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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
that white man made my hair stand up on end the utter millisecond he uttered the word 'powwow'
The main character, Ava, is very fascinating to read as I felt somewhat relatable to her personality at times and really felt for her grief. I also work at a big tech company so I was very amused by all the satirical jokes about corporate culture. I enjoyed the book for most of it, but then it took a dark turn, which I realized was not for me since I don’t enjoy thrillers. The ending and plot feel cheap in the end.
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am surprised I don’t see more people talking about this book. I would describe it as a clever, quirky, mildly twisty workplace satire. Our protagonist, Ava, designs boxes for a trendy IKEA-esque furniture company. Still grieving and struggling with depression and anxiety after surviving a tragic car accident, Ava retreats into her shell and sleepwalks through life until the arrival of her new boss, the young and bro-ey Mathew. Things start to get weird as their relationship develops, and the plot gets rolling from there.
Overall, I highly recommend this read. The characters are relatable (well, some of them) and their development and the relationships between them are rich and realistic. The authors artfully incorporate themes of grief, friendship, and that feeling that something is “off” about someone but you can’t quite put your finger on why…all while poking fun at modern corporate culture in a unique story that manages to be dark and lighthearted at the same time. It may leave you wondering wtf you just read.
Overall, I highly recommend this read. The characters are relatable (well, some of them) and their development and the relationships between them are rich and realistic. The authors artfully incorporate themes of grief, friendship, and that feeling that something is “off” about someone but you can’t quite put your finger on why…all while poking fun at modern corporate culture in a unique story that manages to be dark and lighthearted at the same time. It may leave you wondering wtf you just read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Death
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A delightful take down of male entitlement and corporate culture. And don't worry, the dogs are okay.
Content Warning: car accidents, stalkers
Content Warning: car accidents, stalkers
This book was really interesting. I have no idea where I got the recommendation from but I loved how it sounded a bit different to the things I usually read, so I picked it up. It didn't disappoint.
This is the story of Ava, a designer at a company called STADA, who has a backstory which means she has become a little bit reclusive. The story quite quickly takes us into this backstory, though it's clear that Ava has always been slightly shy, even prior to those events. She is quite rigid with her ways and likes to work hard and be at home with her dog, Brutus.
Things change for Ava when a new manager joins the company, Mat. Although Mat is so different from what Ava likes and feels comfortable with, she quickly falls under his spell after a brief time finding him repulsive. The book follows Ava's and the company's relationship with Mat, a man of charm and so much more...
I really enjoyed a lot about this book. From the outset, the writing style and the world we were living in was clear. Ava's rigidity was shown through the way that the prose was crafted, with little intricacies like the capitalisation of STADA furniture names, which Ava always seemed to notice. Ava's rigidity wasn't a barrier to her being likable, it was just enough to understand her struggles and build a reader-character relationship.
I loved that I had literally no idea where the plot was going. It often felt like things were happening really quickly, meaning that the predictable elements of the story passed quickly and allowed the reader to spend some time wallowing in the possibilities.
There was also an overall hipster feel to the book. You had a quirky company which made furniture, a manager who barreled in with so many of those classic bro management techniques and the overall setting on Brooklyn with its independent businesses. It felt timely, cosily fitting in to where we are now with culture.
A solid book which is worth devouring, as you will devour it.
This is the story of Ava, a designer at a company called STADA, who has a backstory which means she has become a little bit reclusive. The story quite quickly takes us into this backstory, though it's clear that Ava has always been slightly shy, even prior to those events. She is quite rigid with her ways and likes to work hard and be at home with her dog, Brutus.
Things change for Ava when a new manager joins the company, Mat. Although Mat is so different from what Ava likes and feels comfortable with, she quickly falls under his spell after a brief time finding him repulsive. The book follows Ava's and the company's relationship with Mat, a man of charm and so much more...
I really enjoyed a lot about this book. From the outset, the writing style and the world we were living in was clear. Ava's rigidity was shown through the way that the prose was crafted, with little intricacies like the capitalisation of STADA furniture names, which Ava always seemed to notice. Ava's rigidity wasn't a barrier to her being likable, it was just enough to understand her struggles and build a reader-character relationship.
I loved that I had literally no idea where the plot was going. It often felt like things were happening really quickly, meaning that the predictable elements of the story passed quickly and allowed the reader to spend some time wallowing in the possibilities.
There was also an overall hipster feel to the book. You had a quirky company which made furniture, a manager who barreled in with so many of those classic bro management techniques and the overall setting on Brooklyn with its independent businesses. It felt timely, cosily fitting in to where we are now with culture.
A solid book which is worth devouring, as you will devour it.
This book was wild and so entertaining, endearing, engaging and all the emotions.
Definitely hit the startup dude character on the head as well as an the other cliches about life now.
Weird and wonderful read.
Definitely hit the startup dude character on the head as well as an the other cliches about life now.
Weird and wonderful read.
funny
mysterious
reflective