francesmthompson's Reviews (976)

There were some very funny moments and the writing was solid, and I really like the idea of the narrator's true identity being very sparsely hinted at (although it was a bit obvious who it was) but I feel like this whole book was built around the final few sentences (again obvious), and even that wasn't quite strong enough to make me not ask "What's the point?" which I did again and again during this novel. There was so much hype for this book and I should have taken that as a sign as it often means I won't enjoy it in the same way.

ESSENTIAL READING if you are British and human. Heck, even if you're not British. And possibly even if you're not human. Actually, maybe all the more reason if you've lost touch with humanity.

Opened my eyes to so many multi-faceted issues that we should be really looking closer at, and brilliantly combined humour with information and learning. It made me sad about how hard trans people have to fight to essentially be who they are, but it gave me hope about future generations who are already fighting transphobia and gender bias, and the results of this will liberate and improve life for so many.

This was a very curious book. It informed and entertained, and left me wondering about so many psychological and social concepts, but I found some chapters much easier to read than others.

This book was worth getting for the introduction alone, but then as I got to the author's work itself. Wow. Close to every story was oozing with originality and honesty and oh, my it is so so so so sad that this book exists but the author no longer does, but also thank goodness she wrote as much as she did in her short, short life, and magdammit I need to write more NOW.

BLOODY LOVED THIS BOOK. I should probably add something more coherent or meaningful or informative, but nah, this book just spoke to me and pulled at all my emotional strings even though I have experienced next to nothing similar to the writer.

Anita Shreve's hands are very safe hands and this, arguably her most commercially successful novel, is a book you know is going to go somewhere, while also making lots of meaningful stops on the way. As it happened, I saw the main destination before reaching it (I am nosey and inquisitive and annoying like that) but I still enjoyed the ride, but I have to be honest and say I skipped more than a few pages just to hurry things along at times.