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A review by ava
You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
this was really great! In a weird uncomfortable way!
The first part of this is almost your typical uncanny, observational, remarks on society/life/etc. kind of book, but there's definitely more there under the surface. As you get to the second and third sections it fits together very nicely. There are satisfying parallels throughout the book, and while it keeps the mundane feeling, what is happening around the narrative grows.
The pacing of this book was interesting, in that it defied the trajectory of the plot. Avoiding spoilers here: there is a transition that happens during the story and equal weight is given to the before and after of this transition. It feels a little strange when reading but it's very effective – you have to sit with each part and give it the same thought. You're not allowed the luxury of skimming the exposition and getting into the "meat" of the plot.
Also, there was a lovely vivid description of eating an orange in this and I've been thinking about it for many days.
The first part of this is almost your typical uncanny, observational, remarks on society/life/etc. kind of book, but there's definitely more there under the surface. As you get to the second and third sections it fits together very nicely. There are satisfying parallels throughout the book, and while it keeps the mundane feeling, what is happening around the narrative grows.
The pacing of this book was interesting, in that it defied the trajectory of the plot. Avoiding spoilers here: there is a transition that happens during the story and equal weight is given to the before and after of this transition. It feels a little strange when reading but it's very effective – you have to sit with each part and give it the same thought. You're not allowed the luxury of skimming the exposition and getting into the "meat" of the plot.
Also, there was a lovely vivid description of eating an orange in this and I've been thinking about it for many days.