Jules

this is one of those books i read in high school that made me realize i wanted to study books for as long as i could. part of it, i think, is that it's in many ways a Literary Achievement, and on the surface it lends itself to that close reading mumbo-jumbo we all get hammered into our brains. it's a fun game to play and there's plenty to play with in here. but when you go deeper - and i confess, i really need to revisit this book to confirm it, with quotes - there's something unearthly about where she goes with all those earthly techniques. there's always something just beyond a flat-ironed reading, always a little disconnection - a bit of a fuck-off, look-away to it that i really appreciate. again: i have to go back and read again to make that make sense. but i feel like i had to write something down in the meantime.

dnf, too simplistic even for what it is

started really strong, then slipped into melodrama and wrapped up a bit too quickly. still, it kept me reading, in a good way. despite its flaws it's a very kind-hearted book, well-researched and meditated. if it's a little on the nose sometimes, at least it's on the nose of something human and real - eleanor feels so painfully real, and i understand her.

really, my main complaint is that a certain... revelation... toward the end should have been explored a bit more. the second half was definitely rushed. still, it's not a deal breaker because by the time it goes a bit off, honeyman has already done the most important part. she gave us eleanor, in all her glory - she made her human and not an insipid caricature of somebody traumatized or abused or neurodivergent. and if there's a clumsy potted plant or too-appropriate cat along the way, then so be it.

A hypnotic read, if a little repetitive. It's giving American Psycho for depressed women. Very slick, powerful satire. The first few chapters describe my life for the last year or so minus the drugs, and I appreciated the lack of sentiment. I hovered around 3 stars for most of the read but brought it up to 4 by the end for a tight structure and appropriate length.

Also, I know this is controversial but I thought the ending was good - last line of the book is a real gut-punch. Without spoiling anything, I thought the message was pretty clear and a certain “gotcha” moment (the last page) doesn't feel like a gotcha at all, in context. Free yourself or die.

3.5. Very fun popcorn read with an engaging world and characters, if a bit trope-y. The fact that the magic system is basically vibe-based didn't bug me because I'm an idiot but I could see that disappointing some. Loved the humor at first, especially in the muddy first section where not much happens, but it did get to be a bit repetitive and at times disrupted the flow of some scenes. MCU-style quips are fun every now snd then but when shit is hitting the fan you gotta be secure enough in the story you're telling to focus on it. On the other hand, the ending is fantastic, as are many (if not all) of the character beats. I literally couldn't put it down for the last 40% and I'm seriously considering buying the second one to cut the line at the library, which I never do. So while my review sounds negative I have to acknowledge that most of this worked for me. I just wouldn't recommend it for everyone. If you want a queer pulpy read with some cool ideas, I recommend. If you want serious worldbuilding without a constant parade of winking puns and pop culture references, maybe look elsewhere.