You Exist Too Much

This book is about a girl who deals with her mommy issues by dating unavailable people. The main character is frustrating and hard to care for because she keeps putting herself in the same situations over and over again. I sympathize with Renata, who truly doesn't have time for the bs her friend keeps intentionally going through. 

This book raised my heart rate every time I was reading. It very effectively transferred the feeling of anxiety from the main character to me as the reader, but that effectiveness didn't feel enjoyable. Even with the character growth by the end of the novel, I was still frustrated with our character. It was definitely an exercise in understanding and embodying the complexity of enmeshed families and relationships. I almost want to re-read it, but I also am so happy to be done with the stresd that this book made me feel. 

more like 2.5?

I loved the first 30% of the book and the set up and how the main character was created but then the book just went nowhere in my opinion. I loved all the little sections abt her memories from palestine or different cultural differences she noticed and the mother daughter relationship but sadly that was like maybe 20% of the book and I wanted more. I think that's usually my issue with the whole “girl failure in her 20s” genre, it never has a point and even if it touches on important issues here and there it's still not enough to justify the nothingness in between. but I'm aware it's just something I personally don't enjoy