Reviews with content warning for Racism - I'm a Fan

insightful but repetitive.
classism and race discussion were the highlights for me.
big TWs for infidelity & domestic abuse (physical, emotional, verbal) from the abuser's POV.
while reading about the fucked up relationships the narrator has, i recognized bpd patterns/ tendencies.
overall, i thought i would enjoy it more than i have. too often it felt like a chore to read through.

Content Warnings

dafni's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Content Warnings

rosalind's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense fast-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

3.5

Content Warnings

t_rex_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

the main character is so disgustingly obsessed with this pr*ck of a man, and she is also disgustingly obsessed with another woman he is/has been with and slept with. she talks very deeply about all the things she feels about him and her but in a way that like opens ur eyes to some of the things you feel yourself, as well as having these short passages about political issues, misogyny and racism which you have to read twice to actually absorb and understand. she is smart but so stupid at the same time, and is so cruel for no apparent reason apart from the fact that she likes to do it as well as she doesn't know who she is and feels like it's a way of expressing that which is so deliciously complicated and wrong that it makes you hate her as a character but also love her because she is so grossly interesting and fu*ked up. </spoiler >

the writing in this book is so gorgeous it makes me want to cry. the words she uses to describe and annotate things with are undeniably the most uncommon yet beautiful words I've ever read! love love love this book!!!

Content Warnings

lovelylilelle's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

4.5

Content Warnings

sophsg88's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

kers_tin's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

Content Warnings

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

This is a book of two halves for me.

On one hand I really liked the format and narration, with the monologue of a thirty-something woman of colour who is obsessed with an older married man she is having a mostly one-sided affair with, as well as being obsessed with the younger, white instagram influencer who the man is having an affair with. She is pathetic and self-destructive yet also apparently very self-aware. The (very short) chapters are a mix of plot/backstory, and mini essays on society, class, race, and misogyny.

It falls down for me though when it comes to the actual substance of the book. The critiques on influencer culture bordered a bit too much on internalised misogyny for my liking, and the thoughts on other issues did feel very surface level. Essentially, not nearly as deep or original as I would expect from a Women’s Prize nominee.

I just think it could have done more with this, especially when it comes to cognitive dissonance, for example the main character continuing to beg for this man while also knowing she was being strung along and racially fetishised.

Content Warnings

More...