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lonerangerl30's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide, Infertility, and Sexual content
thefloralbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
pkc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story vacillates between Marion’s and Patrick’s perspective: the former reflecting on the events of her tumultuous marriage from the relative safety of 1999, while the latter’s perspective is told in the form of extensive diaries. The perspectives are beautifully woven together as events start to derail. I loved how Tom’s story was never told from his own perspective. It gives him the same air of unknowability that each narrator would experience as he retreated into his respective “other life.” Bethan Roberts’ writing is so skilled though that he is no less formed or sympathetic by the omission of his direct perspective
I found myself throughout abhorring the decisions made by the characters and felt anger throughout but ultimately, pity. The bulk of the story takes place in the late 1950s in Brighton, and while Brighton now proudly owns its title as the queer capital of Britain, at the time, it was as backwards as the rest of the country in its attitudes towards queer people, or “inverts”. The characters are placed in impossible decisions and face untenable quandaries in their pursuit of a happy and authentic life, wrestling between the ideal and the expected path.
This was an easy 5⭐️ and I’d recommend it to anyone. Some caution though, by its very nature it’s super bleak and infuriating from a 2024 vantage point.
Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Violence
tegzy95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Sexism, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
queerloras's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Outing, Blood, and Hate crime
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide
marleen02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, and Homophobia
bookedbymadeline'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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Violence, and Outing
Moderate: Suicide, Gaslighting, Confinement, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia and Infertility
pernafet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What I found interesting about this book is how it contrasts from other stories about romantic affairs. Rather than merely focusing on the two people partaking in the affair itself, it also focuses on a third party (that being Tom’s wife, Marion) as they all live their lives together as this sort of ménage à trois while ignoring the elephant in the room until they can’t anymore. It’s more-so a story about two people as individuals who had fallen in love with the idea of lives they could have had with the same man rather than it is the typical gay love story that I think many people expect it to be.
However, the story ultimately wrapped up a bit awkwardly and abruptly. I’m not sure what, but I expected more from that ending. It left me thinking, “that’s it??”
Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
olddirtymartha's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Suicide and Police brutality
kriti's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Graphic: Outing, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide