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laurenscholle's review
5.0
Read it ASAP. 5/5 stars.
I love being queer and books like this remind me of why. The history, the love, the mixed emotions -- all of it on display in this book. Strong writing and a great story. It wasn't necessarily plot-heavy, it was just a peek into Artie's life, past and present. Each character, no matter how minor, had a backstory, which I appreciated.
I read this while reading "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" and it just made this book more impactful. Knowing the history behind the era Artie and his friends grew up in made this book better.
I hope this becomes a book that people talk about, not just in queer spaces.
I love being queer and books like this remind me of why. The history, the love, the mixed emotions -- all of it on display in this book. Strong writing and a great story. It wasn't necessarily plot-heavy, it was just a peek into Artie's life, past and present. Each character, no matter how minor, had a backstory, which I appreciated.
I read this while reading "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" and it just made this book more impactful. Knowing the history behind the era Artie and his friends grew up in made this book better.
I hope this becomes a book that people talk about, not just in queer spaces.
katherinethegreat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book - Bobby has an incredibly specific writing voice that I love. It’s at once acerbic and incisive, but also the heart and emotion of his characters is so present.
This book is great at putting the pieces together of the life of the main character, Artie, and showing the blossoming of his “third chapter” while also showing the all-consuming people of his younger years and what happened to them.
I recommend this to people who love NYC, friendship and found family.
This book is great at putting the pieces together of the life of the main character, Artie, and showing the blossoming of his “third chapter” while also showing the all-consuming people of his younger years and what happened to them.
I recommend this to people who love NYC, friendship and found family.
bethreadsandnaps's review
4.25
4.25 stars
Bobby Finger's sophomore novel FOUR SQUARES is a great novel, just like his debut. In this novel, the reader is introduced to the main character Artie when he turns 30 in the first chapter, and he's working at an ad agency in a job he doesn't like. He is tight with his two friends Adam and Kimberly, and they go out to their favorite bar to celebrate, and he meets an elusive love interest named Abraham. Then the narrative flashes forward 30 years to Artie's 60th birthday, and we find him lonely without any of the friends we were introduced to in the first chapter and in seek of companionship but not knowing how to go about it. He decides to volunteer at a gay and lesbian senior activities center, and Artie soon breaks his foot. That forces him to stop volunteering and be on the receiving end of the services, and he meets some fellow older gay men. Will his cynical heart open up to accept friendship and possibly more?
The author is great at writing characters that you feel for and empathize with. I "got" Artie, even though I'm a heterosexual woman. I always enjoy an older protagonist who is a little stuck and trying to find their way. I appreciated the insider's view of gay culture in the 1990s (and 2020s).
I liked going back and forth in time. The chapters are fairly long, so you get enough time in each year that you can sink into it.
I did feel that narrative could have been a bit more cohesive. It felt like some things (Adam and Kimberly's disappearance as friends, for instance) were dangled for far too long, and then it was a little anticlimactic when the reader finds out what happened. Also, it was difficult for me to differentiate Jim from Ellis in the 2022 timeline.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I loved the message that it's never too late to find your friend group.
Bobby Finger's sophomore novel FOUR SQUARES is a great novel, just like his debut. In this novel, the reader is introduced to the main character Artie when he turns 30 in the first chapter, and he's working at an ad agency in a job he doesn't like. He is tight with his two friends Adam and Kimberly, and they go out to their favorite bar to celebrate, and he meets an elusive love interest named Abraham. Then the narrative flashes forward 30 years to Artie's 60th birthday, and we find him lonely without any of the friends we were introduced to in the first chapter and in seek of companionship but not knowing how to go about it. He decides to volunteer at a gay and lesbian senior activities center, and Artie soon breaks his foot. That forces him to stop volunteering and be on the receiving end of the services, and he meets some fellow older gay men. Will his cynical heart open up to accept friendship and possibly more?
The author is great at writing characters that you feel for and empathize with. I "got" Artie, even though I'm a heterosexual woman. I always enjoy an older protagonist who is a little stuck and trying to find their way. I appreciated the insider's view of gay culture in the 1990s (and 2020s).
I liked going back and forth in time. The chapters are fairly long, so you get enough time in each year that you can sink into it.
I did feel that narrative could have been a bit more cohesive. It felt like some things (Adam and Kimberly's disappearance as friends, for instance) were dangled for far too long, and then it was a little anticlimactic when the reader finds out what happened. Also, it was difficult for me to differentiate Jim from Ellis in the 2022 timeline.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I loved the message that it's never too late to find your friend group.
cstonehamjudge's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this 'stages of life' story following Artie, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and his time living in NYC. The story switches between Artie's life when he was in his thirties as well as in his sixties. A heartfelt story full of life, relationships, work, family, loss, belonging. I feel like this story has something for everyone to relate to. The author was able to address the AIDS/HIV epidemic with decency and I only wish we could have dove deeper into the characters that surrounded Artie. 4/5 ⭐️
yikes00's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
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