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A review by middle_name_joy
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It took a little while to get into this one - until that hurt-comfort scene after the diner. Yes please. I would take 8 million of those moments over explicit spice. It stayed PG-13 through the whole book. There was a lot of other things to love: Indian culture, female friendship, family connections, a whole bunch of #metoo drama, and main characters with interesting backstories and lives.
My issue here was on the writing side. The pace was often slowed down by clunky dialogue. Trying to get too much delivered that way, resulting in obvious exposition. Conversations that just went on too long. Bumpy transitions. Important stuff just dumped into scenes and not drawing the reader's attention to it. It lacked some finesse, I guess.
But overall, I liked it. I understood why liya put up her walls, even if that tough exterior was sometimes infuriating to read. And Jay is a man written by a woman. Need I say more?
My issue here was on the writing side. The pace was often slowed down by clunky dialogue. Trying to get too much delivered that way, resulting in obvious exposition. Conversations that just went on too long. Bumpy transitions. Important stuff just dumped into scenes and not drawing the reader's attention to it. It lacked some finesse, I guess.
But overall, I liked it. I understood why liya put up her walls, even if that tough exterior was sometimes infuriating to read. And Jay is a man written by a woman. Need I say more?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual assault