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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
This book deals with difficult topics, including but not limited to child neglect, panic attacks, depression, and PTSD. Please read mindfully.
This book is so weird. It doesn’t really do the things a book is supposed to do. There isn’t really a beginning, or an end. You simply enter Enid’s life one day, then jump around through her life until you reach the author’s acknowledgements page.
And yet, I found it oddly engaging? The rambling narrative and the interspersed flashbacks slowly seemed to become more intentionally misleading, which in turn made me more curious about the story. Seemingly random thoughts or moments started to provide more insight into the story and I found it fascinating.
Enid is an unreliable narrator but she doesn’t know she’s an unreliable narrator. She thinks she’s a bad person, that she’s insane, that something is fundamentally wrong with her. She’s trying to convince the reader of her instability and insanity. But what she comes to realize is that the things she thinks make her faulty are things everyone struggles with. That there are rational explanations for seemingly irrational thoughts. While this book did very much feel like a descent into mental instability, it also showed someone starting the journey back to stability.
I always like stories that delve into the messy parts of being human. I like when mysteries are solved. I like when characters work to make themselves better.
This book should work but it does. It’s is incredibly weird, but also uniquely charming.
Barely got into the first five pages when I got too confused with how disjointed it was and hopped all over the place, in just 5 damn pages! I don't fw that type of stuff.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
emotional
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
"She and I were just speaking about my childhood. She had me answer an extensive list of questions. This is the result. I feel like I just completed a warped personality quiz and instead of finding out which dog breed matches my soul, I am being officially branded mentally ill, traumatized, and neurodivergent."
"I don't trust myself. I think if I don't restrain myself I become so selfish, opportunistic, and dishonest. I am pretending to be someone normal but I'm not. If I let my guard down, I'm liable to hurt people. I'm always fighting this impulse to find people who might love me. I make dating profiles and meet up with them to validate myself. It feels like a game. I feel like I'm playing something dangerous, like an arsonist with matches. I want to trick them into loving me, to test if I am capable of being loved."
Queer book and author #5 of pride month!! I loved this book so much, and it hit almost too close to home. If anyone who knows me wants a glimpse into how bad I could be, how bad I've been without significant therapy and cognitive restructuring, they should read this book. From the OCD/anxiety/trauma/neurodivergence all the way to her FEAR OF BALD MEN, this book really illuminated so many struggles that feel so relevant and relatable to me.
One thing I really loved about this book is that it's a book of mostly nothings. While there's a semi big life reveal at the end, and a potential home intruder throughout, the main meat and potatoes of it is just the protagonists day to day life, living inside of her insane brain, going with her on her dates, bearing witness to her family drama and taking care of her mom, and being AFRAID OF BALD MEN. It was funny, it was delightful, it was gut wrenching; really well done.
Queer book and author #5 of pride month!! I loved this book so much, and it hit almost too close to home. If anyone who knows me wants a glimpse into how bad I could be, how bad I've been without significant therapy and cognitive restructuring, they should read this book. From the OCD/anxiety/trauma/neurodivergence all the way to her FEAR OF BALD MEN, this book really illuminated so many struggles that feel so relevant and relatable to me.
One thing I really loved about this book is that it's a book of mostly nothings. While there's a semi big life reveal at the end, and a potential home intruder throughout, the main meat and potatoes of it is just the protagonists day to day life, living inside of her insane brain, going with her on her dates, bearing witness to her family drama and taking care of her mom, and being AFRAID OF BALD MEN. It was funny, it was delightful, it was gut wrenching; really well done.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
The ending redeemed this book a little but the beginning 2/3 were kind of tough. I didn’t feel super invested.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship