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seventhevan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
joensign's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
gtsantos83's review
- 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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicide
beaniebabybecca's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While all 4 of them live in their privileged bubble of the art scene in 2011-2012, it was fascinating to see their character growth when all they need to worry about is how they’ll make money off their art, how they as people are perceived (which is tied to how to make money), their relationships with art and other artists.
The characters find their own muses in a way that feels genuine to them, even if ultimately I felt like shaking them by the shoulders to be like “OMG what are you DOING”.
This academia novel was a delicious jewel to listen to.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction and Drug use
sealbrecht's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Suicide
fionamclary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Like many readers, I had a hard time seeing how all four perspectives fit together. Often it felt like I was reading two to three different books. I think if all four characters had personal connections to each other, it would have worked much better. As it was, basically the only character that Louisa had any relation to was Karina. This made the different perspectives feel additionally disjointed. However, all characters went through satisfying development, whether for better or for worse. Preston, falling into the latter category, ended up being an interesting vehicle for exploring the intersection of art, capitalism, and the 2010s internet through a lens that captured both the 2011-2012 setting of the book and the hindsight that the author has 10 years later.
Speaking of the early 2010s...a small thing that bothered the heck out of me was the timeline of Preston's Tumblr. The book says that he started it shortly after his mother's death, which happened when he was 14. This would have been 7-8 years before the events of the book. Tumblr was launched in 2007, 4-5 years before the events of the book. I was surprised that a Millennial author would get this detail wrong—and she could have resolved it by saying that he started on another platform and then migrated to Tumblr, but no, it explicitly says that he started his Tumblr soon after his mom died. This bugged me way too much but I don't think it's an unreasonable thing to get right. Am I crazy??
I read this book in April 2024, as I'm watching encampments protesting the genocide in Gaza go up on university campuses across the country, so the Occupy setting of this book felt especially timely. I might recommend this book to anyone looking for parallels in their reading life to current events.
Anyway, I think this would be a solid read for the art girlies looking for something meditative and gay. Just don't expect it to be The queer academia of all time.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Dementia
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Police brutality, Grief, and Lesbophobia
paradicsomleves's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
hannahleewhite's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, and Dementia
tirrato's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Sexual harassment