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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
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:
Complicated
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Sexual content, Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault, Death of parent
emotional
funny
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
Instant favorite. A total bright spot in contemporary lit fic! So fun and fresh and flirty and also down-to-earth and relatable etc etc
I’ve been trying to pin down how I really feel about the book for a whole - and the truth is, I’m still somewhere unsure, in the middle. Fittingly, that’s exactly how the book itself felt: caught in between. It’s not quite funny, but not fully serious, either. It doesn’t clearly center on the protagonist, yet it’s not really about anyone else, either. Things happen, but somehow, it also feels like not much happens at all. Even the structure felt blurred - the beginning didn’t feel like the beginning, the middle didn’t feel like the middle, and the end didn’t feel like the end. It just felt like a continuous flow of moments that never quite settled into anything defined.
That said, the book has a genuine, unfiltered quality that I appreciated. It’s raw and real in a way that avoids the usual “romanticised” tropes. At times, though, it also felt like it was trying a little too hard to resonate with a younger audience - there was an almost performative relatability that didn’t always land. I think I would’ve connected with it more if I had read it during or just after university. Now, I found the characters frustrating as often as I found them endearing - but again, I kept swinging between the extremes.
Though it didn’t move me deeply, there’s something comforting in how it tackles familiar themes - friendship, love, identity, and all the complications that come with it. It doesn’t pretend to be unique or groundbreaking, and in that way, it leans into its relatability. It reads like a quiet confessional - those very human thoughts we often keep to ourselves, captured honestly on paper.
I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, but the steady undercurrent of drama kept me engaged. Overall, I would recommend it as a light, introspective read - something to fill the space between heavier books, especially for readers looking for a slice-of-life story with emotional nuance.
That said, the book has a genuine, unfiltered quality that I appreciated. It’s raw and real in a way that avoids the usual “romanticised” tropes. At times, though, it also felt like it was trying a little too hard to resonate with a younger audience - there was an almost performative relatability that didn’t always land. I think I would’ve connected with it more if I had read it during or just after university. Now, I found the characters frustrating as often as I found them endearing - but again, I kept swinging between the extremes.
Though it didn’t move me deeply, there’s something comforting in how it tackles familiar themes - friendship, love, identity, and all the complications that come with it. It doesn’t pretend to be unique or groundbreaking, and in that way, it leans into its relatability. It reads like a quiet confessional - those very human thoughts we often keep to ourselves, captured honestly on paper.
I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, but the steady undercurrent of drama kept me engaged. Overall, I would recommend it as a light, introspective read - something to fill the space between heavier books, especially for readers looking for a slice-of-life story with emotional nuance.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this story but I didn’t find the characters relatable or consistent. Rachel was portrayed as insecure in many of her choices, actions, and opinions of herself and yet was sure she could convince her professor to have a fling with her? Then begged for his help because his actions with her roommate upset her so much when he never showed interest in her? Despite keeping their secret, she then asked to work with his wife? Perhaps she was naive but she felt truly unhinged and illogical. If nonsensical actions were the author’s goal then it hits. Personally I couldn’t understand any sense of reality to their actions, especially Rachel’s.
emotional
funny
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
Couldn’t put it down. No notes! Everything I want from modern fiction.