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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Not quite as strong as her debut [b:Love & Virtue|57768107|Love & Virtue|Diana Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621539843l/57768107._SY75_.jpg|90491672] in my opinion. Whilst in Reid's first novel I loved her portrayal of privileged young people attending university, I found the themes here harder to relate to and find interesting. The romance didn't sell me and whilst featuring queer relationships nothing actually gave me sapphic vibes. I thought the multiple perspectives weren't fully developed, leading some characters to feel more stale than others. There were times where Reid's writing and deep knowledge of the current coming of age as an adult shone through, however the shallow feeling of the characters prevented this from becoming a new favourite. I attended an author talk where Reid discussed her reasons for writing the novel but to me the themes she aimed to address weren't very visible at all.
Strangely less assured and incisive than her debut, but still highly readable.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like a character-driven book, and like that I have found a reasonably reliable author in Diana Reid. But I can’t say that I’d recommend this read to anyone. Nothing really sunk home for me like it did in Love & Virtue; if you’re going to populate your novel with frustrating characters, I would at least like some sort of depth of feeling to be stirred.
In more concrete terms, I don’t like stories that rely on miscommunication or, it would seem, lies by omission. I also just never quite cared that much about any of the drama.
In more concrete terms, I don’t like stories that rely on miscommunication or, it would seem, lies by omission. I also just never quite cared that much about any of the drama.
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took a bit for me to get into this book, and I’m not too sure why. I think the central storyline focusing on boundary violations in a sororial relationship was topic I struggled with, in part because I found it unpleasant. But I also appreciated the writing style and at points in the middle and towards the end of the novel became much more drawn in. I’m not sure it’s one I’ll think back to a lot but can appreciate it nonetheless, hence my rating of 3.75.
emotional
slow-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
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes