Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

10 reviews

jspells's review

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

This book is pretty good but not be at the top of my recommendations list. The storyline is nice and Gabe is kind of a dream in a lot of parts. It didn’t particularly enjoy the Then and Now perspective partially because when I started this book I was solely listening to the audio and it crated a little minor confusion, as well as the excerpts parts of the book.

The main character initially to me is almost insufferable and written with the internal dialogue of a fan fiction written for 16 year olds. While that wouldn’t be an issue in a YA book, the main character is in fact 26 during the “Then” parts of the book. With that being said I throughly enjoyed the “Now” parts of the book and felt like that were much better written than the other. This book did have more spice I particularly would prefer but if that doesn’t bother you it shouldn’t be an issue, also it can be skipped over.

I have to say that Gabe and Ollie were my favorite characters. Chani was sometimes far more cringey than she needed to be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Cancer

abbiebelen's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Body shaming, Car accident, Homophobia, Bullying, and Cancer

emharris's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer and Car accident

Minor mention of brain cancer, specifically

bootsmom3's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Antisemitism, and Vomit

jennylarue's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

Easily the most unique styled book I’ve read. Loved how it was told and the turns it took through time and this relationship. Super cute read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Sexual content

rebecca_arielle's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Car accident and Cancer

sarah_elaine's review

lighthearted medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Car accident

lujisa's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Car accident, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Cancer

thatswhatshanread's review

funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

I must first say that this is a book you can judge based on its cover, at least I did anyway—fun, cute, light and flirty.

From page one I could instantly see myself as the MC. Everyone has fantasized about meeting their celebrity crush, right? What about interviewing them? Scoring an invite to a premiere and an after party? Such is the case for this story. We follow journalist Chani “Then” and “Now” as she pens a profile piece on Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker twice, ten years apart. Can a whirlwind weekend of fame and and glamour and intimate conversations really change the trajectory of your life?

In some cases, yes. Chani’s article goes viral. Gabe isn’t just a Hollywood Hunk from small town Montana, he’s now an A-list celebrity with Oscar buzz. And a new Bond girl wife. 

Because it was just that one weekend they spent together. Ten years later everything has changed except the feelings still there between Gabe and Chani, never consummated. And then Chani is asked to interview Gabe again and maybe recreate the magic of the article that launched her career.

This is a really well-written novel, more character-driven than anything. I liked and sympathized with Chani, found Gabe charming but real, and enjoyed the setting and theming. The beginning and end were really great. The middle lost me a little just in the fact that we’re supposed to believe these two characters have been in love with each other for a decade despite only being around each other for a couple days. I suppose that’s the magic of Hollywood, though, and I don’t hold it against them or the author. After all, wouldn’t I want to write the same thing?

I wished for a little more backstory, but overall it delivered on everything I was expecting. Also, it’s smart and sexy the way a romcom should be. 

A very cute book :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Antisemitism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Misogyny, Outing, and Sexism

Minor: Religious bigotry, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Car accident, and Cancer

dogbuttsandbooks's review

sad tense slow-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

2.25

I was so looking forward to this book - celebrity romances are my favorite. But this did not live up to the hype. The two main characters were miserable the entire book and frankly making some very morally questionable decisions the entire time. I hoped we’d get some social commentary about how society judges and shames women, celebrities forced to hide their sexuality, and more. But NOPE, nothing. Instead it was just two people being depressed and refusing to communicate like the adults they are (but really, was so excited to have MCs in their upper thirties and forties but these two acted more immaturely than most teenagers). I cannot recommend this book.

Also I’m deeply uncomfortable with the similarities between this book and the 2011 Chris Evans GQ article by Edith Zimmerman. The comprisons between Sussman's novel & Zimmerman's article are undeniable & uncomfortable. At the very LEAST the author should have mentioned the original GQ journalist in her acknowledgments (she does follow her on social media after all)! At most, she could have mixed up the details to make the dupe less obvious. Everything about this is icky.

You can find the GQ article here: https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-gq-july-2011-cover-story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Infidelity

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexism, Sexual content, and Infidelity