mythili's reviews
509 reviews

I'm annoyingly, hoppingly mad at this book. It does not have a soul. It does everything right yet it doesn't have what makes a book come alive. Campbell's character is the only one with any sort of depth to it – the other characters exist only as appendages to him. Milo Mangasha, the Irish-Ethiopian British boy, had so much potential; he's a disruptor, out to get revenge for the system that hurt his mother and his family. But he's only portrayed as someone who does this revenge without any kind of philosophy or depth backing up his life's decisions. Sure, we are introduced to his friend group and their situations. However, the intensity of it all floats away – once again, his friends are typecast into certain fates without having any kind of personality of their own (smoking weed in an abandoned flat is not a character trait, Mr. Hagan). The white folk, of privilege and those of not, are also incredibly two dimensional – a therapist in a seemingly perfect marriage who has no other presence but in connection to her husband, Campbell, or her family; her sister and husband (who had the potential to be very well drawn characters) fall flat as well. There are ways to make disgustingly privileged people interesting too. It's not like they are without any kind of a life apart from the riches they have. Kenzie, the daughter, her traits are she's beautiful, demure and is dating a non-binary person. The son, Angus, a DJ, portrayed as a poor excuse of a hedonist. Flynn occupies so much of this book unnecessarily, just like he occupies academic space in his university unnecessarily. I think the only character that has a slice of verity to him is Jakub, the Polish immigrant. He seems like the only real person in the book. Everyone else seems like mannequins that have walked out of Hagan's Britain, leaving behind their lives and personalities. I'm angry at this book for raising my hopes and throwing them off like this. This book sounds like an apology written to the sorry state of London and a poor excuse of a revenge fantasy. I'm livid. I'm not going to give any stars to this book, will let it fall flat as the writer did to all his characters. I can't look at this book anymore.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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mythili's reviews 509 reviews

mythili's reviews
509 reviews