Wowowowie! I really enjoyed this one! While I am just not a slow burn kind of gal, I did really enjoy how much it picked up in the second half, making the slower beginning worth it in the end. Gish’s prose is stunning and easy to stay engaged in the story because of it. Ohhh looooorddddd, I just fawn over the queer LONGING in this 😮‍💨 it’s delicious and written in such a way that you really FEEL how badly Ada’s desires eat her alive. The societal pressures and expectations from all around her becomes insurmountable and thrusts her into a wild deep dive into madness. How she handles the mounting stress in the last half kept me saying “yes bitch!!!!!!!!!” Ada, my stinky girl, I love you so!!!!! 

 

Outside of the pacing, I just didn’t find this to be a wildly unique story, but I did REALLY enjoy the execution. 

 

4.25 stars. Cheers to women being absolutely insane because we live in a world that constantly challenges our intelligence, our power, and our strength. This fired me UP. I can’t get enough of it.