more than ever i had some trouble following some of the internal vs external thoughts in peter's pov, so sally rooney's signature style didn't pull me in as much for almost half the book. that being SAID. the sibling relationship at the heart of the book made me wildly emotional and every moment of tension between the brother broke my heart in a way that was not quite a personal reality but intimately familiar. and the storyline with peter, naomi, and sylvia was beautiful in it's complication. rooney writes characters with real human flaws so accurately. best characters in the book are margaret and alexei and they stole the show for me throughout. incredible puppy and incredible arts centre lady. literally could not name a flaw in either of them. the complicated relationship the brothers had with their parents, too, as they were grown ups is such a prescient inclusion too, the evolving parent-child relationships, when the child is an adult too. tough. this is not my favorite of rooney's works, but wow. a great read.