Review by hunni_reads - Disappoint Me

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hunni_reads 's review for:

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

5.0

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for review.

Disappoint Me was my first Nicola Dinan book. If it tells you anything, as soon as I finished it, I immediately went online and ordered Bellies. I’ve also pre-ordered a physical copy of this one, because wow what a fun cover! Dinan gained a fan, for sure.

Disappoint Me follows Max, a witty trans woman navigating love, friendship, young adulthood, and an unfulfilling job. After falling down the stairs at a party and suffering a head injury, she finds unexpected promise in Vincent, a sweet, straight laced man with a corporate job, traditional Chinese parents, and a secret that he’s tried to keep buried in the past. With alternating perspectives and timelines, we go back and forth, spending time with both Vincent during his gap year in Thailand 10 years prior, and Max in present day as she begins to struggle with some scary health issues.

I’m not entirely sure what I expected going into this, but I know that I got so much more than that. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud, and I certainly didn’t expect to be fighting back tears. This is a story of familial trauma, gender / sexuality, forgiveness, and growth. And I loved every second of it. I felt truly connected to these characters- even side characters like Max’s family and Vincent’s past fling. Though they’re all pretty messy, I had a blast with them, and part of me was sad to say goodbye when I finished the book.

This was easily my favorite read of March, and it got me out of a month-long slump. Nicola Diann’s writing is so funny and charming- I truly can’t wait to read Bellies now.

Content Warnings