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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Although my review may be full of basic bookish rambling about the perpetual spiral of the so-called delulu in regards to the main character who is a writer, the writing in this book by the witty R. F. Kuang is so sharp, timely, and addictive that you certainly feel like you’re delulu too. (Okay I’ll stop using that word now.)
So this novel is basically a ridiculously well-written reddit thread of “AITA for stealing the manuscript of my dead Asian friend and passing it off as my own since I’m a woman, but I’m also very much a cishet white woman?”
GIRLLLLL. Kuang crafted such a punchy, visceral novel about race, loneliness, envy, and the pros and cons of the publishing industry. I was glued to every page, almost like watching a train wreck. It’s like, chapter after chapter, our white MC (June) goes deeper and deeper into her web of lies and you’re like “there’s no way she gets away with this” in a non-Scooby Doo villain kind of way, and then SHE DOES!! She just keeps at it!! The secondhand embarrassment and utter frustration was so real, especially in the way that could absolutely happen in real life, which is messed up but also shows the reality of diversity in today’s society—not always as advanced or progressive as we perceive it to be when it’s not directly related to us. This narrative was such an interesting piece on how far someone will go to save their reputation, when said reputation is a fabricated construct in and of itself. Fascinating.
Parts did remind me of “American Fiction”, which is another great example of the assumptions made about POC writers, just in a sort-of opposite form. In any case, I highly recommend both.
TL;DR June Hayward is kind-of the Hannah Horvath of this story, but somehow even worse. If you liked HBO’s “Girls” for the writing and not for the characters, this book is for you.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcohol, Self harm, Death of parent, Abandonment, Murder, and Suicide
em_of_swags's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Racism, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcohol, Violence, and Stalking
xgabrielle_hx's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Death, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Islamophobia
linneak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Bullying, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Death
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Cursing, Grief, Rape, Stalking, Violence, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
natalienicholas's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Death and Racism
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
redvelveting's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual violence
Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, War, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, and Suicide attempt
jcshells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Racism, Death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, and Bullying
sophsh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Death, and Racism
Minor: Violence and Suicidal thoughts
sarahrob's review against another edition
- 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
I found some of the twitter-verse bits to be a bit tedious, but I think it was purposefully done and helped readers be able to better understand June, even while disagreeing with her and her choices. It helps build the manic energy that carries that back half of the novel.
June is both unreliable and unlikable as a narrator, which at times made this hard to read, because she was just so frustrating, however, I think it speaks to the author’s talent. That she is able to keep readers turning pages despite not being able to stand the main character. Just when I thought I couldn’t read any more because I just wasn’t able to stand June and her privileged and entitled attitude, Kuang takes the book in an entirely new direction to recapture the excitement. The last 70 pages were enthralling and I couldn’t stop reading.
I found the ending very satisfying, despite other’s criticism… I honestly couldn’t see this story playing out any other way. June is in fact completely blinded by her perception of reality and I don’t think she would ever really change.
Five stars from me because I liked that this book was both thought-provoking with discussion on weighty topics in a unique way, but also thrilling and dark in the end.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, Rape, and Violence
amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, and Death
Moderate: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Misogyny, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Islamophobia, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, and Racial slurs