A review by kejames
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

It was actually painful to get through this book. Though there is nothing exactly wrong with insecure, selfish, and at sometimes immoral characters, Rooney has somehow made it all that and boring. This novel felt like the embodiment of white woman tears. I at times had to remind myself that these characters are almost 30, but had the emotional intelligence of a toddler (no offense to toddlers btw). Uncomfortable sex scenes just showed the prison that gender and heterosexuality really is, but trying to make us believe this pleasurable. I won't even get into how the book and Alice just got passed Felix's illegal and gross encounter with a minor. I said this with Normal People and I'll say it again, it seems as if the writing is not supposed to be of substance or literary in any way, but rather an outline for future script production as an annoying romcom (again, no offense to romcoms). 
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