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femme_bookworm 's review for:
Julie Tudor Is Not a Psychopath
by Jennifer Holdich
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This joke has been said a hundred times before, but Julie Tudor is definitely a psychopath.
I have never read a book that causes me to cringe physically but still keeps me intrigued. Julie's behavior throughout the book was so delightfully concerning, from her frankly sad drinking problems and her inability to properly read social cues (even though she thinks she's one of the few who can do it well).
Positives:
While reading, I was mentally checking off each box that makes a person a psychopath and Julie passed with flying colors. Julie's characterization is fascinating. You find yourself wondering what makes her this way and begin desperately hoping for an explanation only to come up empty-handed. While sometimes frustrating, it is made increasingly obvious that the lack of explanation is due to Julie's inflated ego and inability to step away from her delusions.
Julie Tudor is, unfortunately, an unlikable main character, but that works in the context of the novel. I don't think you're supposed to root for Julie, she is notably uncharismatic and unnerving to those around her. As the reader you stand in as a parallel to her peers, we are laughing at her, not with her. Her behavior startles us more and more as the novel progresses. Julie isn't trying to convince the reader she has done nothing wrong, she sees her acts as justified. There is no need for convincing. Although she isn't a likable main character, I found myself feeling incredibly bad for Julie, especially in instances where she doesn't realize she is the butt of a joke. She isn't fully a sympathetic character, but Holdich was able to incorporate these few fleeting moments of empathy from the readers.
Negatives:
The pacing of the novel was rather strange in my opinion, yet I can see it from an artistic standpoint. As things start to spiral and Julie gets more erratic, so does her narration.
Again, Julie is an unlikeable main character, meaning that sometimes it's hard to read her passages without rolling your eyes (this also works in favor of the novel). I continued reading because I was interested in seeing what bizarre thing she would do next.
I have never read a book that causes me to cringe physically but still keeps me intrigued. Julie's behavior throughout the book was so delightfully concerning, from her frankly sad drinking problems and her inability to properly read social cues (even though she thinks she's one of the few who can do it well).
Positives:
While reading, I was mentally checking off each box that makes a person a psychopath and Julie passed with flying colors. Julie's characterization is fascinating. You find yourself wondering what makes her this way and begin desperately hoping for an explanation only to come up empty-handed. While sometimes frustrating, it is made increasingly obvious that the lack of explanation is due to Julie's inflated ego and inability to step away from her delusions.
Julie Tudor is, unfortunately, an unlikable main character, but that works in the context of the novel. I don't think you're supposed to root for Julie, she is notably uncharismatic and unnerving to those around her. As the reader you stand in as a parallel to her peers, we are laughing at her, not with her. Her behavior startles us more and more as the novel progresses. Julie isn't trying to convince the reader she has done nothing wrong, she sees her acts as justified. There is no need for convincing. Although she isn't a likable main character, I found myself feeling incredibly bad for Julie, especially in instances where she doesn't realize she is the butt of a joke. She isn't fully a sympathetic character, but Holdich was able to incorporate these few fleeting moments of empathy from the readers.
Negatives:
The pacing of the novel was rather strange in my opinion, yet I can see it from an artistic standpoint. As things start to spiral and Julie gets more erratic, so does her narration.
Again, Julie is an unlikeable main character, meaning that sometimes it's hard to read her passages without rolling your eyes (this also works in favor of the novel). I continued reading because I was interested in seeing what bizarre thing she would do next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Alcohol