Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Gdzie jesteś, piękny świecie by Sally Rooney

23 reviews

shaylac's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

3.5

The characters and their relationships are intriguing, yet there's a sense of self-absorption that can be a tad much. The prose, while occasionally sophisticated, may border on pretentious, and the pacing tends to drag in certain spots.

The exploration of friendship and love carries depth, but it feels like Rooney didn't quite hit the mark. There are glimpses of brilliance, but the overall storytelling lacks the punch I was hoping for. It's a hesitant four stars, acknowledging the highlights amid the imperfections.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Drug use, Mental illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, and Death of parent

katjayorke's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a breezy, stimulating read that covered macro and micro topics. The love stories were realistic and jarring, similarly to the characters themselves. It was relatable and relieving all in one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts

binetti'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

nevaleavitt'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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

tina_482's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts

currently_introverting's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness and Pandemic/Epidemic

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A

3.75

I appreciate sally rooney’s commitment to reality in the telling of this story. and I have to acknowledge that she writes characters that I relate to so deeply it’s uncomfortable. but the reality of it, while rendering it very thought-provoking at points, makes it boring at points. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Abortion

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-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

2.0

I HATED Felix so much. Maybe I still do. I actually had to stop reading because his abusive, manipulative, putting down behaviour triggered me so much. And then he sort of did an 180 after the party and I was like… hmm… was he being cruel to avoid his own feelings then? But still does that mean we excuse him? I don’t know. I just think Alice deserves better (much like that fan she mentions by the end, haha). And it seems like he has improved but… 😡
I like Simon, I believe, but Rooney’s choice with the age gap with him and Eileen made me SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Yes, they’re both older now but it was insinuated that he had these feelings since she was young even though he didn’t act on it. 
I’m not sure if I feel the best towards Eileen, though. While I understand her, she also undermined Alice’s work and mental health a lot and I don’t think that was fair or nice of a friend to do. Especially as someone who’s also in the literary field, it’s a little hypocritical.

 
But I’ve liked reading Rooney’s work so far (just read this and Normal People though). I like how she is able to portray the everyday life and the ‘seemingly mundane’ as dramatically and importantly as it feels. The ending of this felt a lot better and less sterile than that of Normal People’s (the book, at least). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

abbywriwri's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I love this author’s writing she writes character’s personalities so well. There is a sharp exact way to her writing even when she is writing about emotional topics she stays exact and succinct. I loved the characters and their flaws and personalities. I enjoyed the book but felt the ending was so sudden. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Drug use

alyssaherrington's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-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

4.75

Sally Rooney’s ability to put emotion in word will always be a reason why i love her work. She so beautifully captured what it feels like to experience the contrast of every day life - feeling the magnitude of the world and how small it may make you feel, or the crux of thinking your own problems may be trivial in comparison to the greater multitude & how insincere it sometimes feels to care about who you’re hooking up with or who you love and your common relationships  that make up your life. i thought this was a beautiful read that captured the nuances of various relationships you may have in your life and how they make you who you are. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders