This was super fun and I enjoyed it immensely :) Love me some paranormalness and love me some messed up characters, which Alma Vampires had in SPADES. While I did wish this had some Devil Wears Prada in it of getting Valle to run the company, I have no doubt it will later be explored, and that’s also my One qualm with the book. Not too shabby!

Guys this was ridiculous I'm gonna be so for real. Was it always accurate to hockey? Absolutely not. But did it give me everything I hoped for out of a romance? Mostly. Read this in two sittings and oh boy! Walmart Heated Rivalry! Seriously, though, a genuinely caring and interesting romance with real stakes that felt real.

Straight banger. I hated everyone all of our main characters at some point except Victoire (my goat) but it was intentional to prove Kuang’s point. Was it incredibly heavy handed? Yes. But it was also incredibly well researched and incredibly hard to put down.

Listen. I would literally read Fredrik Backman’s grocery list so you KNOW I have to like this one. I definitely don’t like it as much as I liked Beartown (which I need to stop comparing things to because I will never like anything as much as I like Beartown), but I loved the ending and how Backman ties all of his characters together so realistically and heartwarmingly. I think a lot of it was a little abstract for my taste, especially in the beginning where no one seemed to be related to anyone, but by the end I understood where it all was going and why he had written it the way he did. I think I would’ve just given it 3 stars if not for the last ~100 pages being so wonderful.

Came to see what people thought of this because I need more info and was shocked to see no one had read it!! It was one of my must reads since it came out in January and it 100% delivered. Very Dead Poets Society in some of the same ways, and devastating in definitely the same way. I do wish that the characters had a bit more development/relationships with each other, but the direction it took seemed very honest. Everyone go read this depressing ass book!!

Banger tbh! Read this in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I almost felt like some characters could be More fleshed out, but I got exactly what I was expecting and hoping for from a romance novel. Also upon reflecting, I feel like I got invested in a B plot that didn’t really go anywhere but maybe that’s just me. Still would recommend.

I loved Climate and when I saw Whitney Hanson was putting out a book about finding yourself after everyone ever has left you I knew I had to read it.

Beautiful and also incredibly painful I went ow ow ow ow!!!! many times :)

I am so confused but also I had so much fun reading this. Like any of Schoenbrun's work, I'm going to need to take a second and think about what this is attempting to say; regardless it was a gripping book, especially for one of 600 pages. There were definite times of unease and definite times where I felt genuine hatred towards these characters, both of which are signs of a job well done. Ask me more later.

apologies for a very disjointed review, writing this at 10:30 which is past my self imposed bedtime

no one part equals whole - while the ratings for the individual parts of this book were only fine, i think they added up to a genuinely very good book (by the end. see below). even though i was frequently confused, Maum's writing style is addictive and i found myself reading this book in only two sittings. also, incredibly funny!!

i oftentimes didn't know what was happening and was confused by the way the story was going, but the ending fixed it by far. to remain spoiler free, just know that it works itself out and the direction of the book makes more sense. i won't say total sense, because there were still some questions i had, but overall more sense than i originally had.

i tink i would've called this book vivian stays in not alan opts out - it felt SIGNIFICANTLY more like a book about vivian's struggle with consumerism rather than alan's struggle with the corporate rat race. alan's job as an advertising manager definitely is a key context point, but i feel like we had significantly more time spent with vivian. as i'm writing this, i am thinking though that maybe it's titled after alan because of his effects on others through marketing and his lifestyle changes. we'll never know.

writing style changes throughout to reflect change in lifestyle which was cool!!

especially in the beginning, i almost thought it was trying to do too much but after finishing it and doing some thinking it makes sense. really did like this book, but it definitely took a lot of getting used to.

This was so much more interesting to read as someone who now knows what a surveillance state is and how people in power control those beneath them. I love you Suzanne Collins!!!!!!! Voice of generation!!!!

How beautiful :) I continue to be amazed by Backman’s writing style and how he manages to make me feel. Didn’t connect to this one as much as I connected to Beartown, but a great read nevertheless.