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antoniag 's review for:
The Pairing
by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I always have mixed feelings with Casey McQuiston.
I liked the arc of Theo and Kit’s relationship and how they both grew a realistic amount through the story. I also appreciated the narration switch halfway through the book to get both sides of it.
I can’t quite put it into words but I always feel like the characters McQuiston writes are a little *too* fantastical somehow, like even with their flaws they’re juuuust too exceptional to be believable.
I also felt like the “competition” plot could be cut from this book. Not trying to slut shame, I get wanting to get over your ex, but that aspect of the book leaned into some biphobic stereotypes a little too much for me. They definitely could’ve hooked up with people and gotten the same tension in the plot. Gamifying it like that just felt a little problematic and unrealistic even for a romance novel
I liked the arc of Theo and Kit’s relationship and how they both grew a realistic amount through the story. I also appreciated the narration switch halfway through the book to get both sides of it.
I can’t quite put it into words but I always feel like the characters McQuiston writes are a little *too* fantastical somehow, like even with their flaws they’re juuuust too exceptional to be believable.
I also felt like the “competition” plot could be cut from this book. Not trying to slut shame, I get wanting to get over your ex, but that aspect of the book leaned into some biphobic stereotypes a little too much for me. They definitely could’ve hooked up with people and gotten the same tension in the plot. Gamifying it like that just felt a little problematic and unrealistic even for a romance novel