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A review by violentdelights
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
5.0
As a big fan of Casey McQuiston’s novels, a hater of change, and someone who let Red, White, and Royal Blue turn their brain into mush for a month straight, it’s hard to pick a new favourite CMQ. But I think I can confidently say that The Pairing is their best work so far. The writing style is beautiful and poetic and shows a maturity in their penmanship that, while not wholly absent from their earlier work, has certainly aged like a fine wine. Even the discussion around Big Topics (eg. Theo’s gender, the Upstairs Lounge, etc) were handled more gracefully than the almost clunky way they were in the past.
The characters of this book are the heart of it, as with any good book, but this is essentially true of The Pairing. While they do have a beautiful relationship, Theo and Kit as individuals are loveable, complex, whole people and they make the book worth picking up. I could feel Theo’s blood, sweat, and tears, Kit’s yearning and heartache. They were palpable beings and I loved them for it. While the book is a little light on actual plot, I found that the depth of the characters (and even the fun of the supporting cast) more than made up for it.
In an effort to devour this book, I didn’t stop to translate certain phrases or look up unfamiliar art pieces or foods - that’s something I’ll definitely be doing on a reread, and recommend other readers of the book do as well, as I can only imagine it would deeply enrich the reading experience. The book is so much about food and art that I almost wish it came with visuals, saving readers the hassle of having to Google something every other page if they’re as unfamiliar with European cuisine and architecture as I am.
All in all, this book will make you want to book a food tour the very moment you finish it. It’s decadent, loving, heartbreaking, and a perfect summer read. I can’t wait to reread it when it comes out so the sun can warm me outside and this book can warm me inside.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The characters of this book are the heart of it, as with any good book, but this is essentially true of The Pairing. While they do have a beautiful relationship, Theo and Kit as individuals are loveable, complex, whole people and they make the book worth picking up. I could feel Theo’s blood, sweat, and tears, Kit’s yearning and heartache. They were palpable beings and I loved them for it. While the book is a little light on actual plot, I found that the depth of the characters (and even the fun of the supporting cast) more than made up for it.
In an effort to devour this book, I didn’t stop to translate certain phrases or look up unfamiliar art pieces or foods - that’s something I’ll definitely be doing on a reread, and recommend other readers of the book do as well, as I can only imagine it would deeply enrich the reading experience. The book is so much about food and art that I almost wish it came with visuals, saving readers the hassle of having to Google something every other page if they’re as unfamiliar with European cuisine and architecture as I am.
All in all, this book will make you want to book a food tour the very moment you finish it. It’s decadent, loving, heartbreaking, and a perfect summer read. I can’t wait to reread it when it comes out so the sun can warm me outside and this book can warm me inside.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!