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carlottab13 's review for:
Either/Or
by Elif Batuman
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Thinking of the people who populated my life, who acted, spoke, and viewed the world so differently—Mesut, Juho, Lakshmi, Riley, and all the others—I recognized how important it was for me that I could understand them all, at least a little bit, and better than they could understand each other. Was that what a novel was: a plane where you could finally juxtapose all the different people, mediating between them and weighing their views?”
Selin is a very striking character and narrator as her inner monologues question a lot of social standards and expectations, ponder emotions of new and first (sexual) experiences and examine her own role and self-perceptions in any given social situation. Very vulnerable and deeply relatable makes you feel known and understood and sometimes uncomfortable at how direct some of Selin’s thoughts and actions can come across. While the first in the series puts Selin through the emotional wringer, this sequel does it on a much more physical level, even more symbolism of her “losing her innocence”. Beware of a number of non-consensual, exploitative sex scenes.
Audiobook is read by the author, which I found a plus.
Selin is a very striking character and narrator as her inner monologues question a lot of social standards and expectations, ponder emotions of new and first (sexual) experiences and examine her own role and self-perceptions in any given social situation. Very vulnerable and deeply relatable makes you feel known and understood and sometimes uncomfortable at how direct some of Selin’s thoughts and actions can come across. While the first in the series puts Selin through the emotional wringer, this sequel does it on a much more physical level, even more symbolism of her “losing her innocence”. Beware of a number of non-consensual, exploitative sex scenes.
Audiobook is read by the author, which I found a plus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment