Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

All This Could Be Different: A Novel by Sarah Thankam Mathews

31 reviews

archiveofrasa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

started this because I loved the voice, stayed because of the outstanding character work. Sneha is such an interesting and well realised character, as are all the other characters, Tig, Thom, Marina, Amit. even the more minor characters add a lot of realistic depth to what the book is trying to explore. 

I didn't realise until I was days deep into my annotating reread that the story is exactly what Sneha says it is in the beginning:

This is not a story about work or precarity. I am trying, late in the evening, to say something about love, which for many of us is not separable from the other shit.
—A1
 
when you read said story and the words and symbolism click into place, it's deeply satisfying. the book isn't trying to explore how Sneha directly navigates the capitalistic society of 2013-beyond, that aspect simply falls back as a foundation, as the unmovable constant in her life that continues to push her down. ATCBD is about Sneha as a person, her issues with intimacy, community, family, identity. the way Mathews going about exploring these facets intertwined with work life, as adult life must endure these days, was super compelling and so new. 

while Sneha was absolutely a pain in the ass, all we gathered from her before she hurts others makes me want to know how things end for her, what other choices she makes and why she makes them. I've stopped looking for likeable main characters and instead found myself gravitating towards those who do fuck up, have problematic issues as to why they fuck up, those who have to learn things the hard way, especially if those people are queer people of colour. these stories awaken a sense of realism I definitely needed and even if it has only subtly made its way into the wrinkles of my brain, it'll stay with me for a long time. 
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hhbaker's review against another edition

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emotional reflective
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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sammyofthevalley's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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

This wasn’t my type of book - I don’t usually read sad endings or books which are completely focused on angst. However, I also feel justified in disliking it, as the main character never develops. My FAVORITE part of books is character development, but the only upward motion we see in S is because of a time skip when the development has happened without the reader. I would have liked a lot more payoff for suffering through her situation. But that’s how life is
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academic_mama's review against another edition

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2.0

Loved the Milwaukee setting—I lived there during the book’s timeline and have been to the Y-Not 😂

Totally turned off by the explicit language/sex stuff. Also fat-shame. Just not for me. Protagonist is a bit too twee.
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meemawreads's review against another edition

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  • 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

3.0

This book didn't stick with me as a whole. In the month since I read it, I've forgotten the end. I still remember the MC's transphobia that mysteriously resolves with no explanation? I remember how obsessed she is with thin, white women, too. Internalized white supremacy was strong.
Hilariously, I also remember starting to root for her to kiss Tom because I am rooting for him...
a lesbian book emphasizing my straightness how embarrassing. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this if you hate dysfunctional relationships and remembering the chaos of your early post-college days. I would recommend this to someone who likes flawed protagonists and appreciates the complications of immigrant family stories. Three taters 🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
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calicos's review against another edition

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dark inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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thisbookrox's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

i enjoyed this book. the prose was strong, there were lovable characters, and i enjoyed the timeline. 

highlights - Tig is an amazing friend, the found family storyline really stuck with me, and the story overall was a reminder of how close all of us in the working class are to slipping into poverty. 

i am taking a star away because of the fatphobia and transphobia. the MC did improve over the course of the story, but there were very blunt comments and rants about these things. 
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enlamont's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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thebookpirahna's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective 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

3.75

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janaptrsn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Truly an extraordinarily beautifully complex novel. What drew me in was the cover art, of course; the fact that it played in Milwaukee, a city I have personal ties to; and the perspective of a queer brown immigrant. From the first few pages, I was drawn into the setting of the book by its beautiful prose, which in some parts still felt like reading a diary or text from a friend. Reading „All this could be different“ feels like being inside a complex, reflective, stubborn, colorful, hurt, loving, sad mind. While I could relate so some experiences, I could also grasp other experiences I had bo personal relation to. The characters in this book are multi-faceted and refreshingly human. This book captures life so far in the twenty-first century from an intensely realistic lense and touches on many important societal issues. It is painful and soothing at the same time. It is real, and I would recommend it to every human out there. Thank you Sarah Thankam Mathews, I am so looking forward to your future work!
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