A review by siobhanward
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Maybe it's because I've read other works that took place during the AIDS crisis that were a whole lot better, but this was the closest I've been to DNFing a book in a long time. While Makkai captured how quickly HIV moved around, and a lot of the attitudes towards it (both from straight folk and LGBT+ folk), this one just didn't have the impact of others I've read. I had trouble connecting to the characters and while my heart broke over and over for Yale, I still found myself waiting for the book to the over. Makkai had a great idea, it just didn't pan out for me personally.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings