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brookepriestas's review against another edition
5.0
May be one of the best novels I have read in the last few years. A long read but held my attention on every page. Strongly recommend!
bookpunhere's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
This book is stunning and it ruined my life.
poplartears's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
rachelmeinke's review against another edition
4.0
Such a beautiful, touching story about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Chicago in the 1980s. It was tough to get through at times just because of how heavy the story was. But really is a must read.
suicidaldaron's review against another edition
3.0
the first half of this book is really awkward, but the very end hits the heart very nicely. 3.5
okay, i think ive collected my thoughts on this book. so first of all, i think everything with yale's story is perfect. i love how tragic it is, and how he dies completely alone and is very aware of this. i love how pitiful and heartbreaking it is to read, and his musings towards death. i think it's an excellent tragedy. the whole getting the art from nora was really hard to follow for me, and i feel like there should've been more of a connection between nora and yale, but i think it worked for what it was. i just really really liked yale's story, and found him really impactful to myself, personally. overall, i dont have many notes on his story besides that, and i never liked charlie anyways.
as for fiona...i justfeel like none of her story worked..i feel like her chapters were out of place, and something very bizarre to mix with a story of AIDS. i think her story is supposed to be that fiona never really got over nico or any of the boys she knew, but i feel like makkai doesn't get this message across very clearly. im pretty sure fiona and claire's relationship is supposed to be messed up BECAUSE fiona is still grieving her brother and friends but this doesn't really become clear until the very end. nothing is really explained about claire and fiona's relationship other than claire has just always really disliked her. it's also just all over the place, with claire being in a cult, then she's suddenly out of it and divorced from the man who dragged her into the cult, who ends up being nice anyways? its weird. and also, i just dont feel like fiona getting married and having a baby right as yale starts to die is very realistic to her? her pursuing a relationship during all of it makes sense, but she's suddenly married and with a child? it feels sort of rushed, but maybe that's the whole point. i dont like it, but i guess its fine.
also JULIAN. i dont have an issue with him surviving, my issue is that no one really cares very much that he's back, in a weird way? richard says he found him in the NINETIES. and what, he just never told fiona or yale? supposedly he and fiona have kept in contact, right? did i misread this part? and when julian comes back, he and fiona dont really have an intense reunion. julian smiles and plays it all off casually and fiona is shocked for a while but eventually just becomes okay with it. i feel like the reaction from both of them shouldve been so much more viscerale, or maybe they shouldve sat down together at some point and really talked. i dont know. the part of them in the exhibit, seeing the film of yale, nico, and charlie at the end was really well done. i could picture it perfectly and i really liked it.
the novel was good overall, but i feel like some parts of it were really awkward. i plan to reread it at some point, so maybe that'll help.
okay, i think ive collected my thoughts on this book. so first of all, i think everything with yale's story is perfect. i love how tragic it is, and how he dies completely alone and is very aware of this. i love how pitiful and heartbreaking it is to read, and his musings towards death. i think it's an excellent tragedy. the whole getting the art from nora was really hard to follow for me, and i feel like there should've been more of a connection between nora and yale, but i think it worked for what it was. i just really really liked yale's story, and found him really impactful to myself, personally. overall, i dont have many notes on his story besides that, and i never liked charlie anyways.
as for fiona...i justfeel like none of her story worked..i feel like her chapters were out of place, and something very bizarre to mix with a story of AIDS. i think her story is supposed to be that fiona never really got over nico or any of the boys she knew, but i feel like makkai doesn't get this message across very clearly. im pretty sure fiona and claire's relationship is supposed to be messed up BECAUSE fiona is still grieving her brother and friends but this doesn't really become clear until the very end. nothing is really explained about claire and fiona's relationship other than claire has just always really disliked her. it's also just all over the place, with claire being in a cult, then she's suddenly out of it and divorced from the man who dragged her into the cult, who ends up being nice anyways? its weird. and also, i just dont feel like fiona getting married and having a baby right as yale starts to die is very realistic to her? her pursuing a relationship during all of it makes sense, but she's suddenly married and with a child? it feels sort of rushed, but maybe that's the whole point. i dont like it, but i guess its fine.
also JULIAN. i dont have an issue with him surviving, my issue is that no one really cares very much that he's back, in a weird way? richard says he found him in the NINETIES. and what, he just never told fiona or yale? supposedly he and fiona have kept in contact, right? did i misread this part? and when julian comes back, he and fiona dont really have an intense reunion. julian smiles and plays it all off casually and fiona is shocked for a while but eventually just becomes okay with it. i feel like the reaction from both of them shouldve been so much more viscerale, or maybe they shouldve sat down together at some point and really talked. i dont know. the part of them in the exhibit, seeing the film of yale, nico, and charlie at the end was really well done. i could picture it perfectly and i really liked it.
the novel was good overall, but i feel like some parts of it were really awkward. i plan to reread it at some point, so maybe that'll help.