Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Funny You Should Ask

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

27 reviews

tatiannaskye's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.25

Cute book that was a fast read. Loved how it jumped from past to present. The characters themselves were lovable, this book felt so real and that I was reading nonfiction. Overall I would definitely read this again!

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oliviastewart716's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

(4.75/5🌟) Loved these characters a whole lot, but for some reason didn’t connect with the story during a lot of it, even though I was entertained. Very close to a 5 star but missing the special something that makes it an all-time favorite. Also, a good portion of the book has wonderful small town vibes. :)

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dogbuttsandbooks's review against another edition

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sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I was so looking forward to this book - celebrity romances are my favorite. But this did not live up to the hype. The two main characters were miserable the entire book and frankly making some very morally questionable decisions the entire time. I hoped we’d get some social commentary about how society judges and shames women, celebrities forced to hide their sexuality, and more. But NOPE, nothing. Instead it was just two people being depressed and refusing to communicate like the adults they are (but really, was so excited to have MCs in their upper thirties and forties but these two acted more immaturely than most teenagers). I cannot recommend this book.

Also I’m deeply uncomfortable with the similarities between this book and the 2011 Chris Evans GQ article by Edith Zimmerman. The comprisons between Sussman's novel & Zimmerman's article are undeniable & uncomfortable. At the very LEAST the author should have mentioned the original GQ journalist in her acknowledgments (she does follow her on social media after all)! At most, she could have mixed up the details to make the dupe less obvious. Everything about this is icky.

You can find the GQ article here: https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-gq-july-2011-cover-story

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kaseybereading's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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internationalreads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

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cinderellasbookshelf's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK by Elissa Sussman is one of my new favorite books to have come out this year. It instantly grabbed and held me in from the very first few pages up until the very end. Unputdownable is the right word to summarize my feelings. Apart from the story alone, the writing, the format, and the themes it explored are what made this such a great and compelling read.

I love a good Hollywood story, and this is one that felt grounded. Celebrity and fame are such a surreal concept that garners so much fascination and I liked how this book breaks down that idea through Chani and Gabe’s weekend together. There is also the added intrigue of the intimacy between them.

The writing was great beat after beat. I also really loved the format, which went between Then (the weekend of the first interview) and Now (ten years later) while also including excerpts from articles and blog posts that filled in the gaps in between or were related to the events mentioned. Together it worked in giving every side of the story while still maintaining one perspective. It kept me invested and left me wondering, much like Chani, on what was real or if it all was just in her head and how she perceived it.

My one criticism is that I wanted to know why Gabe was so attracted to Chani upon just meeting her. I thought maybe he liked her because he read her writing and he just happened to be physically attracted to her. Yet, it still felt like something was missing. I really liked Chani (she’s a fan of The Philadelphia Story), I just wish there was more to explain that instant allure.

That aside, I liked Chani and Gabe’s chemistry both during their first interview and when they reunite years later. When they first met, they were young with their whole lives and careers still ahead of them. There was still so much uncertainty, but hope on whatever could happen next. When they see each other ten years later it’s different, but also familiar. They’ve grown and changed having been through a lot whether it was divorce or rehab, but there’s still that memory of what they almost had. The many depths this book will go, or at least how I interpreted it, is why I love it so much.

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booksfourlife's review against another edition

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funny informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

4.0

Thank you to both Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! The reason why I loved this book so much was that this was my first time reading a book that took place in Hollywood and was a second chance romance! This book did an excellent job at describing the true realities of what actors faced when they hit the big-screen. Funny you should ask features Chani who is an aspiring writer and Gabe Parker that is set to play James Bond in his new upcoming movie. The way Chani and Gabe’s friendship developed over the book really set the tone. Their banter was amazing! Our hero Gabe was truly just a great guy and I loved that no matter what he was always respectful towards Chani. As the story unravels readers can see how both characters were in a sticky situation in their romantic lives and they had to work hard in order to find their way back to each other. While I fully understand why Chani was upset at Gabe in the book I do love how Gabe also holds Chani accountable in their situationship. Funny You Should Ask features conversations about divorce, addiction, and insecurities so I recommend checking the full trigger warning list before you start reading! My only criticism of the book was that the slow-burn aspect of it made it hard to follow along at times. If you love the slow-burn trope this book might be for you!

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