Govind

The book is more relevant than ever in this age of smart things.

We can kind of allude to the current state of constant tracking, targeted ads and a feel of lack in privacy to how the characters are being watched in the novel.

The phrase "Big brother is watching you" has evolved from a mere reference to a haunting reminder of these times.

The novel slow in the start but catches on. It's a really immersive read with us feeling attentive and paying close attention to all the small details.

You feel as if something big is going to go down anytime. The author has done excellent job in conveying what the character might have felt.

There is this real eeriness of being watched that you can feel from reading the book.

Overall the novel is really good and it's one of those must read recommendations from me.

The book is painfully slow to pick up pace. The whole first act is really shoddy. The event that starts the journey of the MC is not very plausible and could have been easily avoided.

I really can't relate to someone acting so rashly with a kid and a wife. I can never see a dad acting like that.

And then there is the MC. He is really insufferable. I don't mind morally grey characters, but this guy is straight-up unlikeable.

The writing is unnecessarily winded and could have been shortened.

If not for the ARC copy, I would have DNFed and never looked back. The slap in the face was that this is the first of six planned books.

If it were part of a series, the author could have toned the book down so much. It’s not worth the time needed to read it.

Good try as a debut. I liked the villains more than the MC, and some side characters were interesting.

When not dragged down by long-winded parts and the insufferable MC, some parts were actually good to read.

Not much else I can praise. Kind of a frustrating and disappointing read overall.

If it were a trilogy, I might have given it another try to see the ending, but for a six-book series, it really isn't good enough to make you want to pick up the next one, especially with such a terrible protagonist

One of the worst books I have ever read. It was alright at start but it was such a fast descent to trash. Like forgiving the abuse was bad enough but having a baby with the abuser and having to deal with him. God what a shitty novel.

I get it's inspired from the authors life but still doesn't make these things right.The abuser is based on the author's father, so obviously she will try to paint down the issue. But it's so unacceptable. The novel borderline romanticise abuse.

Like in real life you most would run and never look back. The novel shouldn't give message like being this forgiving, and breaking the cycle should have had removing the person from your life too.

One good thing the book did is it's making me appreciate other booktok books. I think that it could be so much worse.

It could have been much better. It had many threads that weren't fully developed. It touches on a variety of issues, but some of them needed to be fleshed out a bit more. Also, the friendship storyline with Rami was super frustrating to read. They are reasonable at first, but it turns sour for no reason. I know the book is written for a younger audience, but the way Rami acts is unrealistic for a friend at that age.

Overall, an alright short read. I'm giving it half a star extra because of the artwork. The art is really beautiful and makes the reading fast and pleasant.

I really enjoyed this book. While the passive voice felt a bit awkward at first, I adjusted quickly and picked up the pace.

Some readers dislike how the book leaves certain things unexplained, leaving it to the reader's imagination. Personally, I liked that aspect.

One gripe I had was an unnecessary character arc that could have been avoided. Another issue is the less fleshed-out, forgettable side characters.

Overall, though, it’s a good book. It has some flaws and I have heard rooney gets repetitive. But as my first sally rooney read it was entertaining.

The novel wouldn't be there if people in it communicated better. But that aspect didn't frustrate me that much as others since I have seen conflicts due to miscommunication. So the premise didn't feel unbelievable.