A review by joshlynjavier
What It's Like in Words: A Novel by Eliza Moss

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i hid the parts of myself that i didn't like and sometimes i wondered how much of me was left visible after that. 

sometimes the good bits of people aren't the rule, they're the exception.

because the way i love you is every definition, every dictionary, every translation.

 this book is like "tolerate it" by taylor swift if it was a full on novel and not a 3 minute song.
i'm beginning to feel like i can't read romance in general, whether it's a happy ending or sad ending. a cheesy/sappy story makes me feel like it's unrealistic, but a frustrating story makes me want to rip all of my hair out, like GIRL GET UP.

the manipulation and emotional whiplash made my head spin at times, and it's written with scary accuracy. i found myself second - guessing my stance every other chapter, the divisive line between right and wrong becoming dangerously blurred. how much of love is enduring, how much  of love is endurance?

the writing was incredibly beautiful and moving, and the intoxicating air of first love was captured so well. i really resonated with the exploration of the "cool girl" narrative and how suffocating it can be. while there was a lot of real character development that i  ultimately found satisfying, the bullshit she put up with and gaslighting felt juvenile at times  -- again, girl get up.