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A review by nakutski
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This was a tough but interesting reading experience. I found some of the content personally challenging and triggering, so this will inevitably affect my POV. Deciding not to star rate it because my ratings are quite emotive, and although I appreciated what this book was doing and trying to do, it wouldn't be accurate to say that I enjoyed it, so I don't think a rating will reflect its value.
1) I think it was an overall positive experience when it comes to learning about different forms storytelling can take, and especially when it comes to writing about and channeling social media and the digital environment. I am not sure, however, that as a reader I would have pulled through the reading experience if I was not listening to the audiobook version. I found the vignette style narration and constant cross references at times overwhelming and exhausting, as well as funny and interesting.
2) The book changed significantly about 2/3 of the way through. The first third it was hard to place the narrator or the flow of events, the was little to no 'plot' to speak of. At 2/3 of the way through the narrator became grounded through the life of her sister to the physical, outside of the Portal, reality she inhabited and that's when the book moved away from stream of consciousness and social media concept and became a little more grounded and started following a series of events so that the vague outline of time and 'a plot' appeared. Which is also when I found it a lot more manageable to follow. But this is also the instance when the content became challenging and triggering for me. It is fair to say this little novel flings you about a fair bit.
1) I think it was an overall positive experience when it comes to learning about different forms storytelling can take, and especially when it comes to writing about and channeling social media and the digital environment. I am not sure, however, that as a reader I would have pulled through the reading experience if I was not listening to the audiobook version. I found the vignette style narration and constant cross references at times overwhelming and exhausting, as well as funny and interesting.
2) The book changed significantly about 2/3 of the way through. The first third it was hard to place the narrator or the flow of events, the was little to no 'plot' to speak of. At 2/3 of the way through the narrator became grounded through the life of her sister to the physical, outside of the Portal, reality she inhabited and that's when the book moved away from stream of consciousness and social media concept and became a little more grounded and started following a series of events so that the vague outline of time and 'a plot' appeared. Which is also when I found it a lot more manageable to follow. But this is also the instance when the content became challenging and triggering for me. It is fair to say this little novel flings you about a fair bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Ableism