Mid at best. Not a fan of the characters or plot line. That guy, Oscar.. Horrible. I liked the ending though.

I loved this so much if I could describe it with one word i will choose : feelings.

It's like a warm hug , casey unhappiness lasted forever and then it was over , I would have given the book 5 stars if there was much more of Silas and less of Oscar

This book is very much of a slowburn for me, but it was such a good read. The way I see it, it is a book that has a love triangle in it, but it isn’t about it. Every turning page, I feel like I’m going through my day with Casey, and as a writer, boy do I feel her to my bones.

4.5/5 tender and comforting prose. "For a moment all my bees have turned to honey. " "Between the idea and reality falls the shadow."

i might return to this later, because i just finished it and my thoughts are still a jumble. the ending could’ve been a huge hit or miss for me and i’m glad it went in the direction i wanted it to. some parts in the middle felt like they kind of lagged for a bit but once it got back on track i couldn’t put it down. it’s definitely the kind of book you need to read at a specific time when you’re in a specific mood.

An easy read that made me smile more than once

this book is amazing. the writing... the stream of consciousness brings me to the mind of the character. i was so drawn in the story probably because it felt so real. wish i could have gotten more insight of her choices in some aspects tho and i felt like the ending was rushed but its not really a dealbreaker. overall, its great!

While this book was very well-written, I ultimately didn’t like it because of the storyline. Lily King has a way with words: this novel’s prose was beautiful, its plot structure and character development were subtle, and its description was realistic. I also think that King handled her descriptions of Casey’s anxiety and financial difficulties very well. She was able to tackle those difficult topics in an honest and insightful way. Another strong positive about this book was that it was thought-provoking. I think the story and characters were nuanced enough to keep me thinking about this book for several days after I finished it. With that said, although the plot and characters were very well written, I didn’t actually like them. What I disliked most about the plot was the way it seemed to contradict itself. For example, early in the book, one of Casey’s friends is basically telling her to pull herself up by her bootstraps. At this point, King seems to refute the idea that it’s that simple – both with Casey’s words and through Casey’s circumstances. However, at the end of the book, Casey does pull herself up by her bootstraps. It was a bit of a letdown that the book seemed like it was going to refute this common idea that people in poverty are responsible for their circumstances, and then did a complete 180. There are a few other themes handled similarly, where the book seems to contradict itself. While I understand that this can be intentional to portray nuance, in this case, it felt more like the book was unplanned and unintentionally inconsistent. Another aspect of this book that I really disliked was how the male characters were portrayed. There were many male characters – on the order of about ten. Almost all of them had a major character flaw that was representative of common issues with men: e.g. misogyny, condescension, sexual perversion, or infidelity. Rather than focusing on one male character or one issue, King seemed to be discussing issues with men in general. This theme felt overdone and too broad to be meaningful. I would still recommend reading this book to appreciate the character and plot development, but I won’t be telling people that I liked it.

this book took me on a beautiful trip

'... a good story is both allegory and a slice of life. most writers are a good at one, not the other. but you are doing both so beautifully here.' and i think lily king wrote about herself here. i really love it; especially when i was in casey's side all the time, since the beginning until the end of the story. it felt like i was walking with her; reading this book was as easy as breathing.

Feelings

Thought I was going to love bc I usually enjoy the whole "women vs. the void" subgenre but this was mid

cute!

oh so tender

“There’s a particular feeling in your body when something goes right after a long time of things going wrong. It feels warm and sweet and loose.” such a good book it’s odd and compelling and dynamic and all the good things, hard rec if you like conversations with friends or luster. This kind of book had quickly become my favorite.

3.5 stars There were parts of this book I absolutely loved, but I also wanted more from it as well? More writing, more loving, just more. It would be building to what I wanted from it and then would fall short. But it is also beautifully written and captures that 30ish life so well too.

Wtf? Six stars. A bible. I'm in a delicate place

I liked this book and it’s setting of Cambridge. It felt lived in and a path one could take. I read this whilst I had covid and did a good job of making me feel far away.

A great summer read! Lovely and low stress :)

this book honestly could be a therapist

i loved that. this is a pleasure/comfort read if there ever was one. oh casey, the writer life is not one we would ever choose yet also we absolutely would, wouldn't we, again and again. it feels surreal to relate to her in some ways and then also to sit there and wonder if these thoughts are what await me in ten years. no amount of age, experience, or success will ever make the fears go away: in fact, older, richer writers might be even more insecure (as casey learns the hard way). but when the glamor is gone and you are a mess, you remember: poetry is in the everyday, if you let yourself feel it. the ending felt a lil neat but also casey's peaceful acceptance of the unstable beauty of life was palpable there and i liked that. and spoilers i guess but (view spoiler)[i KNEW we liked silas!!! (hide spoiler)] :)

King's expert use of stream of consciousness has you flowing through Casey's mind as she navigates the sudden death of her mum, several lovers, a mountain of student debt, and a lousy waitressing job.

A slice of life story about a woman who is trying to figure out her life. This is a lovely story full of heart, grief, and embracing your passion and dreams. It is about the character truly discovering herself, letting go of the past, and being hopeful for the future. I did enjoy the discussions the book presented and it had a lot of quotes that I tabbed. I enjoyed the writing.

This book would have better served itself if the title was called Whiners & Cheaters cause that's what the majority of the book consists of. This is a character driven novel and your enjoyment of this, will rely heavily on your attitude towards the main character. A 30 year old woman who's both depressed and lost, while hating her career as well as running through a string of boyfriends. All in all not my cup of tea