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libbyhb's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy
slutforhotwings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
caleighrosebud's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
sorcha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Addiction, and Alcohol
e_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
What I liked: the characters. They felt very human, with complex lives. Typically I don’t like books that split narration between two characters, but this was executed pretty well. I was never confused about who was narrating, and the characters definitely had different voices. I actually didn’t mind the no dialogue marks style that Sally Rooney has, but it definitely gave the book a distinct feeling. It helped it feel more cohesive as one narrative, even though the characters are all their own people.
The spicy scenes were pretty good as well, they felt very human. It’s definitely there though, so be warned. I think for most of the book, the characters only say I love you during it, which is interesting.
What I didn’t like: at some points the prose became nearly unreadable because she put it in so many commas. You could just tell that some pages were trying really hard to be poetic but they kept making run on sentences.
Also, at the very end I believe both Alice and Eileen send an email, about two years in the future, updating each other (but really the reader) on their lives. This is a great way to recap EXCEPT Sally Rooney brings in the pandemic. The characters are existing in roughing December 2020. I hated this, because it took me out of the world the book was in. Not every real life event needs to be reflected in novels (would you write 9/11 into a book if it wasn’t relevant?). It’s made even worse because it’s precisely this book where she wrote about how because of how fast everything moves now, pieces of media can’t exist in the generic “now,” they need to be placed on our specific timeline. And Rooney does well at this throughout—she gives technology generic descriptions like “social media” or “scrolling through pictures” so I can’t for the life of me figure out why she would bring in the pandemic.
Also, I did accidentally get the large print from the library, so I may have unfairly docked .25 stars just because of the slightly worse reading experience.
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Pregnancy
lex_r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
brynhayes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
hannahlouise_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Abortion
mkalany's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
bcooper21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness and Drug use
Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Self harm