I liked this better than the first one! (Well actually I barely remember anything from the first one but I'm taking that as a sign.) I found the mystery and the atmosphere more compelling in this one, I was kinda wishing it was autumn, that would have made the feeling ideal🍂🎃 

I must say the romance aspect is not well executed and pretty annoying. Both parties just act so immature... I remember liking David more in the first book, but maybe I'm misremembering. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to book 3, which (unless it shocks me and blows me) will be the end of my Truly Devious journey.

I understand why this has become a classic and compulsory reading in some schools. It's unique to get such candid, first hand accounts of somebody struggling with addiction. Completely unglamorized and with a surprising amount of self reflection, Christiane F. recounts her story (and the story of so many others during the time). I can see how this can serve as a cautionary tale, especially since it is delivered without the same judgement that comes with most Anti-Drug PSA's. While, this book ends on a light note, we know Christiane's life was not exactly a happily ever after, which is unfortunately another reality of drug addicts. The story certainly is a tragedy. It's hard to watch how Christiane and others, fail Christiane over and over, in part through apathy, in part through misinformed actions while trying to help. Especially knowing that this by far isn't an exception, only perhaps, in that Christiane actually survives.

And they were roommates!

I like the return of the random slice of life vignettes. While I do understand why an overarching plot makes sense from a publishing standpoint, I personally prefer to see the everyday hijinks that come with living with a loudmouthed communist kangaroo à la Die Känguru Chroniken to the further installments of the trilogy and through this I finally got to see that return.

a lot of good stuff, but too much freud.

This is one of those books that's an easy recommendation. It's a short read (therefore if you end up not liking it you will not have spent a lot of time on it), that's poetic and reflective, yet accessible and raw. The artwork guides you as you flow through the book and I wish I had had a physical copy when reading it because I'm sure they would have had a bigger effect on me that way. Some lines connected with me more than others but overall I think the book is relatable to anyone who lived through 2020 and is upset about the state of the world.

I originally rated this 3.75 stars, but after giving it some time I had to knock it down a notch.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover is incredible and the story sounded like it could be as well. But actually reading it was another story. 

Something about this book made my brain turn off, and my reading pace was half the speed it usually has (the same happens with me and Tolkien). 

Maybe it were the constant local references that probably make this book fun for people who live there or know the area, but were quite meaningless to me.

Also, while I personally like stories with animal protagonists (especially if they're sarcastic little assholes) they have their own terms for certain human things and their different perspective requires getting used to, which didn't make the reading easier for me.

I probably won't read the sequel, but if this is ever adapted for TV, I think it could either be really cool series or a garbage fire and I'd be interested in watching either way.

This book feels like the excerpt of the life of a real person. Frances' thoughts and feelings were believable reactions to someone in her situation, they were neither too pretty nor overly dramaticized and I enjoyed reading about it even when it was messy and sad at times. She clearly wasn't meant to be perfect and still I could relate a little too well (idk how to better explain this feeling, i'm not trying to imply that I'm perfect and therefore can only see myself in such characters, but that I think it makes it easier to sympathize). I don't know how long this book will stick with me; it has some interesting thoughts about non-monogamy many of which I had similar thoughts about in the past and some that made me think about it some more, but over all reading it felt more like living someone else's life for a few hours, and I don't think I will remember much about it when you ask me in a few months. Still, creating such believable characters is a feat and I appreciate what Sally Rooney managed to do here. The book made me feel strong feelings and had the character's thoughts flouting around with me in between reading. Some books are meant to be experienced like that, not through lasting impressions.