frances_frances's reviews
299 reviews

It was a day after reading this book that I realized how much I enjoyed it. On the surface, not much happens, but really a complex tangle of ambiguous emotions and intergenerational dynamics are playing out. I especially love how the relationship between Bron and Ray is depicted. It's messy and loving and felt so authentic. This book is beautifully drawn and so thoughtfully written.

Like its predecessor, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, this book contained many interesting insights regarding mental health and navigating relationships. Plus, the illustrations were delightful, funny, and impactful. That being said, this book was much harder to get into than My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. It meanders and discusses events that are still unfolding. The uncertainty is realistic to life but not as compelling to read. I still really appreciate Nagata Kabi's artistic voice and will be checking out her other books.

This book felt like a rough draft. I wanted a lot more out of it. For a psychological suspense story, the climax was a bit of a let down. Everything needed to be turned up a few notches. It was an easy read with decent writing. The concept was interesting despite the sometimes mediocre execution. I was compelled enough by this book to finish it but wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

Delta is an interesting character and narrator but again, I wanted more. The author was trying to slowly and subtly drop insights into her past but I was hoping to learn more about her personal and professional relationships prior to meeting the Straub family. Why did this particular family appeal to her? Did she have a specific plan from the start? Had she ever tried to insert herself into another family or individual's life? Why does she do what she does? I want more of an answer than "She's crazy so she does crazy things".

The other characters felt rather flat. We don't really know where their motivations come from or what they really think of Delta. Fritz was particularly hard to understand or care about as we get very little to work with. It didn't make sense to me that Fritz and Amelia accept Delta from the get go or that they so readily involve her in the most intimate aspects of their lives.

This book didn't capture my interest or really touch me emotionally. It felt like a timeline of events and facts rather than a cohesive narrative with a purpose. And the drawings did little to create atmosphere or depth. Overall, the book felt flat to me and came across like a trendy millennial webcomic. I read the first few chapters and then scanned the rest.

All that being said, it's clear that tons of people disagree with me. It's great that so many readers felt validated and comforted by this book. It just isn't for me.

I enjoyed this book much more that either of the Solo Exchange Diary volumes. There was more of a through line with a clear narrative to follow. And this book had some of the same energy, humor, and attention to detail that her first book, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, had. Raw, honest, funny, and heartbreaking.