little hypocritical.

But I’ve liked reading Rooney’s work so far (just read this and Normal People though). I like how she is able to portray the everyday life and the ‘seemingly mundane’ as dramatically and importantly as it feels. The ending of this felt a lot better and less sterile than that of Normal People’s (the book, at least).

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abbywriwri's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

I love this author’s writing she writes character’s personalities so well. There is a sharp exact way to her writing even when she is writing about emotional topics she stays exact and succinct. I loved the characters and their flaws and personalities. I enjoyed the book but felt the ending was so sudden.

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alyssaherrington's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Sally Rooney’s ability to put emotion in word will always be a reason why i love her work. She so beautifully captured what it feels like to experience the contrast of every day life - feeling the magnitude of the world and how small it may make you feel, or the crux of thinking your own problems may be trivial in comparison to the greater multitude & how insincere it sometimes feels to care about who you’re hooking up with or who you love and your common relationships that make up your life. i thought this was a beautiful read that captured the nuances of various relationships you may have in your life and how they make you who you are.

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clairew97's review against another edition

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

1.5

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ellaford's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

This is my favourite release from Sally Rooney yet. The way this is written gives so much yet leaves so much for interpretation, and her magic with describing emotional complexities we all feel is just amazing. This book is funny, dark, sexy, reflective and a great commentary on the state of the world.

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charlottasimojoki's review against another edition

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funny mysterious reflective relaxing fast-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

5.0

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