Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

113 reviews

pmejia's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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shaylac's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The characters and their relationships are intriguing, yet there's a sense of self-absorption that can be a tad much. The prose, while occasionally sophisticated, may border on pretentious, and the pacing tends to drag in certain spots.


The exploration of friendship and love carries depth, but it feels like Rooney didn't quite hit the mark. There are glimpses of brilliance, but the overall storytelling lacks the punch I was hoping for. It's a hesitant four stars, acknowledging the highlights amid the imperfections.

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katjayorke's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative lighthearted 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

4.0

This was a breezy, stimulating read that covered macro and micro topics. The love stories were realistic and jarring, similarly to the characters themselves. It was relatable and relieving all in one. 

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veroverovero000's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • 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

4.25


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lovelybubbles's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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

3.0


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livimack's review against another edition

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challenging informative lighthearted reflective tense 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

2.5

My thoughts during the first half:
  1. I’ve never seen a better piece of evidence that Sally Rooney was a competitive debater. 
  2. If I were in a different headspace, I imagine I would have liked this book. 
  3. Unfortunately, I was not in the right headspace for this book, so all I heard was a bunch of narcissists saying perfectly mundane statements like they’re the most revolutionary of intellectual ideas in the world.
  4. Oh well, at least I’ve been reading better books at the same time. 
Thoughts from the second half:
  1. Okay I admit that even though I am not in the right headspace to appreciate this book, it’s definitely growing on me. 
  2. It still feels like a load of ideas have been shoehorned in by someone who really wants to write serious non-fiction but isn’t allowed to. 
  3. If anyone wants to chat at any point about how hard Sally Rooney projects into her own characters, feel free to hit me up. 
  4. Either way the characters have grown on me a lot. 
  5. As much as I still feel like she was overly reliant on sex scenes as a narrative tool, I still want to know why she didn’t give me an orgy.  
  6. The book was weirdly Shakespearean at times. 
  7. Yeah, no, I don’t regret reading this - it definitely grew on me. 
  8. This is the first audiobook with an Irish narrator that I’ve ever sped up the speed of. 

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lucyeanderson's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced
  • 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

5.0

it definitely would appear that i give 5 stars out left right and centre, maybe because i honestly get emotionally attached to almost every book i read - but this one was truly a million out of ten. i’m concerned that sally rooney may actually be able to see into my brain, because particularly eileen was one of the most relatable characters i’ve ever experienced. i loved seeing the relationships of the two couples develop - i really rooted for them and the realistic way the progression of their relationships was detailed. felix and simon were also two ends of a spectrum of men that any young woman can relate to - i saw them in my own friends and partners visually and mentally. i also think alice and eileen’s friendship is one of the first time i’ve truly seen a long distance friendship accurately portrayed in a new adult book. it made me think of my own best friend, and sparked a two hour phone call when we hadn’t spoken in weeks. the email chapters were some of my favourites, and their discussion of society, history and religion really furthered the plot while providing an interesting and attention-holding intermission. it made me think on a lot of subjects more deeply, such as what it is to be a young woman in the current times and the priorities i have in my life. it showed me that prioritising loving and spending time with others is not a bad thing, but is rather something to aspire to. this book means a lot to me, and to think of a world without sally rooneys writing is something i’m not prepared to do. as always adore adore adore.

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ericispublius's review against another edition

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dark emotional relaxing 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

3.75


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alyssaherrington's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Sally Rooney’s ability to put emotion in word will always be a reason why i love her work. She so beautifully captured what it feels like to experience the contrast of every day life - feeling the magnitude of the world and how small it may make you feel, or the crux of thinking your own problems may be trivial in comparison to the greater multitude & how insincere it sometimes feels to care about who you’re hooking up with or who you love and your common relationships  that make up your life. i thought this was a beautiful read that captured the nuances of various relationships you may have in your life and how they make you who you are. 

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ellaford's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my favourite release from Sally Rooney yet. The way this is written gives so much yet leaves so much for interpretation, and her magic with describing emotional complexities we all feel is just amazing. This book is funny, dark, sexy, reflective and a great commentary on the state of the world. 

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