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rpych2's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked the writing style a lot, and the time jump was an interesting way of structuring the story (though I liked the 2016 timeline a bit more). My main issue was that there were just so many characters that you’d go multiple chapters without hearing from most of them. And considering I enjoyed the character driven nature of the book, it just annoyed me a bit to not see what was going on with most of them for a lot of the book. Still, I enjoyed this book and the writing style especially.
davislacyj's review
slow-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? Yes
2.0
booktothefuture's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ctrlaultdelete's review
4.0
Mashup of Interestings and Trust Exercise tho less formally inventive than the latter and less in love with its characters than the former (not necessarily a bad thing). Somehow one of the less tiresome overtly Trump-referencing novels I’ve read even though it was still heavy handed and overlong.
readers_block's review
3.0
a little more than a 3ish
so: this is told in two halves. the first takes place in the late 80s as a group of teenagers are performing a high school theater production of Anne Frank. the second, shorter half, takes place in 2020ish, revisiting those same kids.
the first part of this book I genuinely enjoyed. at the center is the lecherous drama teacher and a cast of characters who are quite fun to read about. there is some real darkness in this, and I appreciated how realistic it felt. the second half, however, was a HUGE let down. I'm so so sick of reading books that turn into a political commentary on Donald Trump, with the author's ego at the center. It's an excuse to stick all their own political opinions in, and often comes out as a flat, black and white portrayal with no nuance. this is exactly the case here. It's SO clear who the villains are, and man are they villainy. They have the wrong political opinions of course, and they're rendered in outsized fashion, a cartoonish version of reality. Every single thing was political in the second half. And I do understand what the author was trying to do with the Anne Frank connection, but I was extremely bummed that was the direction in which it went.
so: this is told in two halves. the first takes place in the late 80s as a group of teenagers are performing a high school theater production of Anne Frank. the second, shorter half, takes place in 2020ish, revisiting those same kids.
the first part of this book I genuinely enjoyed. at the center is the lecherous drama teacher and a cast of characters who are quite fun to read about. there is some real darkness in this, and I appreciated how realistic it felt. the second half, however, was a HUGE let down. I'm so so sick of reading books that turn into a political commentary on Donald Trump, with the author's ego at the center. It's an excuse to stick all their own political opinions in, and often comes out as a flat, black and white portrayal with no nuance. this is exactly the case here. It's SO clear who the villains are, and man are they villainy. They have the wrong political opinions of course, and they're rendered in outsized fashion, a cartoonish version of reality. Every single thing was political in the second half. And I do understand what the author was trying to do with the Anne Frank connection, but I was extremely bummed that was the direction in which it went.
lbw's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
As with so many books I've read lately, it felt like it took me forever to get through the first fifty pages, I considered abandoning it multiple times, but I persevered and really liked it after all.
I think it's about coming of age, the power of art, and whether or how things from our pasts shape us years later.
The parallels between the rise of the Nazis during WWII and the 2016 election were really depressing to read, and frankly, reading it in Florida in early 2023 is difficult.
I think it's about coming of age, the power of art, and whether or how things from our pasts shape us years later.
The parallels between the rise of the Nazis during WWII and the 2016 election were really depressing to read, and frankly, reading it in Florida in early 2023 is difficult.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
mirjanecorn's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aokoppes's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0