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jehanmadhani's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book really surprised and delighted me— it was funny and unexpected.
anne_11_k's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
daaneggburst's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hilzisreading's review
2.5
That book was terrible !!!! Or maybe really good??????? Like props to the author for finishing a novel because that’s an impressive feat to accomplish. Some of it was a funny satire around toxic positivity and the horror of self improvement when it becomes something that enables bad behavior. But I found Ava’s fall into her relationship with Mat very unbelievable as I was reading it. I know part of the framing was purposeful — making the reader see how toxic and manipulative the relationship was — but I also was unable to see any compelling chemistry between Ava and Mat. Yes, part of it is just like oooh the glow of masculinity and male validation but most of that was overshadowed by his annoying and stupid behaviors. Ugh, also, Lamby? Cringe. So, maybe it was well written in that it made me feel literal anger in my blood towards Mat? He’s a very good villain but I knew he was the villain from the get go. I did not feel seduced by him and I think a seduction bait and switch would’ve made it more compelling.
oakleyloew's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Fell flat at the end, but overall a unique and nicely written book
tinyrebel's review
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thewriterrose's review against another edition
3.0
I actually didn't see the twist in this book coming, which is a plus. It was recommended by a coworker who compared it to "You" by Caroline Kepnes. While it can be slow and sometimes repetitive, the protagonist is interesting enough, and the plot keeps you interested for the most part. Aside from it sometimes getting a little boring, I enjoyed it enough to suggest it to anyone who likes books that take a little while to get to the point.
littlespookysmut's review against another edition
4.0
IDK WHAT I WAS EXPECTING BUT IT WAS NOT THAT. I loved this book so much! Ava’s character was so complex and wonderful. The office humor was so good and I just loved how this portrayed grief and friendship in a millennial world
ametakinetos's review against another edition
2.0
I am...disappointed.
On one hand, you have the quirky corporate aspects of Spirit surveys and the Gay Tree and text therapy, the sitcom awkwardness of our introverted efficiency-driven main character and the peppy positivity pill antagonist, the constant namedropping of the SCADA-branded products that feels like one big infomercial, a group called "The Good Guys" that instantly appears cultish to everyone except themselves, the classic jaded Gen Z versus the conglomerate, a predictable villain, "men ain't sh*t" restated a hundred different ways for 361 pages - all fodder for an excellent satirical, ironic, tongue-in-cheek piece.
On the other, you have a surprisingly well-executed depiction of grief, trauma, and the constant battle between opening up to experiences or shutting down for protection. Do you keep yourself to yourself, the hurt of the familiar, or venture out, the hurt of the unknown? How soon is too soon to move on? Is it your fault that you can't forget, or their fault for not remembering? It strikes an emotional depth totally inconsistent with the rest of the book, which relegates its characters to one-note roles and behavior convenient for the plot, not their established personalities.
The book really fails with Ava and Mat's relationship. By sheer word count, their relationship is the crux of the story, but we all knew right from the start that Mat was our bad guy. The barest of glances at the dust jacket and a low-level perception of The Vibe™️ makes that clear. So I spent the majority of the book just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He never comes across as charming or attractive regardless of how many times Ava may state it because we know it's doomed. Then, when you do finally get to the inevitable psychotic break, it's rushed, chaotic, and reminiscent of a Scooby-Doo episode. Mat pulls off his mask, delivers a "It was me all along!" monologue, Ava and her zany sidekick Jaime trap him in the Very Nice Box, and they walk off into the sunset discussing when they'll catch up on Hotspot.
A funky, Heathers-esque, satisfyingly tidy yet full-circle ending - if the book had stuck with the first approach. But after the care taken to establish Ava's traumatic past and ongoing struggles with relationship, it feels cheap. None of the social commentary on capitalism, toxic positivity, heteronormativity, etc. strikes more than a glancing blow. I think Nice Guys by Ryan Higa or a random Danny Gonzalez video on alpha male podcasts gave me more to think about than this.
Read the first couple chapters for the quirkiness, admire the fantastic cover art. Ditch the rest.
On one hand, you have the quirky corporate aspects of Spirit surveys and the Gay Tree and text therapy, the sitcom awkwardness of our introverted efficiency-driven main character and the peppy positivity pill antagonist, the constant namedropping of the SCADA-branded products that feels like one big infomercial, a group called "The Good Guys" that instantly appears cultish to everyone except themselves, the classic jaded Gen Z versus the conglomerate, a predictable villain, "men ain't sh*t" restated a hundred different ways for 361 pages - all fodder for an excellent satirical, ironic, tongue-in-cheek piece.
On the other, you have a surprisingly well-executed depiction of grief, trauma, and the constant battle between opening up to experiences or shutting down for protection. Do you keep yourself to yourself, the hurt of the familiar, or venture out, the hurt of the unknown? How soon is too soon to move on? Is it your fault that you can't forget, or their fault for not remembering? It strikes an emotional depth totally inconsistent with the rest of the book, which relegates its characters to one-note roles and behavior convenient for the plot, not their established personalities.
The book really fails with Ava and Mat's relationship. By sheer word count, their relationship is the crux of the story, but we all knew right from the start that Mat was our bad guy. The barest of glances at the dust jacket and a low-level perception of The Vibe™️ makes that clear. So I spent the majority of the book just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He never comes across as charming or attractive regardless of how many times Ava may state it because we know it's doomed. Then, when you do finally get to the inevitable psychotic break, it's rushed, chaotic, and reminiscent of a Scooby-Doo episode. Mat pulls off his mask, delivers a "It was me all along!" monologue, Ava and her zany sidekick Jaime trap him in the Very Nice Box, and they walk off into the sunset discussing when they'll catch up on Hotspot.
A funky, Heathers-esque, satisfyingly tidy yet full-circle ending - if the book had stuck with the first approach. But after the care taken to establish Ava's traumatic past and ongoing struggles with relationship, it feels cheap. None of the social commentary on capitalism, toxic positivity, heteronormativity, etc. strikes more than a glancing blow. I think Nice Guys by Ryan Higa or a random Danny Gonzalez video on alpha male podcasts gave me more to think about than this.
Read the first couple chapters for the quirkiness, admire the fantastic cover art. Ditch the rest.
Spoiler
Also, not saying Ava at all deserved what happened with Mat. She was in a position to be easily manipulated and he took advantage. But homegirl acted all flabbergasted about him lying to her when she didn't even know Jaime had a boyfriend for a YEAR. She ditches her best friend so fast and flips up her whole personality while knowing Not A Single Thing. If Mat hadn't told her about his fake college or Good Guys group, would she have even known what to be upset about? Ava never thinks a single bad thing about Andie - is that just because she never asked and therefore Did Not Know? Does everything she knows about people have to come from voluntary admission? What are these couples supposedly talking about on these dinner dates and late nights?!bumble_abi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ava works as an engineer at STÄDA, an IKEA-like corporation, designing storage boxes. Her life is square and meticulous, as she tiptoes around the hole left by a car accident that killed both her parents and her fiancé. But her careful compartmentalizing is shaken up when the company's new Head of Product, Mat, bursts into the business and into her life, and despite herself she can't help but fall for his buzzwordy charms.
This book really surprised me. It is a tender examination of grief, a shrewd workplace satire, a takedown of toxic masculinity, and somehow sort of a thriller, all while making me laugh out loud several times. Ava is plausibly bisexual, and this book's comments on the dilemma of being attracted to men while needing to sort of simplify yourself to make sense to them really hit home for me (this is obviously a generalisation but accurate in my experience).
The observation that so much of corporate success is repackaging basic icebreakers and saying unfamiliar combinations of words confidently feels so true to life even as it's satirised, and I enjoyed recognising facets of my own experience of corporate life in here. It's well-plotted and pacy and I did not expect myself to tear through it in the way I did. There was a twist I predicted, but it was executed well and I think I'd have been disappointed if the book hadn't gone there.
This is the first time I've read a book by two writers where it's not split into two distinct voices (e.g. two character points-of-view). It's not possible to tell who wrote what, and I think it makes for an impressive debut, because there's some built-in quality control in that collaborative process, before the manuscript even gets to an editor. Why don't more people write books like this?
This book really surprised me. It is a tender examination of grief, a shrewd workplace satire, a takedown of toxic masculinity, and somehow sort of a thriller, all while making me laugh out loud several times. Ava is plausibly bisexual, and this book's comments on the dilemma of being attracted to men while needing to sort of simplify yourself to make sense to them really hit home for me (this is obviously a generalisation but accurate in my experience).
The observation that so much of corporate success is repackaging basic icebreakers and saying unfamiliar combinations of words confidently feels so true to life even as it's satirised, and I enjoyed recognising facets of my own experience of corporate life in here. It's well-plotted and pacy and I did not expect myself to tear through it in the way I did. There was a twist I predicted, but it was executed well and I think I'd have been disappointed if the book hadn't gone there.
This is the first time I've read a book by two writers where it's not split into two distinct voices (e.g. two character points-of-view). It's not possible to tell who wrote what, and I think it makes for an impressive debut, because there's some built-in quality control in that collaborative process, before the manuscript even gets to an editor. Why don't more people write books like this?