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A review by trin
We Could Be Heroes by Philip Ellis
2.0
Oh dear. I really enjoyed Ellis' debut, [b:Love & Other Scams|61282539|Love & Other Scams|Philip Ellis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674145590l/61282539._SY75_.jpg|96626800], but this is...not good. The plot and pacing are all over the place, and the aspects about comics history and rare book dealing and how filming a movie works make literally no sense. Love & Other Scams was about rich people and con artistry and weddings -- topics I know next to nothing about, but it felt like Ellis had a fairly convincing handle on them. Unfortunately, I do know about these subjects and...no. That is not how any of this happens. This novel honestly read like a bad actor AU fanfic ("if you don't have another hit soon, you're going to have to move to Burbank!"...IYKYK). I kept shaking my head to myself as I was reading.
One could forgive some of this if the characters and relationship were stronger, but they also aren't. Patrick and Will's romance is full of big emotional gaps; I don't understand why or when they fell in love with each other. And Will, in particular, is wildly unsympathetic throughout the novel's final third. Suffice it to say, if someone I was dating showed up at my place of work and caused a scene like that, I would dump him forever. Big yikes.
Two stars solely for the sincere appreciation of drag, an aspect of this novel that is sadly underutilized.
One could forgive some of this if the characters and relationship were stronger, but they also aren't. Patrick and Will's romance is full of big emotional gaps; I don't understand why or when they fell in love with each other. And Will, in particular, is wildly unsympathetic throughout the novel's final third. Suffice it to say, if someone I was dating showed up at my place of work and caused a scene like that, I would dump him forever. Big yikes.
Two stars solely for the sincere appreciation of drag, an aspect of this novel that is sadly underutilized.