This book was so much more than I expected. Based on the description, it’s easy to think that it might be a mystery or a thriller, but it’s really an exploration of family dynamics, of what it means to be different, of race and gender in the 1950s-1970s, of unstated expectations. Celeste Ng’d prose is captivating, and I couldn’t put this down.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because I loved the art and the color palette. Utterly charming queer romance with ghosts, but unfortunately the pacing felt off and I wish the story had been developed a bit more.

This was way darker than I expected, and problematic in a lot of ways that other reviewers go into in depth. I liked the art, but this was a tough read emotionally. I don’t regret that I read it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

I loved the premise, and it was fun and a quick read! Would have been four stars for me if the pacing hadn’t been too slow in the first half, and then if there had been any actual resolution/conclusion at the end (Where did the zombies come from? Why were they at the con?).

CW: abuse. I want to call this out because it is a major theme throughout the book, and honestly, I might not have picked it up if I’d known that. That said, I’m so glad that I read this book.

I admittedly don’t know nearly as much as I should about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and while that isn’t the focus of the novel, it certainly piqued my curiosity. That’s part of what I appreciated about this book: that I’m going to be thinking about aspects of it for a long time. I’m also a sucker for a novel told from multiple viewpoints, and I thought that one of the central themes being shame was powerful.

Something that’s super weird to me: how many reviewers were confused by the ending. I thought it was perfect and utterly heartbreaking.

About ten years ago, a friend and I picked up the movie Waitress at a rental place. It seemed like it would be quirky and charming, and then it turned out that the main character's relationship was abusive so what we'd hoped would be a fun movie was actually quite traumatizing.

Based on the blurb about Eleanor Oliphant and all of the rave reviews, I again expected quirky and charming, but WOW, all of that was overshadowed by the alcoholism, abuse, and trauma for me. I saw most of the twist coming from very early on in the book and decided to finish it anyway because I was curious about how the story would unfold, but this wasn't the book I expected at all. (Also, whoever wrote in their review that Eleanor describes other people as if she's an alien visiting a new planet: spot on.)