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gracer's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I keep hoping that she'll top <i>Conversations with Friends</i>, still my favorite Rooney novel, but I won't hold my breath. At this point I think she's moved in a different direction, and her life experiences will never translate into a novel the same way again. But that's okay. Even though we're reading about a novelist, it works.
Rooney has given us another cast of completely dysfunctional characters. Alice is Alice, she's a mess, and she seems to have some level of... maybe not imposter syndrome, exactly, but whatever a combination of imposter syndrome and survival guilt would be.
And then there's Eileen, who you feel pathetically sorry for, and also a little bit consistently angry at. So frustrating to read as she makes one mistake and then the next.
And then there's the climax, where everyone is wrong, and everything is painfully realistic, and of course Alice is largely responsible... but I couldn't help thinking that Eileen deserved a bit more of the blame. Eileen is constantly projecting her problems onto other people. It drove me a little crazy.
All that to say, another realisitc look at human interaction. Every bit as painful as Rooney's other novels... except for the endings, which are nowhere near as depressing as the first two.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Alcohol
loraora'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
lovestoriesforsuckers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Some people do, don’t they? Have happy families, I mean. I know you didn’t, and I didn’t. But Alice, I’m still so glad we were born.
i’m trying to think of something clever to say but... i genuinely just feel more hopeful about my own life after finishing this book. sally rooney consistently and openly admits that people need each other to survive. maybe accepting this and being open to love (in whatever form it may take) is the whole ballgame.
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
tigerkind'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
thebakerbookworm'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If you’ve enjoyed Sally Rooney’s past books, I think you’ll like this one. I only felt mediocre about Normal People, and after reading this book, I’ve come to the conclusion that Sally Rooney is not for me. I’m glad I read this, and I don’t think it was a bad book, but I think her appeal just goes over my head lol.
The audiobook was good (especially the accents), and the characters somewhat interesting. But I felt so bored for much of the book—hardly anything was happening beyond roundabout conversations between the characters that said either nothing or the same repeated things.
My favorite part was Alice and Eileen’s relationship. Most of the story they are apart, only communicating via email, but I appreciated the look at female friendship that their relationship gave us, much more than the romantic relationships depicted. (Also Alice is maybe autobiographical for the author? Felt a little weird…)
There’s also reference to the pandemic fyi—it still felt too soon to me!
Thank you so much to Libro.fm, Macmillan Audio, and the author for my ALC!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
sjanke2'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
4.0
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts