Is it long? Yes. Experimental? Yes. Existential? To the max.

This book goes beyond the typical stream of consciousness to actually attempt to become a consciousness recorded on paper. It's not just a narrative, it's a look at being human and tells the story of the narrator, Schattenfroh, and the narrator's complicated relationships with their parents, people, and themself. There are so many references and viewpoints represented and I enjoyed that it had moments of referencing itself as well. It is a chonk but, imo, it was so worth it.

I don't think there was much that could have prepared me for this. It's definitely one I'm going to be thinking about for a while (or think-een, if you're Frannie).

The foil between Frannie's relationship and the ones with Waldo and her mom was done really well. There's also the class divide and I think both provided good commentary on how much those affect not just your life, but your perception of yourself and the world around you.

I also did appreciate that Waldo's story shows how young girls trick themselves into thinking a relationship with an older man is something you fully choose, and I liked that even when in a honeymoon phase, Waldo was able to pick up on subtle hints that made her second guess herself even though she wanted to just throw herself into it. And I liked how well the pacing was with the developments of Waldo's realization that this is just more of the same...except also worse. The glamour washing off when, in the best case scenario, you get the man and realize...well shit, the man wasn't really worth it, was he? The contrast between Korgy and Nolan was also apparent and a good symbol of what Waldo could have had if she was more confident and had more sense.

The story with Waldo's mother was also realistic, having her epiphany and then throwing away her progress for the same man who treats her like shit, and the timing of Waldo realizing that before setting off on her own was done well and served as a symbolic moment. It was the moment when Waldo realized, in my opinion, that she didn't want that to be her any longer. And then having that be the transition to her standing on her own independence was a great setup imo.

Overall I really loved this one and I will definitely be picking up more of McCurdy's books!

This is one that's going to stay with me. Very surreal, lots of symbolism, lots of existentialism. 10/10

I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. It is very "telenovella" as some reviews have stated, but to me, that's what makes it entertaining. At first, I wasn't sure how all of the parts would come together, but they ended up tying in nicely. I enjoyed the characters. I wasn't expecting it to quite take the turn it did, but it wasn't a detriment to take it, in my opinion. The ending was perfection.

I really loved this one. The way it blends Irish folklore with history is very well done, the pacing is just right, and I loved the characters. The ending was perfect imo. I enjoyed the ways the narrative unfolded, and this was a book where the timeskips made sense. Each twist added an extra layer to the mix, and I thought they worked well. It was a great gothic read, perfect for winter.