I would say this is the first book of this type/genre I’ve ever read (the short lit fic kind of thing) and I think this was a great place for me to start !!

I really liked the depictions of the mail system and the defeatism they felt despite still sticking w their job and forming their own community within it (especially during the pandemic to represent the way we were all separated and hated quarantine but we still found ways to support each other through it)

I also loved how impacted Miriam was by Esther’s death. Usually in books about grief it’s a family member or a romantic partner but sometimes friendships are so strong that losing it can forever change the course of your life (whether by death or through other means)

ok so the one bit that greatly weirded me out was the author/character’s (I can’t tell if it’s character voice or author bias) strange obsession with gay people ?? like in several cases where it is entirely unnecessary the author will bring up things related to being gay/lesbian despite the protag herself not being gay … like at one point she mentions how she’ll watch gay porn because she doesn’t want to ‘ruin straight sex for herself’ and similar offhand mentions

but to end on a better note I think the conversations about Christianity as a whole were great throughout this. it made valid criticisms but also didn’t speak in a necessarily negative light about Christianity, as well as accurately showing what it can be like to deconstruct your previous world views surrounding religion and that was one of my favorite elements !!

I WAS GENUINELY SOBBING AT THE END OF THIS BOOK. I’VE NEVER CARED ABOUT TWO CHARACTERS SO MUCH IN MY LIFE. GOD HOW I LOVE WOMEN.

there are not enough things in the world to explain how I love this book — the way the stars always came back through the narrative (I’m a sucker for stars as a literary element omg)

and the way TJR never failed to explain the lesbian experience exactly how it needed to be said. I’ve never read a wlw book that felt as realistic to how lesbians behave than this — these two would literally fuse their bodies together so they would never have to be apart and I love it SO MUCH.

every single character. I love them all. except for Barbara who will be hearing from my lawyers because I want her sued into the ground for child abuse :)))) but Donna and Hank and Griff and Frances and literally everyone has my whole damn heart and I need them all to be my friends

this will be a reread. I will never forget this book and the way I cried and smiled and wanted to throw things