This book is a masterpiece on the human condition. Tulathimutte examines rejection in many forms (romantic, friendship, societal, and self), and each form has each character spiralling to unforeseen depths. It is often uncomfortable, but it is also so completely believable. We have seen these people out in the world. We have seen the "nice guy" and the validation-seeker, the dudebro Reddit poster and the Internet troll. These people exist and bits and pieces of these people exist in all of us, but Tulathimutte pushes each one to extremes and navigates how rejection and their response to that rejection got them there.

Besides the overarching theme of these stories, the prose is impeccable. Each character is fully fleshed out and realized, and each one has a distinct voice that is demonstrated beautifully in the audiobook. Every story is part of a greater tapestry with connecting strings, and it was a joy watching it all knit together and fall into place.

It was just incredible. I'm having trouble displaying just how much I loved this book, but it was funny, it was horrifying, and I could read it again right now. This is the kind of book I want a physical copy of so that I can go back to it again and again. Tulathimutte's study of the human psyche is just so engrossing and wild. At the end of the day, no one's immune to rejection, not even Tulathimutte and not even you.

"Rejection is not one-way, and always comes paired with its opposite. For a rejection to be settled, first you—the reject—must hear, and comprehend, and accept."

She's very particular. She has a color for each day of the week. Her outfit, hair, nails, and even perfume are perfectly curated to fit the latest trend. Her whole personality is shaped so that she will always be the perfect wife for her husband. She doesn't go anywhere without thinking about her husband.

And he's, well...he's her husband.

This book was absolutely incredible! It was so fun being inside the FMC's head and I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times. The audiobook was also perfectly narrated to encapsulate her inner monologue.

If you want to read a book that's fully inside someone's head, inspecting every one of her thoughts and actions, this is it. If you want an FMC with anxiety and OCD rep, this is her. If you want to examine an uncomfortably troubling marriage, this is the couple. If you want an ending that might just knock your socks off, this is the book! I loved this so much.

This book is a real trip! It first came across my radar because it was described as similar in vibes to the video game Hollow Knight. And I definitely see it! They both explore deteriorating and somewhat abandoned cities and environs, there's a sinister air to the state of decay, and you're piecing things together as you go. There's also just something about everyone just going about their normal tasks when everything is crumbling around them.

The West Passage is very much a "just run with the vibes" kind of book. While you are following a couple main characters and there is a plotline, I felt like the biggest draw was the vibrant world surrounding them. It is wacky, colorful, and sometimes just a little bit gross. At several points in the story, something would be described that was leagues away from what I expected, but it would fit perfectly into the overall tapestry of this weird palace.

The slow trickle of new information about the palace, its people, and their conflicting histories was also so fun to parse out! I can't say much more without revealing anything, but it felt very much like Piranesi in the way that the world kept getting revealed piecemeal as the characters ventured beyond the limited knowledge of their upbringing.

I kind of wish some of the questions I had by the end had been answered more concretely, but I think the ambiguous nature of the ending worked for the type of story that was being told. If you're looking for a surreal, original reading experience, this one's definitely it! Bonus points to the physical/digital copies that have medieval illustrations to start each chapter (and the chapter titles are fantastic).