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sib_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Grief, Child death, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing and Police brutality
katchula's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Very funny, kinda sad.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Child death
Minor: Abortion
halfdracula's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
Read this in one sitting and cried a lot toward the end. I loved Priestdaddy, and here Patricia Lockwood again exercises her unique ability for accurate depictions of what it’s like to be a modern woman (and, it should be said, also Thom Yorke, whom I was thinking of before she wrote his name). Strange and beautiful and thoughtful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Child death, and Medical content
Moderate: Abortion
definitely do not advise to anyone who is or may soon become pregnantquirkygirlreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Grief, and Abortion
camillatd's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.5
Man, this book is SO good. It's unlike anything else I have ever read. I don't even want to explain it too much--just (check the content warnings and) read it. Lockwood's prose is incredible, and she lays bare truths about internet culture, society, family, and relationships with razor sharp sentences. This book is weird, wonderful, and an absolutely necessary and biting commentary on Being Online.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Abortion, Ableism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content
hazmatz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
it's a good thing this moves relatively fast because I was prepared to call this overrated...but the second half...indeed that good
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness
camillej's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, and Child death
Minor: Abortion
lochanreads's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If only this book consisted of only the second part and not whatever the first part was. This book was disjointed, completely unhinged, highly irregular albeit in a purposeful capacity. The second part of the story had much more coherence and a very significant ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Child death
nataliereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Pregnancy
the_bitchy_booker's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is an addictive, stunning account of being absolutely immersed in the internet and then, suddenly, coming unplugged.
The narrator is internet-famous for asking whether or not dogs can be twins. The first half of the book reads and feels exactly like falling down the rabbit hole of the internet, where one thought follows another follows another and they all begin to warp together, to warp each other, to warp you.
Then, suddenly, her sister becomes pregnant. This does not dislodge her from the whirlwind behind the screen. What does it is the diagnosis in utero of a life -threatening rare genetic disease. I can't be the only person who stopped reading to Google the baby's illness, which in itself makes you reflect on the theme of the novel. What does it is her sister not being able to get an abortion or even an early induction. What does it is the marvelous, miraculous short life of a beloved child, into whom we are all absorbed.
The tone of the novel shifts, and we never again fall back into the reality of the internet. It never gets a hold on us, or the narrator, after coming face to face with incontrovertible, undimmable life.
A stunning reflection on life in these bizarre times.
Could this novel win the Booker? It's about the internet and very political so probably not. (I know the award has been announced but I haven't checked the winner so please don't spoil me).
TW for mention of rape, child illness, infant death, sexually crude language.
Passing reference to the existence of LGBTQ+ people.
The narrator is internet-famous for asking whether or not dogs can be twins. The first half of the book reads and feels exactly like falling down the rabbit hole of the internet, where one thought follows another follows another and they all begin to warp together, to warp each other, to warp you.
Then, suddenly, her sister becomes pregnant. This does not dislodge her from the whirlwind behind the screen. What does it is the diagnosis in utero of a life -threatening rare genetic disease. I can't be the only person who stopped reading to Google the baby's illness, which in itself makes you reflect on the theme of the novel. What does it is her sister not being able to get an abortion or even an early induction. What does it is the marvelous, miraculous short life of a beloved child, into whom we are all absorbed.
The tone of the novel shifts, and we never again fall back into the reality of the internet. It never gets a hold on us, or the narrator, after coming face to face with incontrovertible, undimmable life.
A stunning reflection on life in these bizarre times.
Could this novel win the Booker? It's about the internet and very political so probably not. (I know the award has been announced but I haven't checked the winner so please don't spoil me).
TW for mention of rape, child illness, infant death, sexually crude language.
Passing reference to the existence of LGBTQ+ people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion