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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
John Solo does a terrific job as always, and brings Philip William Stover’s The Problem With Perfect to vivid life. Through Stover’s words and Solo’s acting, Ethan tries to deal with the chaos his carefully controlled life as a TV producer has become. From the first chapter to the last, I wanted to hear what came next. Happy reading or listening! I listened through my local library’s hoopla subscription.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was hard to like this book. I understand the point was for the main character to be flawed, to be someone who lost himself but I couldn't like him. The fact that he had his self realization and reflection in the last, what 5% of the book annoyed me to no end. His growth was so so slow. It took so much for him to get better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
DNF. Got 30% of the way through. It just moved way too slowly. I didn’t care enough about the characters to continue.
This was a nice enjoyable read, not as exciting as it could have been but good none the less. The characters were interesting and I connected straight away with them however Ethan did become a little frustrating. It took him far too long to see the error of his ways, literally the last 10 pages so we didn't get to see Beu and Ethan together as a couple. The plot seemed a little ridiculous and Ethan could easily have taken a different route at numerous times but he kept digging his hole deeper and the lack of communication with Beau was annoying. I would have liked to see more from the two mmc's at the end, maybe in the epilogue at the hotel but overall I did enjoy the story.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
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
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Look, I’m not saying The Problem with Perfect is a bad book. I’m just saying that if it were a person, it would be that one annoyingly accomplished student in your seminar who always has a 12-step plan for success and somehow manages to look effortlessly put together at 9 AM. You admire them, you kind of hate them, and yet you also secretly want to be them.
The book itself is, well, fine. The plot moves along at a decent pace, the characters are engaging enough, and there are moments of genuine insight. But there’s also something a bit too polished about it, like a perfectly curated Instagram feed that makes you question every life decision you’ve ever made.
Now, onto the romance—because obviously, what is literary escapism without a bit of yearning and emotional damage? The main couple has that will-they-won’t-they energy, but in a way that sometimes feels more like why-are-you-two-like-this. There’s tension, misunderstandings, deep conversations that would never happen in real life, and just enough mutual pining to keep me invested. But at times, their relationship development feels a bit too constructed, as if a relationship therapist moonlighting as an author mapped out each stage with a flowchart titled "How to Manufacture Emotional Growth."
There are, of course, swoon-worthy moments that had me aggressively highlighting my Chromebook screen like I was preparing for a literature exam, but there were also scenes where I wanted to reach into the book, shake both characters, and yell JUST COMMUNICATE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. Their emotional obstacles feel real, but also weirdly over-engineered—like, yes, people have baggage, but does it always have to be this thematically symmetrical?
Final verdict: enjoyable, thought-provoking, but a little too neat and polished for its own good. If you like books that make you reflect on your own existence while still being entertaining, this is worth a read. If you prefer to avoid existential crises in your free time, maybe stick with something a little messier.
A hot mess. It is not up for negotiation. Would I read this again- absolutely not- but would I read other books of similar stories? Absolutely. Would I read other books by this author? Absolutely.
The book itself is, well, fine. The plot moves along at a decent pace, the characters are engaging enough, and there are moments of genuine insight. But there’s also something a bit too polished about it, like a perfectly curated Instagram feed that makes you question every life decision you’ve ever made.
Now, onto the romance—because obviously, what is literary escapism without a bit of yearning and emotional damage? The main couple has that will-they-won’t-they energy, but in a way that sometimes feels more like why-are-you-two-like-this. There’s tension, misunderstandings, deep conversations that would never happen in real life, and just enough mutual pining to keep me invested. But at times, their relationship development feels a bit too constructed, as if a relationship therapist moonlighting as an author mapped out each stage with a flowchart titled "How to Manufacture Emotional Growth."
There are, of course, swoon-worthy moments that had me aggressively highlighting my Chromebook screen like I was preparing for a literature exam, but there were also scenes where I wanted to reach into the book, shake both characters, and yell JUST COMMUNICATE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. Their emotional obstacles feel real, but also weirdly over-engineered—like, yes, people have baggage, but does it always have to be this thematically symmetrical?
Final verdict: enjoyable, thought-provoking, but a little too neat and polished for its own good. If you like books that make you reflect on your own existence while still being entertaining, this is worth a read. If you prefer to avoid existential crises in your free time, maybe stick with something a little messier.
A hot mess. It is not up for negotiation. Would I read this again- absolutely not- but would I read other books of similar stories? Absolutely. Would I read other books by this author? Absolutely.
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced