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riverestyx's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Body shaming
Moderate: Suicide, Religious bigotry, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion, Antisemitism, Addiction, Medical content, and Racial slurs
misha_ali's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a weird one. On the one hand, it's an incredibly easy read. The prose is punchy and flows well so it's hard to stop reading once you get into it, but on the other hand, nothing really happens and the nihilistic perspective may turn readers off.
The main character is unlikeable and unsympathetic. She's floating through her life, bound to her narcissistic and borderline abusive mother and her absentee and vapid father through their financial support of her lifestyle, yet she doesn't enjoy the lifestyle or anything about her life. She's alone but prickly about her sister living with her. She's casually cruel to her sister yet craves the kind of intimacy friends and siblings have.
I think this is mischaracterized as a comedy because there's not much humorous about the book or the characters. It's more a tragic look at modern life and an incredibly dysfunctional Jewish family in which each member is deeply unhappy in their own special ways and comes together for a reluctant ceasefire over holidays and then ends up explosively falling out once again until the next holiday.
I'm of two minds with this book still. This was an easy read, yes, but it wasn't really an enjoyable one for me. I was engaged in bursts by the relationship dynamic between the various family members, but at the end of the day, not much happens and there's no real plot. Make of that what you will.
The main character is unlikeable and unsympathetic. She's floating through her life, bound to her narcissistic and borderline abusive mother and her absentee and vapid father through their financial support of her lifestyle, yet she doesn't enjoy the lifestyle or anything about her life. She's alone but prickly about her sister living with her. She's casually cruel to her sister yet craves the kind of intimacy friends and siblings have.
I think this is mischaracterized as a comedy because there's not much humorous about the book or the characters. It's more a tragic look at modern life and an incredibly dysfunctional Jewish family in which each member is deeply unhappy in their own special ways and comes together for a reluctant ceasefire over holidays and then ends up explosively falling out once again until the next holiday.
I'm of two minds with this book still. This was an easy read, yes, but it wasn't really an enjoyable one for me. I was engaged in bursts by the relationship dynamic between the various family members, but at the end of the day, not much happens and there's no real plot. Make of that what you will.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Antisemitism
mmccombs's review
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
The statement “I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much” in book form. Chronically online, full of mind-numbing Instagram conspiracy theories, endless consumption and misery and nihilism. But I swear it’s also funny! I thought the writing and character work here was very well done. It’s difficult to capture the intense kind of love that is also deeply toxic and often hateful that can exist between sisters (and mothers), knowing that these characters are acting this way out of deep love and even deeper insecurity. I do think the ending was a bit strange and out of nowhere, it kept up the themes of this book but otherwise didn’t feel like it fit, being as quick and jarring as it was. If you are a fan of messy 20-something coming of age stories, I’d say this is another solid installment, though I can’t say it’s the strongest of the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Antisemitism, and Transphobia
reallybadwolf's review
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
4.0
Wow I can’t wait for this to be published so I can go on Reddit and figure out the ending (something I’m sure Poppy would take offense to).
This novel was described as “Seinfeldian” and wow, what an apt descriptor. This novel follows two sisters in the every day minutiae of life as they are just completely awful to each other and everyone around them. It’s so funny, so witty, so shocking at times. I had such a good time reading this.
This novel was described as “Seinfeldian” and wow, what an apt descriptor. This novel follows two sisters in the every day minutiae of life as they are just completely awful to each other and everyone around them. It’s so funny, so witty, so shocking at times. I had such a good time reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Rape, and Suicide attempt
bookishbabe93's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Mental illness, Blood, and Antisemitism
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