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A review by seraphimgt
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
funny
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? It's complicated
4.5
When is it going to be my turn to be happy???
My biggest issue with the book is that often times the characters felt like caricatures of "liberals who be doing too much." As a bisexual woman of color with clinical depression, severe anxiety, and body dismorphia, it got pretty exhausting to read about how hard it was to be queer, poc, and/or a woman and how hard it was to have mental health issues and not feel conventionally attractive. But for people who don't have that same experience as me, I can definitely see the value of explicating on those issues.
Overall, the plot was good and the characters were cute. I found it to be a really enjoyable read. Also I really love how Ryan's charcter was used. It was a detail I was pleasantly surprised about. I was super prepared and excited for the evil ex boyfriend confrontation, but I like the reveal about him just being a guy who was trying his best in a dysfunctiona relationship so much more.
My biggest issue with the book is that often times the characters felt like caricatures of "liberals who be doing too much." As a bisexual woman of color with clinical depression, severe anxiety, and body dismorphia, it got pretty exhausting to read about how hard it was to be queer, poc, and/or a woman and how hard it was to have mental health issues and not feel conventionally attractive. But for people who don't have that same experience as me, I can definitely see the value of explicating on those issues.
Overall, the plot was good and the characters were cute. I found it to be a really enjoyable read. Also
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcoholism
Minor: Body shaming, Homophobia, and Biphobia