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messymimms's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Backstage at a performance, Elsie describes herself as “numb, nervous, brilliantly alive” - and I think that’s the perfect way to describe this book.
Liv Little has been able to craft an incredibly genuine and compelling story, with characters you’ll be all too familiar with if you’re a queer living in London. Indeed, this book is properly atmospheric - not as in foggy or ethereal, but in that it creates such a clear mood, vibe, space, context.
The novel is peppered with references - from the coil to Corinne Bailey Rae, Peckham Rye and Rubicon Mango. These all contribute to it feeling really real. In many ways, everything feels quite mundane. Messy and dramatic in a twenty-something, not-figured-it-out way, but mundane.
When the drama hit, I almost wanted it more pared back - more slice of life-like, but that’s just because this novel does that really well. It’s at its most beautiful when Elsie is channeling Little’s poetry and describing all of the little big details which dog and uplift her life.
As a narrator, she’s quietly reflective, but likes to conjure up vivid images and dispense the occasional tidbit of wisdom. The poetry included in the book, written by Kai-Isaiah Jamal, is beautiful and fits in effortlessly. But the bigger feat, for me, is that even without those poems - Elsie is written like a poet.
This shines through when Elsie appraises art and music, and bodies. These descriptions hit so well, and you can tell how fascinated she is by lyricism, words, desire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Car accident, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Classism
kneebees's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail