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lidia7'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Abortion, Outing, and Infidelity
Minor: Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Classism
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel discusses the ups and downs of multiple types of love - platonic love, familial love, toxic love, queer love, and true love. Being as this book's timeline begins while he is still in university, Young is a (self-aware) hot mess for much of this novel as he figures out what kind of adult he wants to be. Spoiler alert: like most of us, he never really lands on one path for life guidance. Rather, Young remains unabashedly himself while continuing to ride the ups and downs of life, bouncing from job to job and romantic relationship to romantic relationship. His narration is delightful, relatable, often heartbreaking, and reflective.
Overall, Love in the Big City is a millennial new-adult novel about how simultaneously difficult and beautiful it can be to give your love to another person.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Outing, Grief, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia
himangi's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Homophobia, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit and Stalking
edgaranjapoe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Cancer, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness
Minor: Abortion, Cursing, Child abuse, Vomit, Death, Classism, Outing, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Grief, Infidelity, and Blood
thelittle_seokmin's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Car accident, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Grief and Infidelity
Minor: Death, Medical content, Outing, Car accident, Bullying, Vomit, Blood, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship
rieviolet'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
4.0
I didn't like as much the third and fourth sections ("Love in the Big City" and "Late Rainy Season Vacation"). I think those parts just resonated less with me and I wasn't as much captured by the narrative (which sometimes jumped a little confusingly between time lines) and by its style.
The ending felt a little bit abrupt, I wasn't expecting nor I actually wanted a perfect resolution (I think it would have clashed too much with the overall tone of the novel and the narrative line), I just would've liked it to finish at a different point, in a slightly different way.
Also, I really liked the main character's sense of humour, his funny and a bit dry voice made for a very engaging narrative but I think that this wittiness was more evident in the first section and then became a bit more sparse in the following ones.
All in all, this was a really good book and I'm very glad I've got to read about the experience of queerness in South Korea.
I have to briefly mention the "Acknowledgements" section because reading the author's own words made me really emotional. I especially loved and was moved by the very last paragraphs.
When I write - or when I'm going about my day - I sometimes feel as vague and uncertain as if I'm all alone wandering through a cloud of dust, but sometimes I feel a warmth, like my hands have touched something. I want to call that something love. I know all too well how this emotion called love, how the word itself, can easily crumble into nothing, but all I can do is tightly grip this tiny bit of warmth and embrace it with all my might. Just so I can live on as myself. Just so I can live this life as myself and myself alone.
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Outing, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity
Minor: Death and Car accident