Reviews

Credit where it's due, Hamya does a good job of conveying the feeling of insecure tenancy by proxy as the reader endures interminable misery. Joking aside, this has neither the coherence of a train of thought, nor impetus of narrative. The unnamed protagonist can't form an independent thought and relies on secondary sources to convey her position. As a political geek, even I was underwhelmed by blow-by-blow reporting on Brexit absent any analysis or reaction. There is nothing to commend about this book - an opportunity to explore an important topic to many squandered on a vapid, unlikeable and altogether unmemorable main character with zero agency.

hailslo's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

lucysurtees's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

mijntjeguus's review

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3.0

Heeft z’n interessante momenten maar niet echt heel boeiend

richa_singh's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I had been drawn to the book because of the potential themes it would explore. However, the Execution if the said themes were rather lackluster. The most interesting and engaging bits were the parts were the unnamed narrator would narrate to us the constantly tenuous living arrangements and how she had to adjust her own desires and personality traits to somehow belong to any space. But such narration was sparce throughout the text.

Instead, excessive focus was given to the political backdrop of Brexit. This choice could also have been impactful, but only if one already knew the nuances regarding the issue. Otherwise, the text felt rather alienating and stifling. Personally, I felt that the issue of Brexit was overused - especially when pages after pages of political commentary were dumped into the text without any nuanced attempt at integrating this backdrop with the main plot.

Another major issue was the insufferable nature of the main character. Additionally, she was also very bland as a character. I would like to read a book about any of the other side characters who appear in the text - Ghislane, the neighbour or even the mother of the narrator flatmate. The main character had almost no original personality of her own and had too constantly rely upon Twitter posts and Instagram posts to articulate herself. The ending too was quite a letdown. In short, although the initial premise were quite promising, the sheer lack of original thought on the part of the narrator and the lackluster Eexecution was what compromised the integrity and potential of the book.

gabi_tron's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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