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ellis_eden's review against another edition
3.0
This book is full of prose, and elegant turns of phrase that at times felt at odds with the plot. Like jots of poetry that got interwoven into a somewhat predictable coming-of-age story. It takes a very progressive approach to female bodies, and doesn’t shy away from details. I should have loved it, but I could never suspend disbelief. However, I applaud the author’s intentions.
snance's review against another edition
2.0
Can't say I liked this book. It was interesting. In a slightly horrifying, train wreck kind of way.
rizzfitz's review against another edition
3.0
It's so short that I read it fully by accident kind of. It is supposed to be sexy-whoa, but I was pretty sad for her and read it to ruminate on the crap that we experience. Can say that it is tersely well written -somewhat like Heti's writing where you go where a brain goes? But so very dreary and dank that I can't ever recommend unless someone's looking for this feeling or sense. Trigger warnings abound.
gvermylen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
starness's review against another edition
3.0
A strange coming of age tale, a girls very intimate discovery of her body and her sexuality. All told in excruciating detail.
The story revolves around Roxana a young girl who’s intention is to travel to Paris with her best friend for a study abroad program but ends up in Denmark due to a logistical mix up and for some unknown reason quickly becomes involved with Søren her intended travel guide a man she barely knows and who Roxana nonchalantly succumbs to being enslaved as his domestic hostage, a man who also happens to have deep seated Xenophobic issues, a controlling loner who basically loses his starry eyed appeal quite abruptly. Her uncomfortabilty becomes stronger the more his irrational anger comes to the fore and she starts to fantasise about escaping...right into the arms of another man! A man with his own deep seated issues. This part of the story feels like it got weirder and weirder. The author bringing to light racism and cultural estrangement but it felt a little too staged for my liking.
Honest and daring but ultimately I felt manipulated into buying into the complicated love story, I had trouble connecting with the two male characters. Roxana at least felt real with her many complex issues of self doubt, her jealousies and inadequacies, her lack of assertiveness and naïveté, some of the things I would have liked to see better explored.
The story was meant to make you feel uncomfortable but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. What I first thought was a sexual awakening story took a strange detour that sadly derailed my enjoyment of the story. It was disturbingly fascinating but not flawlessly executed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for my advanced review copy. Pub date 17/8/18
The story revolves around Roxana a young girl who’s intention is to travel to Paris with her best friend for a study abroad program but ends up in Denmark due to a logistical mix up and for some unknown reason quickly becomes involved with Søren her intended travel guide a man she barely knows and who Roxana nonchalantly succumbs to being enslaved as his domestic hostage, a man who also happens to have deep seated Xenophobic issues, a controlling loner who basically loses his starry eyed appeal quite abruptly. Her uncomfortabilty becomes stronger the more his irrational anger comes to the fore and she starts to fantasise about escaping...right into the arms of another man! A man with his own deep seated issues. This part of the story feels like it got weirder and weirder. The author bringing to light racism and cultural estrangement but it felt a little too staged for my liking.
Honest and daring but ultimately I felt manipulated into buying into the complicated love story, I had trouble connecting with the two male characters. Roxana at least felt real with her many complex issues of self doubt, her jealousies and inadequacies, her lack of assertiveness and naïveté, some of the things I would have liked to see better explored.
The story was meant to make you feel uncomfortable but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. What I first thought was a sexual awakening story took a strange detour that sadly derailed my enjoyment of the story. It was disturbingly fascinating but not flawlessly executed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for my advanced review copy. Pub date 17/8/18
plaidpladd's review against another edition
1.0
I think I can see what this novel was trying to do, but it failed. I had to force myself to finish reading I was so apathetic to all of it. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the whole thing felt like the kind of half-realized conversation you have at 4am when you're at the woozy state between drunk and hungover.
tossied's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jessicaxmaria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
There's a lot packed in here, and so much to admire about it, but it still left me unsure... which I suppose is good? Going to have to mull this over before final review...
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
3.0
This is part coming-of-age, part contemporary romance - but with quite a dark angle. We’re following Roxana after she graduates high school and embarks on an exchange program - she had applied to go to Paris with her best friend, but through a series of events ends up in Denmark instead. Conceptually this reminded me a lot of THE IDIOT by Elif Batuman, without the circular interior monologue that I felt really stopped me connecting with that narrative. I found this compelling for the most part, though the narrative lost me as it neared the end.
What worked for me was a lot of the social consciousness that emerged in the narrative towards the end - discussions about racism and the experience of asylum seekers and immigrants in Europe. I also thought the intimacy and complexities of physical relationships were really well written.
I finished the novel feeling perplexed and without resolution of some of the symbolism and character threads being followed through, I felt there were hints to issues (particularly with Roxana’s best friend) that needed a little more fleshing out.
Thanks to Grove for a review copy.
What worked for me was a lot of the social consciousness that emerged in the narrative towards the end - discussions about racism and the experience of asylum seekers and immigrants in Europe. I also thought the intimacy and complexities of physical relationships were really well written.
I finished the novel feeling perplexed and without resolution of some of the symbolism and character threads being followed through, I felt there were hints to issues (particularly with Roxana’s best friend) that needed a little more fleshing out.
Thanks to Grove for a review copy.