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madeleinegeorge's review
4.0
Delicate portrait of a life well-lived, but even more carefully examined. Liselle and Selena present what may be a fated connection, a singularity they found within one another. It was not, as Liselle fearfully speculated, a fantastical portrait of collegiate bliss that wouldn't survive the 'real world', but in fact her most real and most immediate access to this world, and this self, that she had. What remains after fifteen years of an ill-advised marriage, after a beloved and yet lonely child, after continuing to find solace and stability in the one person left behind?
Best read in one sitting, immediately calls for a sequel. A quiet, queer, heroic gem.
Essentials:
"Liselle's forty-one years of research suggested that no matter how distant, abusive, judgmental, unloving, and useless one's mother was, one called her when things fell apart."
"Though she was only twenty-one, she had felt worn-out and heavy with a sense of the end."
"Over the years, the pull Liselle felt to various girls had been primarily about their thereness."
"Many years ago, she had tried to disabuse Selena of the conviction that fear was a form of preparation. Now she wondered."
" 'Hey, that's mean!' Liselle shouted. But as they ribbed each other, she suddenly felt the rightness of the world. Knowing, however, that the world was dead wrong, she knew the feeling must be Selena."
"Still the gray of some mornings brought not full-fledged suicidal ideations , but questions nonetheless. She thought of how, when they'd been together, Selena had been the sad one and it had boosted Liselle. But now she wanted to ask her: Is it better to be alive than it is to be a stone? Is it better to be dead than go to work on a rainy morning? To go out with this new man or not to be, that was the question."
"It was obvious to her that her and Winn being together was crazy. But he had kept upping the ante, moving quickly to get out ahead of second thoughts and boredom, and she had kept accepting the challenge. Their alliance was a conspiracy against the various imprisoning realities they'd known."
"Their relationship has been so brief and so long ago, somewhere between a memory and a fantasy. She knew it had happened, though, because if it hadn't, then nothing had."
Best read in one sitting, immediately calls for a sequel. A quiet, queer, heroic gem.
Essentials:
"Liselle's forty-one years of research suggested that no matter how distant, abusive, judgmental, unloving, and useless one's mother was, one called her when things fell apart."
"Though she was only twenty-one, she had felt worn-out and heavy with a sense of the end."
"Over the years, the pull Liselle felt to various girls had been primarily about their thereness."
"Many years ago, she had tried to disabuse Selena of the conviction that fear was a form of preparation. Now she wondered."
" 'Hey, that's mean!' Liselle shouted. But as they ribbed each other, she suddenly felt the rightness of the world. Knowing, however, that the world was dead wrong, she knew the feeling must be Selena."
"Still the gray of some mornings brought not full-fledged suicidal ideations , but questions nonetheless. She thought of how, when they'd been together, Selena had been the sad one and it had boosted Liselle. But now she wanted to ask her: Is it better to be alive than it is to be a stone? Is it better to be dead than go to work on a rainy morning? To go out with this new man or not to be, that was the question."
"It was obvious to her that her and Winn being together was crazy. But he had kept upping the ante, moving quickly to get out ahead of second thoughts and boredom, and she had kept accepting the challenge. Their alliance was a conspiracy against the various imprisoning realities they'd known."
"Their relationship has been so brief and so long ago, somewhere between a memory and a fantasy. She knew it had happened, though, because if it hadn't, then nothing had."
shaysbookshelf's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
3.25
i really only wanted to know about the two main characters, and unpack their understandings of themselves, their sexuality, and their relationship. everything else was forgettable.
lit_africa's review
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
jensbookden's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
elise_nk's review
3.0
3 stars. Not bad, but not great. Abrupt ending, leaving part of the plot unfinished, but done purposefully to highlight to the main characters.
suzea's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
laurapk's review
4.0
Easy to read, interesting characters, a great example on how to say a lot with few impactful words. And great subtle humor. I loved the ending, which is really, a beginning.
I'm still not sure about everything that happened though and I think I need to give it a re-read soon .
The only minus: there were a lot of characters and I started getting them mixed up at the end.
I'm still not sure about everything that happened though and I think I need to give it a re-read soon .
The only minus: there were a lot of characters and I started getting them mixed up at the end.
rcielocruz's review
5.0
I don't know where to start about this great book. The characters are so beautifully flawed and relatable. The complexity of gender, sexuality, and race are woven so deftly into what feels like a very real life, messy story. I couldn't stop reading and then I didn't want it to end. #daysofafrekete #asalisolomon #greatread