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A review by miahenry
Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman
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
3.0
I like the world the author builds in this book, or I should say worlds since it moves between three time periods. They are all very specific and I felt like I could see the camp, the Brittney Spears like performances, and the Broadway show rehearsals. All three of my stars are for the world-building.
Kathleen is not a super likable character, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to be in her corner. But I just couldn’t connect to her so I was not invested in the romance. Cal is a little more fleshed out and likable, but, I couldn’t understand his attraction to Katherine because she is not particularly kind. She is not terrible, but just kind of meh.
The burn feels unnecessarily slow. Then all the juicy scenes happen at once.
The book tries to make the Black side character a significant one, but she never really comes off the sidelines. She has no life outside of Kathleen’s orbit.
And people, one Black lesbian and a mention of a gay couple we never meet does not equate to a diverse cast of characters. I am assuming Kathleen is Jewish only because of her last name. Cultural references for her are minimal at best.
I’m a Broadway musical fan, which certainly helped me move through this. But I still wasn’t… Riveted!
Kathleen is not a super likable character, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to be in her corner. But I just couldn’t connect to her so I was not invested in the romance. Cal is a little more fleshed out and likable, but, I couldn’t understand his attraction to Katherine because she is not particularly kind. She is not terrible, but just kind of meh.
The burn feels unnecessarily slow. Then all the juicy scenes happen at once.
The book tries to make the Black side character a significant one, but she never really comes off the sidelines. She has no life outside of Kathleen’s orbit.
And people, one Black lesbian and a mention of a gay couple we never meet does not equate to a diverse cast of characters. I am assuming Kathleen is Jewish only because of her last name. Cultural references for her are minimal at best.
I’m a Broadway musical fan, which certainly helped me move through this. But I still wasn’t… Riveted!