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A review by katewutz
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hall does a great, empathetic job at depicting the ways anxiety makes one selfish. When one is constantly expecting the world to collapse, that’s all one can think about—to the detriment of others. The irony of Paris always caring about what others think AND his inability to empathize with what others must be feeling is interestingly explored.
The anxiety could have been a little less heavy-handed, but then it wouldn’t have been such a problem for Paris and Tariq. And this is a realistic depiction of some people’s experiences! Just personally I would like to see a character who’s not Harry (“oh yeah I was a bit worried but now I’m on meds, all good”) and Paris (literally engulfed in catastrophizing all the time, has a VERY dramatic panic attack). But that’s literally just about wanting to see my experience, not a problem with Hall’s work at all.
Also, we know Hall can write a FANTASTIC sex scene, but this book shows that they aren’t a crutch. Rosaline Palmer had a similar vibe, but Hall worked the lack of sex into character development here. Excellent work.
The anxiety could have been a little less heavy-handed, but then it wouldn’t have been such a problem for Paris and Tariq. And this is a realistic depiction of some people’s experiences! Just personally I would like to see a character who’s not Harry (“oh yeah I was a bit worried but now I’m on meds, all good”) and Paris (literally engulfed in catastrophizing all the time, has a VERY dramatic panic attack). But that’s literally just about wanting to see my experience, not a problem with Hall’s work at all.
Also, we know Hall can write a FANTASTIC sex scene, but this book shows that they aren’t a crutch. Rosaline Palmer had a similar vibe, but Hall worked the lack of sex into character development here. Excellent work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Homophobia