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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the writing in this is so strong. honestly not a ton of stuff happens, but the babitz's prose is so fun and captivating that you don’t even always care. i loved the style of her writing — dry, sly, witty, flowery. her descriptions of characters made them instantly intriguing. there were lots of details, but it was still easy to read. jovial and fun. love the descriptions of jacaranda's imposter syndrome. jacaranda seems a little silly but also real, so i at least couldn’t dislike her. i wanted her to succeed. i liked how real the descriptions of addiction were. i also liked seeing the nyc vs la dynamic, her resistance to being drawn in by nyc and its glitz and glamour. i loved the ending, not overly done but tying back the beginning. i think i was just thrown by the pacing -- something was off, but i could never quite tell what. i often felt slightly disoriented. still, i would definitely read more babitz.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness
funny
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
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I found the problems in the book to be very simple and relatable, and Jacaranda more like a friend than some untouchable novel character. While some of the plots points are totally unrealistic to the average person’s life, the characters have such real traits that I felt I could map them onto people I knew personally. And, I liked the portrayal of LA, and Jacaranda. I felt sad for her, happy for her. It’s all very coming of age and it’s hard not to look at through a judgmental veil, but that’s how it always seems people look at young people.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just enjoy the way Eve Babitz writes very much, I love the subject matter and how she’s not trying to do anything crazy or pretentious but simply writes what she likes and knows, for people who are likeminded. I find it funny how all of her female characters are the most beautiful women you’ve ever met and if it was a male writer it would be weird but I just believe that as a woman, she does think that every woman has something truly beautiful and unique about them which I enjoyed. The last chapter was lovely. I like beautiful things and so does Eve Babitz, I like being unserious but sometimes serious but at the end of the day unserious about being serious.
adventurous
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
SO FUN!! I cant believe I didnt read this sooner - after my 70s Southern California obsession started. I want to be Jacaranda when I'm older. I also love Babitz writing; absolutely 0 dialogue but i still know everything i need to know about the characters. So so good at narrating the subtleties of life during that time that really made it the iconic era it was.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character