Reviews with content warning for Abortion - No One Is Talking About This

"No One Is Talking About This" isn't perfect, but the reason I rated it so highly is because it's stuck with me more than any other book I've read recently. Weeks after finishing it, I've continued to think about both the content and the writing style.

This book definitely isn't for everyone. I can see how someone who doesn't have a similar relationship with internet culture could find the frequent references grating or nonsensical. However, I found the way that Lockwood wrote about "the portal" weaving itself into everyday life relatable and realistic. The first half was fun, but it was the second half that made this book deeply special. The way the main character's relationship with the portal changed over the course of a major life event felt so real,

and the emotional delivery of the hardship her family endured together was extremely moving

.

I don't have the exact words for why this book made such an impression on me, but I do I highly recommend it to anyone who has spent too many hours scrolling through twitter, reddit, or tiktok.

Content Warnings

savannahtrice's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I can't get over this book and how much it affected me emotionally. Lockwood's fragmented and stream-of-consciousness-ish writing style accurately embodied the mind of someone who spends 5+ hours on social media a day (formerly me). In part one you are laughing and relating and taking pictures of every paragraph to send to post on your story (ironic in hindsight), and in part two your heart is ripped out of your chest and you are feeling every emotion the main character is feeling. It was so comforting to read a book that writes, so beautifully, all of the thoughts I've had about the internet and the culture social media has created, with prose I could only dream of crafting. Read this book if you want to laugh and cry and rethink everything.

Content Warnings

mganallirt's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

1.5

Content Warnings

samarakroeger's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

this book is timely and prescient (in part two, please don't give up on it). I had no idea what the second half of the book was going to be about, just that it was a novel in two parts. Unlike some other books I've read this year where the first 80-100 pages are confusing and don't make sense (ahem, Piranesi), I actually found the internet references in the first half weirdly comforting and I flew through it. I'd primarily recommend this for children of the 90s who spent the 2010s online. This is a book about the internet written by someone who clearly has spent a lot of time online and has mixed feelings about it. This level of nuance is missing from most books discussing the internet, which are often quite anti- or quite pro-social media.

Content Warnings

jourdanicus's review against another edition

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funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What the hell. I automatically give 5 stars to any book that makes me laugh AND cry. This book was at first exactly what I thought it was going to be and just as hilarious, and then before I knew what was happening it was something else completely. I usually don't care about spoilers but I'd never want to spoil this for anyone else, but do check trigger warnings if you're sensitive.

I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

Content Warnings