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leialeilani'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
The main characters receive almost no physical description beyond their whiteness and their beauty (I don’t even know their hair colors—Bobbi has dark fringe, I think Frances is a brunette?, Nick has light hair, and Melissa is maybe a blonde?), so it was difficult to picture them as people and connect to them.
The absence of quotation marks for dialogue usually feels pleasantly dreamlike to me, but in this case it removed me further from the story. Despite the characters’ realistic, and often messy and contradictory, behaviors and emotions, the whole book felt unreal in an unenjoyable way. I was a remote observer viewing Frances’ choices and experiences through a foggy glass, unable to see the people clearly or to really feel the emotion of the events. I mostly felt bored or annoyed in the beginning and then sad in the second half. I didn’t vibe with the humor or connect with the rather flat characters, and I found it tiring to read about such emotionally constipated people and their nearly endless miscommunications.
However, despite my dissatisfying experience with the book, I do think there’s something there; I’m just not the right audience for it. There are likely people who would relate to Frances and the uncertainty of being a soon-to-be college graduate with no plans, no concrete desires or interests, and with a strong urge for human connection and to be loved but too little experience with expressing emotion and practicing kindness. Human relationships are complex, messy, and ever-changing. We are always learning how to more effectively express ourselves and how to better share time, love, and life with other people.
Graphic: Vomit, Alcoholism, Blood, Medical content, Self harm, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Infertility
dfram's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Blood, and Self harm
Moderate: Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Cursing, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Infertility, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Police brutality, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Classism
helenadominick'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Alcohol
abbruzzese's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Cursing, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
danicakvcs'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Chronic illness, and Infertility
Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Self harm, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
redroseses's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, Infidelity, Cursing, Alcohol, Classism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Police brutality, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, and War
gabbygarcia'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
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness
Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Infertility
saraavowlerr'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Addiction, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Medical content, and Sexual content
maddalenacesco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Infertility, Sexual content, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Biphobia
hoey_girlboss_queen'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Cursing