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celinegarneau's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
turquoiseshell's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
easyvisionary's review
5.0
Five stars because I cried.
I appreciate the writing is cringe and underdeveloped but I think it works well for the age of the characters. Like it’s realistic. At least in my experience this was how my friends and I spoke and acted at 19.
The way this is so personal to me, to my experience. It was unbelievably validating. I don’t like reading about assault but this was done so well. While it made me upset, it wasn’t graphic. Not sure I would’ve been able to get through reading this at 19 but cool to read it now and connect to it.
I appreciate the writing is cringe and underdeveloped but I think it works well for the age of the characters. Like it’s realistic. At least in my experience this was how my friends and I spoke and acted at 19.
The way this is so personal to me, to my experience. It was unbelievably validating. I don’t like reading about assault but this was done so well. While it made me upset, it wasn’t graphic. Not sure I would’ve been able to get through reading this at 19 but cool to read it now and connect to it.
blvntbaby's review
4.0
i wept this was both heart breaking and heart warming - community is everything
str4wbrryluvr's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Incredibly sweet with characters that were so easy to fall in love with. The novel explored trauma, queerness, and mental health with a lot of care and gentleness. It was as much about finding community as it was about coming into one’s own queerness. So many growing pains as we transform and metamorphose into the people we desire to be. And when there’s a stark contrast between who you were and who you are sometimes old friendships, situations, and ways of being feel confronting and heavy. I do think that it read a little cringy and clunky at moments, but maybe that’s because our narrator is 19 years old. And being 19 is really kind of super embarrassing…. Would’ve been fun to read when I was like 15. Remembering how insane it was to be 19. And how equally insane it is to be 23 lol
littlespookysmut's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ang44's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book hits so close to home for anyone with a history of sexual trauma or anyone who has ever been through the queer college student experience... I really didn't expect this book to resonate so much with me. I think the majority of the writing in terms of the main character's voice, the story structure, and the plot were all BEAUTIFULLY intertwined.
It does delve deeply into the sexual trauma piece of the main character, into quite a lot of detail for a few scattered chapters, which can be very emotional and upsetting.
I also felt as though the initial voice of the first few pages was very jarring, almost as if she sounds like a right winger's caricature of a liberal college student, and I was very happy that this balanced out as the story went on. Some of that inner monologue did really make me cringe, and there was a bit of this that continued throughout the book but it became very tolerable. I did also see someone point out that everyone also just happens to love the main character all the time, which I think is an interesting choice I didn't notice because it makes them feel so loveable but also is unrealistic? But I really did love many of these characters.
Overall, this was a really fantastic and eye-opening and comforting and validating novel.
It does delve deeply into the sexual trauma piece of the main character, into quite a lot of detail for a few scattered chapters, which can be very emotional and upsetting.
I also felt as though the initial voice of the first few pages was very jarring, almost as if she sounds like a right winger's caricature of a liberal college student, and I was very happy that this balanced out as the story went on. Some of that inner monologue did really make me cringe, and there was a bit of this that continued throughout the book but it became very tolerable. I did also see someone point out that everyone also just happens to love the main character all the time, which I think is an interesting choice I didn't notice because it makes them feel so loveable but also is unrealistic? But I really did love many of these characters.
Overall, this was a really fantastic and eye-opening and comforting and validating novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape
jocie102's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jaymesisreading's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5