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katwhiskerz 's review for:
How We Fall Apart
by Katie Zhao
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have been dying to reading this book since it first came out. Asian American dark academia? Literally all I could have dreamed of. But I'm sad to say that this book fell flat in all the ways it could have really shined. I felt that many of the more sensitive topics–namely mental health, academic pressure from immigrant parents, and classism–felt surface level at best.
The writing was easy to read, but felt mediocre and quite repetitive. I quickly grew tired of hearing about the whispers around the school and how poor Nancy was in comparison to everyone else. As a low-income, academically pressured, Asian American myself, there definitely could have been more to her character than a constant inferiority complex. Or at the very least, she could have used some subtlety.
I also was quite disappointed about the other characters–the four friends felt flat and their secrets were quite boring. The Proctor was quite cartoony and the notes they left did not make me feel anxious, but rather unimpressed. The narrative also focused a bit too much on Nancy and Peter's relationship for my liking. Alexander also just felt one-dimensional and grossly entitled to her feelings. There were some parts of the book that were funny and enjoyable; I was actually pretty intrigued by Jamie's character and how despite being cold, she often had moments of searing kindness. I also enjoyed the nice banter Nancy had with her mom towards the end. But those things didn't make up for the wildly unrealistic final reveal, and the surface level themes and characterizations.
I wanted to love this book so bad, but it just wasn't for me. Cheers to the author though, Katie Zhao, for spreading awareness surrounding mental health and the dangers of academic pressure. I love her content and will continue to support her journey!
The writing was easy to read, but felt mediocre and quite repetitive. I quickly grew tired of hearing about the whispers around the school and how poor Nancy was in comparison to everyone else. As a low-income, academically pressured, Asian American myself, there definitely could have been more to her character than a constant inferiority complex. Or at the very least, she could have used some subtlety.
I also was quite disappointed about the other characters–the four friends felt flat and their secrets were quite boring. The Proctor was quite cartoony and the notes they left did not make me feel anxious, but rather unimpressed. The narrative also focused a bit too much on Nancy and Peter's relationship for my liking. Alexander also just felt one-dimensional and grossly entitled to her feelings. There were some parts of the book that were funny and enjoyable; I was actually pretty intrigued by Jamie's character and how despite being cold, she often had moments of searing kindness. I also enjoyed the nice banter Nancy had with her mom towards the end. But those things didn't make up for the wildly unrealistic final reveal, and the surface level themes and characterizations.
I wanted to love this book so bad, but it just wasn't for me. Cheers to the author though, Katie Zhao, for spreading awareness surrounding mental health and the dangers of academic pressure. I love her content and will continue to support her journey!