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thesvnthsense's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Domestic abuse
cspa's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this book, and I'd like to begin by highlighting what I liked about it. The book provides insightful commentary on the relationships between influencers and followers, social media, privilege, class, and racial structures. The unnamed narrator's obsessive and erratic behavior intrigued me, as I've recently appreciated reading about unpredictable and unhinged female protagonist for added drama. However, I felt that the potential for dramatic tension wasn't fully explored to my liking, although the book remained engaging for the reasons mentioned earlier.
The commentary in the book was remarkably perceptive and thought-provoking, adding depth and sharpness to the narrative. So much so, that even with the lower raking, highly recommend reading this book for its insightfulness. While it was my favorite aspect as it encouraged deep reflection, I'm unsure if the protagonist's vibrant and unruly personality seamlessly aligned with the overarching heavier themes in the more essay-like chapters, leading to a somewhat disjointed experience.
Conversely, as someone with mild dyslexia, I found the book's format to be challenging. The abundance of run-on sentences, lengthy paragraphs that could be divided, and the absence of quotation marks for dialogue made it difficult to follow. I recognize that this style mirrors the protagonist's stream-of-consciousness narration and her unstable nature. Which I appriciate but did struggle with. At the halfway mark, I bought the audiobook to enhance my reading experience, and I regret not doing it earlier. The author's captivating narration truly brought the character to life in a authentic way my brain alone couldn’t.
My last qualm, I wish the timeline had been clearer and more linear, as the frequent shifts between past and present tense were somewhat disorienting.
In conclusion, I believe it's valuable to read due to its insightful analysis. Additionally, it's a shorter book with chapters of varying lengths so there’s no harm in giving it a shot!
Ultimately, I enjoyed it, but I didn't adore it.
The commentary in the book was remarkably perceptive and thought-provoking, adding depth and sharpness to the narrative. So much so, that even with the lower raking, highly recommend reading this book for its insightfulness. While it was my favorite aspect as it encouraged deep reflection, I'm unsure if the protagonist's vibrant and unruly personality seamlessly aligned with the overarching heavier themes in the more essay-like chapters, leading to a somewhat disjointed experience.
Conversely, as someone with mild dyslexia, I found the book's format to be challenging. The abundance of run-on sentences, lengthy paragraphs that could be divided, and the absence of quotation marks for dialogue made it difficult to follow. I recognize that this style mirrors the protagonist's stream-of-consciousness narration and her unstable nature. Which I appriciate but did struggle with. At the halfway mark, I bought the audiobook to enhance my reading experience, and I regret not doing it earlier. The author's captivating narration truly brought the character to life in a authentic way my brain alone couldn’t.
My last qualm, I wish the timeline had been clearer and more linear, as the frequent shifts between past and present tense were somewhat disorienting.
In conclusion, I believe it's valuable to read due to its insightful analysis. Additionally, it's a shorter book with chapters of varying lengths so there’s no harm in giving it a shot!
Ultimately, I enjoyed it, but I didn't adore it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, and Toxic relationship
thebigameiseverynight's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
rachela_7's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse
withlivjones's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Reading this felt like watching reality TV. Unfortunately, I don’t like watching reality TV.
The premise was very intriguing, and I am generally a fan of unlikeable characters. I really liked the commentary on race and class at first, but eventually it started to sound like Patel was saying the same thing each time in very slightly different ways. The prose reads like slam poetry at times and jury’s still out on whether or not I enjoyed it. I did laugh at a few of the chapter titles, though, they felt very Tumblr-esque. I see myself potentially returning to this book in the future in case I missed the hype the first time around.
The premise was very intriguing, and I am generally a fan of unlikeable characters. I really liked the commentary on race and class at first, but eventually it started to sound like Patel was saying the same thing each time in very slightly different ways. The prose reads like slam poetry at times and jury’s still out on whether or not I enjoyed it. I did laugh at a few of the chapter titles, though, they felt very Tumblr-esque. I see myself potentially returning to this book in the future in case I missed the hype the first time around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism and Sexism
bookwormteddy's review against another edition
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
1.75
i’m gonna be honest, i struggled with this book. like. i get it, right? comparing yourself to, feeling inferior to, and fighting for attention from seemingly mediocre, rich white people makes you crazy. been there, felt that! we get a lot of discussion of race dynamics, class, white feminism, performative allyship without really expanding on them in any meaningful way. these things are harmful, not because they’re by-products of oppressive systems but because they just? piss the narrator off?
there is very little plot, which typically doesn’t bother me, but i cared so little for the few characters we met that i found myself getting so frustrated with the narrator. she is so unlikeable that i never really felt bad for her. i found myself yelling, girl get off the floor!! go to therapy!! stop it!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Domestic abuse
schopenhauers_poodle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Promising debut with an interesting plot twist and some missteps that's deeper than it appears to be.
The premise is straightforward: a South Asian woman in her 30s is having an affair with a serially unfaithful married white man in London. Patel's writing is at its best when the narrator articulates the experience of trying to reconcile the image of a partner or relationship that we have in our head with reality. Less successful are the political and sociocultural rants the narrator goes on that feel preachy, awkward, and sometimes obvious.
But that's all surface, on a closer reading I realized that "I'm a Fan", similar to "Poor Things," functions as a political allegory. "The man I want to be with" stands in for the UK, while "the woman I am obsessed with" is the US, the man's wife is the EU, and the narrator is a colony, (at one point she even describes the man as colonizing her body). It's clever.
I also want to point out an observation I had of many reviews that deride the narrator, calling her "unhinged" or "crazy," which I find dishonest and troubling. Why the focus on the narrator, who we know has less power than and is subordinate to the man and British society? What responsibility does he/it bear? And what responsibility do we have to each other in relationships?
"I'm a Fan" won't stand the test of time but Patel succeeded in creating a time capsule, capturing the zeitgeist of life online during the early 2020s steeped in consumerism, celeb culture, and technology.
The premise is straightforward: a South Asian woman in her 30s is having an affair with a serially unfaithful married white man in London. Patel's writing is at its best when the narrator articulates the experience of trying to reconcile the image of a partner or relationship that we have in our head with reality. Less successful are the political and sociocultural rants the narrator goes on that feel preachy, awkward, and sometimes obvious.
But that's all surface, on a closer reading I realized that "I'm a Fan", similar to "Poor Things," functions as a political allegory. "The man I want to be with" stands in for the UK, while "the woman I am obsessed with" is the US, the man's wife is the EU, and the narrator is a colony, (at one point she even describes the man as colonizing her body). It's clever.
I also want to point out an observation I had of many reviews that deride the narrator, calling her "unhinged" or "crazy," which I find dishonest and troubling. Why the focus on the narrator, who we know has less power than and is subordinate to the man and British society? What responsibility does he/it bear? And what responsibility do we have to each other in relationships?
"I'm a Fan" won't stand the test of time but Patel succeeded in creating a time capsule, capturing the zeitgeist of life online during the early 2020s steeped in consumerism, celeb culture, and technology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence
elizabethgreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
There was an attempt made for social commentary regarding fan culture, and people feeling like they don't fit in and comparing themselves to social media influencers. How ever this was not done well. The writing was so distant that it was hard to really get connected to the characters. She also tried to make commentary on race and opportunity however the main characters selfishness, jealously, and bitterness ended up coming across whinny rather than thought out and poignant. None of the characters were named just stated their relationship to the main character. Written in short vignettes which didn't quite work well for the narrative. I thought what the author was attempting to do was a worth while endeavor however the execution was lacking. There was no character growth which was a huge let down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse
hannacolm's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At times dense. The non-linear timeline doesn’t always do the story favors. The main character is chaotic and yet relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
ella_w_h's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Difficult to finish.
It reads like a mixture of fiction and non-fiction with ideas constantly repeated throughout. I guess it’s to reflect the obsessive nature of love but I honestly just hated it.
It reads like a mixture of fiction and non-fiction with ideas constantly repeated throughout. I guess it’s to reflect the obsessive nature of love but I honestly just hated it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship