A review by musewithxara
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Whilst I wouldn’t say I devoured Dolan’s detached prose, I certainly read Exciting Times pretty swiftly and personally enjoyed it more than Sally Rooney’s writing style. Dolan writes about intimate occurrences in such a strangely impersonal way! I will also admit that it’s rather marvelous how she can write the minutiae of the world into such simple sentences. Writing aside, however, the plot left something to be desired. I find this subgenre (flailing twenty-something’s diaristic analysis of their unhealthy relationships) to be a tad underwhelming. I like character-driven narratives, but struggle if those said characters are quite unlikeable. 
 
And yet... Having studied abroad in Hong Kong in 2018, I cherished the setting of Exciting Times. I also really enjoyed the exploration of the class system and wealth in Ireland, England and Hong Kong. The comparisons and connections made between these three places were very insightful. I also appreciated the honest writing surrounding Ava’s burgeoning sexuality. However, whilst the themes of the narrative piqued my interest, the actual story itself did not keep me on my toes and the ending was rather predictable in that it could only really go one of two ways. I’m still ruminating on the conclusion - did Ava grow or regress over the course of the book? I’m going with the former simply because anything she did in the end was going to be better than staying in her stagnant state for any longer. 
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