Scan barcode
fanny_brtl's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This isn't a book about love, at least not from my point of view. This is a book about loss, grief, and new beginnings.
Casey is a writer struggling with life, drowned in debt and working like a fiend in a restaurant. Her mother died recently, and we're following her trying to navigate through life. I was pleasantly surprised seeing romance wasn't the only focus point of the book.
Lily King portrayed really well Casey's emotions and struggles, and described the experience of working as a waitress perfectly. It was interesting seeing a main character evolve in such a stressful environment, I personally never read something like that. Maybe this is why I enjoyed the book this much : because it felt real, deeply rooted in everyday life. Even if from time to time I found myself a bit lost with all the background characters, I found them relevant and their relationship with Casey added something to the story.
Regarding the romance, I'm not particularly fond of love triangles, but this one was executed nicely, even though neither Oscar nor Silas really stood out to me. I wasn't here for the love relationship but more for the relationships in general : Casey and her Mom and how she deals with her death, her brother who lives far away, her friendship with Muriel (who I think deserved a bit more attention) and Harry... and I personally love reading books about books and the book industry in general.
Anyway, it was a great book which explores interesting topics and makes you reflect slightly about life. I think my favorite quote was "It's always a choice between fireworks and coffee in bed", referring to the love triangle Casey was stuck into. Reading this sentence hit me home and I'll remember it for a while.
Casey is a writer struggling with life, drowned in debt and working like a fiend in a restaurant. Her mother died recently, and we're following her trying to navigate through life. I was pleasantly surprised seeing romance wasn't the only focus point of the book.
Lily King portrayed really well Casey's emotions and struggles, and described the experience of working as a waitress perfectly. It was interesting seeing a main character evolve in such a stressful environment, I personally never read something like that. Maybe this is why I enjoyed the book this much : because it felt real, deeply rooted in everyday life. Even if from time to time I found myself a bit lost with all the background characters, I found them relevant and their relationship with Casey added something to the story.
Regarding the romance, I'm not particularly fond of love triangles, but this one was executed nicely, even though neither Oscar nor Silas really stood out to me. I wasn't here for the love relationship but more for the relationships in general : Casey and her Mom and how she deals with her death, her brother who lives far away, her friendship with Muriel (who I think deserved a bit more attention) and Harry... and I personally love reading books about books and the book industry in general.
Anyway, it was a great book which explores interesting topics and makes you reflect slightly about life. I think my favorite quote was "It's always a choice between fireworks and coffee in bed", referring to the love triangle Casey was stuck into. Reading this sentence hit me home and I'll remember it for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Terminal illness and Suicidal thoughts
allyordyna's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Literary prose; realistic portrayal of love
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
angelaaaa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Pedophilia
Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Infertility
elizapillsbury's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“That’s what I love about Bernhard in the book. He manages to simulate consciousness, and it’s contagious because while you’re reading it rubs off on you and your mind starts working like that for a while. I love that. That reverberation for me is what is most important about literature.”
I just finished reading this, and my heart is still beating. Can a book be perfect? This one is. It feels so close to my consciousness, reverberating.
I know I’ll read this again because it was an inspiration and a masterclass; because I read it so quickly that sometimes my eyes blurred; because I had to keep the parts about her mom dying at a safe distance.
I just finished reading this, and my heart is still beating. Can a book be perfect? This one is. It feels so close to my consciousness, reverberating.
I know I’ll read this again because it was an inspiration and a masterclass; because I read it so quickly that sometimes my eyes blurred; because I had to keep the parts about her mom dying at a safe distance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
More...