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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
FINALLY a book about lesbian love that doesn’t try to be funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the first part of the book didn’t really grip me, but it picked up after that and got more interesting with the introduction of the character Edith.
Short chapters made it a quick read, overall enjoyed the story.
Short chapters made it a quick read, overall enjoyed the story.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ava is a 22-year-old from Ireland. After graduating, she moves to Hong Kong to work as a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) tutor for schoolchildren.
After a few days, she befriends Julian the banker, a British citizen settled in Hong Kong, and moves to his cosy flat and stays, renting her body for free casual-mutual sex and other pleasantries to satiate their basic needs without a non-disclosure agreement in a friends-with-benefits way.
Ava’s routine involves teaching English grammar to both students and readers alike, ranting with her Irish mother, pubbing with either her school colleagues or Julian’s friends’ circle, and making out with Julian.
Being a banker in a decent position, Julian travels a lot; on one such occasion, he is away in the UK for six months, and our damsel in distress is disturbed, aching for no one knows what.
In comes petite and elegant closeted lesbian Edith, a local lawyer who studied in England but speaks fluent Cantonese with traditional values.
Soon they become friends; then they start flirting and sexting, and finally lovers, and eventually sexploring in Julian’s apartment.
As the days to Julian’s return near, Ava is confused about her sexuality and the relationship between two varied adults and is in a deep state of dilemma.
What is Ava’s decision regarding her true love(r)? Is it Julian or Edith? Will she choose a straight man or a gay woman? Read it and have an exciting time – it’s guaranteed!
I have been wanting to read this novel for so long just because she comes from the land of Sally Rooney – one of my fave contemporary Irish writers.
And guess what!? Dolan makes a sensational debut, and she never disappoints with her writing, even though I disagree with her on so many grounds, both ideologically and also on her character depiction.
This novel is razor-sharp yet funny and wild, depicting the mindset of millennials and their inbuilt flawed and self-obsessed nature from the perspective of a complex young woman.
After a few days, she befriends Julian the banker, a British citizen settled in Hong Kong, and moves to his cosy flat and stays, renting her body for free casual-mutual sex and other pleasantries to satiate their basic needs without a non-disclosure agreement in a friends-with-benefits way.
Ava’s routine involves teaching English grammar to both students and readers alike, ranting with her Irish mother, pubbing with either her school colleagues or Julian’s friends’ circle, and making out with Julian.
Being a banker in a decent position, Julian travels a lot; on one such occasion, he is away in the UK for six months, and our damsel in distress is disturbed, aching for no one knows what.
In comes petite and elegant closeted lesbian Edith, a local lawyer who studied in England but speaks fluent Cantonese with traditional values.
Soon they become friends; then they start flirting and sexting, and finally lovers, and eventually sexploring in Julian’s apartment.
As the days to Julian’s return near, Ava is confused about her sexuality and the relationship between two varied adults and is in a deep state of dilemma.
What is Ava’s decision regarding her true love(r)? Is it Julian or Edith? Will she choose a straight man or a gay woman? Read it and have an exciting time – it’s guaranteed!
I have been wanting to read this novel for so long just because she comes from the land of Sally Rooney – one of my fave contemporary Irish writers.
And guess what!? Dolan makes a sensational debut, and she never disappoints with her writing, even though I disagree with her on so many grounds, both ideologically and also on her character depiction.
This novel is razor-sharp yet funny and wild, depicting the mindset of millennials and their inbuilt flawed and self-obsessed nature from the perspective of a complex young woman.
funny
reflective
medium-paced
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really really liked this. It’s different than what I typically read, at least in terms of how it’s written. But it was a fun read even if it’s not about the greatest love story ever written. (I’ve also never read Sally Rooney)
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
UPDATED: been thinking about this book more since having read it and I think a lot of Dolan’scommentary on language & dialect in its specific relation to class and perception of wealth is really overlooked in many of the reviews of Exciting Times. Ava is Irish, teaching children in Shanghai English, which Ava admits she doesn’t speak “proper” English due to her dublin/Irish dialect. Throughout the story Julian’s colleuges basically infantilize and demean her for being Irish and speaking English the way she does.
Dolan is a multilingual (English, Irish, French and Italian) and autistic queen!! Reading some of her articles, and short form writing on her insta has given more insight into how her professional life may relate / have inspired these characters.
Is there a lot of character growth from Ava, Julian, or Edith? No. But, like real life, relationships are messy, and people more often than not- flawed! Wow. If you go into books (specifically literary fiction) wanting only perfectly packaged unproblematic characters why are you reading in the first place? Go watch a marvel movie or something. Characters, like real people, aren’t perfect so we shouldn’t expect them to be.
I still stand by my previous review and rating, because overall I didn’t love the story, but liked what Dolan was trying to do. I’m invested in her as an author at this point so I’m excited to read more from her lol.
Previous: 🎧 I think if I didn’t listen to this I would like it less. Aofie McMahon could read me anything and I’d like it.
Dolan is a multilingual (English, Irish, French and Italian) and autistic queen!! Reading some of her articles, and short form writing on her insta has given more insight into how her professional life may relate / have inspired these characters.
Is there a lot of character growth from Ava, Julian, or Edith? No. But, like real life, relationships are messy, and people more often than not- flawed! Wow. If you go into books (specifically literary fiction) wanting only perfectly packaged unproblematic characters why are you reading in the first place? Go watch a marvel movie or something. Characters, like real people, aren’t perfect so we shouldn’t expect them to be.
I still stand by my previous review and rating, because overall I didn’t love the story, but liked what Dolan was trying to do. I’m invested in her as an author at this point so I’m excited to read more from her lol.
Previous: 🎧 I think if I didn’t listen to this I would like it less. Aofie McMahon could read me anything and I’d like it.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes