horourke's reviews
93 reviews

ugh. I understand Eugenide’s intention with this book (I think) -the boys are voyeuristic and detached from the girls, always watching but never understanding.  but it felt so gross. they just use these poor girls then wonder what became of them. the parents weren’t much help either, but I guess the novel takes place in a time before therapy was widespread. anyways, I think Eugenides might be too much of a male author for me … his lived experience as a man seeps soo deeply into his work that it makes it unenjoyable 

really interesting exploration of mommy issues. main character was sooo crazy and I loved her for it. maybe I’m just gay but I really didn’t understand her whole “devoted wife to the most perfect man” complex. also why didn’t they have ANY friends?? like no ones dropping off casserole for you after your mom died?? 

I’ve never read anything like this before. Clarke builds a vivid and complex world, ripe with the language and routines of a madman. This book sucked me in from the moment I picked it up, and I finished in less than a day. 

a family epic at its core, hello beautiful is about the prevailing power of love. equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, this gorgeously crafted homage to little women has captured a part of my heart.  

meh. character development wasn’t great - Ren just got more annoying and self righteous as the book went on. the metaphor (if that’s what it was) didn’t quite land for me, but I enjoyed the concept. writing was a bit juvenile. could’ve been gayer and creepier. needed a second look by an editor, too. 

loooved how much everyone in this book sucks. especially loved jillian and megan constantly self destructing and ruining their own lives. a quick and fun read 

really really enjoyed this. the narrator is an anthropologist, an apt observer with a unique perspective. a coming of age story for a young woman whose life has not been her own. explores themes of self, independence, sacrifice, desire, and longing. 

“why would your father do something that is not to his advantage?”

one of the saddest books I’ve ever read. the way she intellectualizes her grief is so heartbreaking and so human. a deeply personal account of her life and loss

SO much more incest than I expected. Like way more. 

I really wish the book focused more on Cal’s life and journey with gender than his complex family dynamics. Still very interesting and well-written, but my favorite parts were when Cal was experimenting with gender and sexuality. I also wish he wasn’t so black and white about it all and became more involved with other queer and intersex people, but I guess his fear of joining the community is one of his flaws. Overall enjoyed but wouldn’t re-read. 

beautifully written but painfully slow. was a slog at times since they’re in the same place for nearly the entire novel. a tale about beauty, love, music, talent, tragedy, and coincidence. ending was wonderful but could’ve come 150 pages earlier.