Reviews

Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell

gisellebriand's review

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3.0

This was fun! You can tell O’Connell writes for television; it read very sitcom/romcom-y. I can easily see this being adapted for a cute series or movie. I don’t like endings à la Hollywood so it didn’t finish in the way I would’ve wanted but that’s okay. The narration felt like an endless stream-of-consciousness/inner-monologue which made it easy to read and funny/modern.

Ultimately I think I’ll forget all about this book (the plot & writing weren’t particularly groundbreaking), but that doesn’t negate the importance of reading books that bring visibility to the queer, disabled experience. Even though it wasn’t my favorite, it certainly was heartfelt. I could equate this to a low-budget B-list Netflix movie that doesn’t rock your world, but makes you feel good for 90 minutes. And, hey, that works too.

”I’m learning the more you want things, the more likely you end up with nothing.”

sacredsapphic's review

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funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

at times this felt too much like an endless twitter rant.

i think this book could be good for people who have never engaged with the discussion of disability at the intersection of queerness but for me it didn't bring up anything new and groundbreaking.

the ending was kinda sweet though.

an_aesthetic's review

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2.0

I thought I was really going to enjoy this one, but it ended up being pretty okay. It definitely targets a very niche audience—I think if you’re under the age of 25 or over the age of 40, and you are not up-to-date on media/culture/modern slang, this book would totally go over your head. A lot of the book was quite funny and I appreciated the discussions of the stigma of disability in society, but I don’t know…something about the story just missed the mark for me. If I had to pinpoint what exactly, I’d say it’s just very pretentious and judge-y and oddly tone-deaf

readingwmiles's review

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5.0

this was perfect. one of the best depictions of disability i’ve ever read

nothanku's review

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funny hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wayofthebookshelf's review against another edition

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3.0

možno skôr 3.5*

chrisklarenbeek's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

becibbs's review

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4.0

3.5 rounded up. I sometimes struggled with the main character and felt like the ending was an abrupt and sudden wrap up and entire character change in the last 3 pages so that was kinda weird. But quite a fun read.

slamajak's review

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3.0

oh if only the narrator were as classy as the cover and the title

lucylikesreading's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0