2020: I was pretty hot and cold with this book. I ultimately went with four stars because I sympathized with Frances so much, and I really enjoy Rooney's prose. I would recommend starting with Normal People if you're just discovering Rooney, though; her sophomore novel was stronger and what really hooked me.

I felt that Rooney so authentically captures what it's like to be lost in your early twenties, but with a huge caveat here: Frances is privileged and white, and while aware of her privilege, this novel follows a very narrow example of someone's young adult experience. I'm interested to see whether Rooney continues to write about protagonists in their early twenties, or whether her main characters will grow up as she does.

Whether or not you sympathize with Frances will be the defining factor of whether or not you like this book. I was heavily reminded of Selin from The Idiot (by Elif Batuman), but I was able to cheer for Frances in a way that I wasn't able to for Selin. I think I saw myself in her much more than I did in Selin. I enjoyed that she was a queer Irish woman who read the Bible but also is an adulterer and had discussions about race and social injustices in the world (was this just Bobbi rubbing off on her tho?).

Some favorite quotes:
"...something being over is not the same as something never having happened."
"I loved when he was available to me like this, when our relationship was like a Word document, which we were writing and editing together, or a long, private joke that nobody else could understand. I liked to feel like he was my collaborator."
"I find it hard not knowing if you're okay."