A review by ferdie
Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman

reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Acts of service is at once a story and a sexual treatise. It considers sex with all of its hang ups and freedoms,  ultimately arriving at a grey space. With Romi, Eve uses the relationship to determine her worth and value (being with a "good" person). With Nathan and Olivia, Eve finds desirability and is understood for what makes her feel ashamed (she feels more wholly seen). 

Sex is a tangled web of of all of this. At times, Acts of Service gets too in the weeds and you never really feel the sense of relief Eve tries to convince us she has, or it isn't worth the pay off for how tense and stressed she is for much of the book. But I suppose that is for Eve to decide herself and not me.
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