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A review by auggieval
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the first book i’ve ever given 5 stars. Ostensibly, it’s because I resonated with it more than any other book I’ve read this year, so it’s a very personal enjoyment and perhaps not indicative of what you’ll get out of it.
But the alternate history dark academia lesbian thriller of it all has infected me totally and I just can’t help but love it. this book’s format is really pretty revolutionary, I really haven’t seen anything like it. It has so much to say about what art means and perhaps how we should draw the limits of what ethical art/artists looks like. To me, this book was an incredible read, and nearer to the end, I had to put the book down twice because I knew what was coming. I really have never felt more revulsion to a fictional character’s fictional actions, and that was powerful.
My only criticism I could honestly give is something I’ve seen others say. The plausibility of the worldbuilding is a little low in places, and realistically I don’t think America could have gone down this path in almost any timeline. In defense of my rating though, the setting serves both as an interesting backdrop and as a way to reflect the character of X, along with mirroring the biographer’s relationship with her. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think there’s a very good reason the only map we see of America has the Southern Territories in the dark without a border, and the answer can be found on the last few pages.
This book was truly a delight! Thank you for reading :)
But the alternate history dark academia lesbian thriller of it all has infected me totally and I just can’t help but love it. this book’s format is really pretty revolutionary, I really haven’t seen anything like it. It has so much to say about what art means and perhaps how we should draw the limits of what ethical art/artists looks like. To me, this book was an incredible read, and nearer to the end, I had to put the book down twice because I knew what was coming. I really have never felt more revulsion to a fictional character’s fictional actions, and that was powerful.
My only criticism I could honestly give is something I’ve seen others say. The plausibility of the worldbuilding is a little low in places, and realistically I don’t think America could have gone down this path in almost any timeline. In defense of my rating though, the setting serves both as an interesting backdrop and as a way to reflect the character of X, along with mirroring the biographer’s relationship with her. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think there’s a very good reason the only map we see of America has the Southern Territories in the dark without a border, and the answer can be found on the last few pages.
This book was truly a delight! Thank you for reading :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Stalking
Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Lesbophobia