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A review by caidyn
Anna K by Jenny Lee
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
On a reread, I liked it better, but still would rather read the classic. Diversity is great, but everything felt so superficial.
Thanks to Edelweiss, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sex shaming, drug use, alcohol use, cheating, adultery, revenge porn, death, and sex on the page
Man. I thought this book would be a silly, frivolous read to take my mind away from things, but it just fell flat for me. It's a poor retelling. Honestly, I'd say just pick up the actual book to read it because this didn't hit home for me.
This book is about Gen Z. The kids who are teenagers now and have only known technology. Even better, these are rich Gen Z kids who have the whole world at the touch of their fingertips, both digitally and literally thanks to money.
While Anna Karenina was a glimpse into Russia before the fall of the monarchy and the class differences in pre-revolution Russia, this was just a bunch of teens doing drugs, having sex, and doing rich people things. It's not a bad book. The writing is good. The characters are usually interesting. But the story just felt like a poor man's version of the original.
It also didn't help that it felt like it was written by someone outside the generation. I could tell that Lee was on the outside looking in, so it felt like a parody at times. I loved the diversity in this, but, overall, I was so done by the time the story ended.
Thanks to Edelweiss, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sex shaming, drug use, alcohol use, cheating, adultery, revenge porn, death, and sex on the page
Man. I thought this book would be a silly, frivolous read to take my mind away from things, but it just fell flat for me. It's a poor retelling. Honestly, I'd say just pick up the actual book to read it because this didn't hit home for me.
This book is about Gen Z. The kids who are teenagers now and have only known technology. Even better, these are rich Gen Z kids who have the whole world at the touch of their fingertips, both digitally and literally thanks to money.
While Anna Karenina was a glimpse into Russia before the fall of the monarchy and the class differences in pre-revolution Russia, this was just a bunch of teens doing drugs, having sex, and doing rich people things. It's not a bad book. The writing is good. The characters are usually interesting. But the story just felt like a poor man's version of the original.
It also didn't help that it felt like it was written by someone outside the generation. I could tell that Lee was on the outside looking in, so it felt like a parody at times. I loved the diversity in this, but, overall, I was so done by the time the story ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Drug use