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msrae89's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Self harm
Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol
choicepotatoes_20240331's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i was ready to give this five stars until
maybe it’s silly, but that one almost throwaway detail toward the end of act two pretty much completely destroyed my suspension of disbelief and made it really difficult for me to settle back into the story.
i loved it until that moment, though, and did eventually wind up getting wrapped up in the story again.
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Abandonment and Mental illness
catch__up's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Abandonment
Minor: Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual content
idesofjaim's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First, I will say the second half when things got really real is the better part of this book. I did struggle through the first part. I couldn’t believe that a character like Grace really thought that she could just ignore her marriage and didn’t think of, like, how to get an annulment? Or whether they carried out everything to make the marriage legally binding? You just casually wore a ring around your neck and went on with your life???
Then we get to New York and Yuki’s life and roommates. I won’t lie, it felt a bit queer New Girl, and it also felt a bit idealized a situation. I know found family is incredibly important, but it just felt a bit too perfect. But hey, I can suspend reality on this front.
I still can’t suspend reality with Grace and Yuki’s relationship. I know Yuki is supposed to be the antithesis of the kind of partner that would be expected for Grace and her perfect world. But Grace doesn’t even second guess any of these details, even though she’s anxious about every detail of her life plan. I guess what I’m reaching for is wishing this had been fleshed out, which is why Yuki comes off manic pixie dream girl.
Also, can we talk about how Grace just dismisses the idea of Ithaca like it’s some unknown university? ITHACA??? Girl. “It’s not the best” it’s a top university!!!
Anyway. I do believe this book presents a very real opportunity to talk about topics like mental health, family dynamics especially in non-white families, racial barriers in society, etc. That was where the second half got me; we finally started breaking free of the flowery world and got deep. I just would have liked more. I would have liked to understood more of what happened between Grace’s parents other than military dad takes her away and hippie mom just abandons her I guess? There’s something more concrete here.
Did that mean I didn’t tear up in the second half of the book? No, because I absolutely did. While it was as imperfect as Grace Porter, it did get to me, and shows that it does touch on pain points that will be relatable to readers. I can understand how Grace’s crisis would seem more appropriate for someone in their early or even mid twenties, but how many of us in our late 20s/early 30s reach a crisis point when we’ve done everything we were “supposed to do”? Is it really that absurd that someone who knows nothing but higher learning panics when they reach the non-academic other side? I really don’t see it being that unrealistic, even while Grace has known few other worries. In fairness, as a white woman, I see this through a white lens; I have several friends go through quarter-life crisis in situations like this. That may be why it doesn’t seem unrealistic to me. But maybe it is an unrealistic storyline for a character that is biracial.
So, I’ve got my pros and cons to this book. I ultimately didn’t leave the read through unhappy, but again, that comes down to the second half. I would not be opposed to reading another of Morgan Rogers’ books because I feel there’s a lot of potential here, as critical as I may seem. I am here for more queer literature.
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Self harm
_rhea_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol
chasingpages1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Self harm, Racism, Abandonment, Sexism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
readingwithkaitlyn's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, War, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Drug use, and Vomit
crissi's review
- 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
4.5
This book is so important for every 20 something who grew up to be an overachiever and struggles to navigate their way in the aftermaths of academic pleasure and pressure.
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Self harm, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
riozul's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Racism, Mental illness, and Self harm
Minor: Addiction and Misogyny
saeruh's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content