Evenings and Weekends

I raced through this at first and thought it was a solid 4-star affair, but found it lost steam towards the end. Another queer story that revolves around drug taking, polyamory, sexual abuse, and group sex grew tiring. Much like some of Sally Rooney's novels, by the end of it I just didn't care about these people whining and their various problems. Rosaleen and Joan's storylines are the most engaging, but the other characters' revelations fall flat (or just feel half finished, like the marine biologist's). The graphic depictions of bodily functions felt like an attempt to make it more raw and gritty, but if I had to read about one more armpit prickling with sweat...

It's so chaotic, I want to hear the whale's POV.

There were so many secrets my body wanted to puke.

This was an intriguing book set in a contemporary London. A heatwave and a whale trapped in the river Thames glues the story arcs together.

You follow a diverse cast of interconnected characters during one weekend, that is filled with almost soap opera-like drama, conflict and miscommunication. The deep dive into their minds widens the scope from this single weekend to their troubled pasts and uncertain futures.

The humor, that made me chuckle out loud, countered the heavier topics discussed in this novel. This, combined with the excellent audiobook, made this a very entertaining and fast-paced read!

This was such an enjoyable read for me. I don’t think I have enjoyed characters in a book so much. Everything about this book came off so real. That is what I appreciated the most about it. Since the characters came off so realistically it kept me wanting to read this book to see what happens with them. I absolutely love this book.

No review I can write will do this book justice, just trust me, read it.