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reading_racc00n's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
x_tora's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
justreaditalreadypod's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
louismunozjr's review against another edition
3.0
Pride Month 2023 Read #2: 2.5 stars.
I knew this book would not necessarily be a "happy" read, given that Justin, one of the two main characters struggles with severe mental health issues as the book toggles back and forth between when he is 17 and another timeline that starts when he is in his mid-thirties and then progresses forward in the book into his forties. His relationship with his sister Willa, the other main character and his godawful mother, are also depressing, but worst of all is the car wreck of a relationship he had in high school with Nick, a couple of years older than Justin. Without giving anything away, Nick involves Justin in a horrible tragedy, one with reverberations for Justin and his mental and physical health for decades to come. Basically, it unmoors him and sets him up for many years of difficulties relating to people, holding jobs, etc.
There is a lot of great writing in this debut, and at one point I thought this book would end up rating 4 stars, but I'm giving it only two, "It was okay." I could see this book being praised for its literary qualities, but it didn't take me anywhere better for having read it. Not always what I need from a book, but again, not to give away any spoilers, this book served up a lot of bleakness and pretty much no way out of it for the characters, nor for me, the reader.
I knew this book would not necessarily be a "happy" read, given that Justin, one of the two main characters struggles with severe mental health issues as the book toggles back and forth between when he is 17 and another timeline that starts when he is in his mid-thirties and then progresses forward in the book into his forties. His relationship with his sister Willa, the other main character and his godawful mother, are also depressing, but worst of all is the car wreck of a relationship he had in high school with Nick, a couple of years older than Justin. Without giving anything away, Nick involves Justin in a horrible tragedy, one with reverberations for Justin and his mental and physical health for decades to come. Basically, it unmoors him and sets him up for many years of difficulties relating to people, holding jobs, etc.
There is a lot of great writing in this debut, and at one point I thought this book would end up rating 4 stars, but I'm giving it only two, "It was okay." I could see this book being praised for its literary qualities, but it didn't take me anywhere better for having read it. Not always what I need from a book, but again, not to give away any spoilers, this book served up a lot of bleakness and pretty much no way out of it for the characters, nor for me, the reader.
vwojtowicz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lucyblack's review against another edition
dark
sad
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
1.5
I wanted to like this because I like novels about trauma and family and being queer. I thought I could get into it because there was one kind of likeable character. But it was bleak as. The women were shrill and cold, the men were mostly mean and gross. The whole book felt sticky and damp and grassy and the plot went nowhere.
chadh878's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This was a fantastically emotional ride all about trauma and I can’t say anything bad about this book.
misterkyle1901's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75