Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Vladimir

all I’m going to say is that I know my own taste! I can see how other people would hate it, but I loved it! This book might have a pretty low rating, but don’t let that dissuade you from reading it (provided you know what it is and is not).

when I first heard about this book towards the beginning of the year, I had recently read both Rebecca and My Dark Vanessa, which are both similar to Vladimir. The description of this book instantly called out to me and I’m glad I heard about it before seeing the horrendous, misleading cover. If you liked either of those books, I think you will be drawn in by Vladimir!

That stupid shirtless man cover is so not the vibe of the book itself and I think it can be safely said that the low rating is at least somewhat due to people not getting what they were expecting. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE BOOK. if you’re a fan of other “unhinged woman” books, I thought this book had an excellent train wreck of a narrator that drags the reader along for the ride.

I thought the ending was a little unnecessary and abrupt, but overall it did not detract from my reading enjoyment.

Content Warnings

rynicolereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

Vladimir was not at all what I expected. The narrator is an older, female professor whose husband —the head of the English department— is currently under scrutiny for inappropriate relationships with students. The writing is witty and compelling, and the story's premise sucked me in immediately. Although it wasn't a favorite, I loved Julia May Jonas's writing and look forward to reading whatever she writes next!

Content Warnings

maregred's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

hermithebs's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-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

3.0

Content Warnings

lit_fic_nic_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

owlliecat's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

While this is typically not a type of Novel I would read, I did find it intriguing. I've never read a novel before we're an older woman pursuing a younger man was the focus of the novel. There is not one character that I actually grew to love oh, but I was fascinated with all of them. I did not feel that it was a happy book with a happy ending, but I feel that the author got the point of self-reflection, obsession, and complexity across.

Content Warnings

sydneybedell's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

literarylion's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

Pros:

Impeccable character development
The pacing matched the weird twists the story took so every choice the characters made was contextualized and made sense
Definitely a unique take on a college drama

Cons:

Some of the more minor characters were caricatures
I was a bit confused about whether Jonas was critiquing rampant sexual harassment in academia or claiming the reaction to it was disproportionate. Maybe a little of both?

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