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A review by labyrith_of_a_thousand_mirrors
Off the Record by Camryn Garrett
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Took me a while to read it, which made it hard to remember names that weren't mentioned for a while. But that's on me. And so is taking long. My depressed ADHD brain was just a mess for a while. But today reading was what helped so I finished it.
I really liked the writing style, though I sometimes felt taken out of the scene by all of the thoughts that were sprinkled in between dialogue. It made the reaction time just seem... off. Not saying it's not realistic, I know from experience, anxiety thoughts are faster than spoken words. But you don't read them faster than the dialogue. You experience the scene at the pace you're reading. But I actually struggle with the same thing in my writing.
I kinda like the point it left off. Might seem unfinished to some but I think it ended in the right place.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. Garrett managed to masterfully walk the line between "unrealistically perfect" and "over the top abusive." They were still realistic sibling relationships, with all the bickering that doesn't make it toxic but just realistic. They still love and support each other, even though they get on each other's nerves. I wish I had that with my siblings.
The book tackled a really tough topic. And I think she masterfully did it. Without it being a dogma. It was still nuanced, I like the distinction between "problematic faves" and "faves that ruin somebody's life". The bottom line was just "stuff is not black and white" and "there is not one right way of acting as a survivor."
Also, good job on the fat representation. As someone who is not fat, this really broadened my view on what it's like to be fat. I already had some idea, but this definetely added to it.
I really liked the writing style, though I sometimes felt taken out of the scene by all of the thoughts that were sprinkled in between dialogue. It made the reaction time just seem... off. Not saying it's not realistic, I know from experience, anxiety thoughts are faster than spoken words. But you don't read them faster than the dialogue. You experience the scene at the pace you're reading. But I actually struggle with the same thing in my writing.
I kinda like the point it left off. Might seem unfinished to some but I think it ended in the right place.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. Garrett managed to masterfully walk the line between "unrealistically perfect" and "over the top abusive." They were still realistic sibling relationships, with all the bickering that doesn't make it toxic but just realistic. They still love and support each other, even though they get on each other's nerves. I wish I had that with my siblings.
The book tackled a really tough topic. And I think she masterfully did it. Without it being a dogma. It was still nuanced, I like the distinction between "problematic faves" and "faves that ruin somebody's life". The bottom line was just "stuff is not black and white" and "there is not one right way of acting as a survivor."
Also, good job on the fat representation. As someone who is not fat, this really broadened my view on what it's like to be fat. I already had some idea, but this definetely added to it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Fatphobia
Minor: Biphobia and Alcohol