*rounded down from 4.5

Usually, when I’m midway through a book, I skim the negative reviews to see if I agree with them. I definitely understand some of the criticism here — this book isn’t for everyone, the narrator has numerous flaws, there’s a few too many Twitter’d lines to call it flawless — but that said, there’s only a couple books I can think of that can match O’Connell’s storytelling.

The plot’s fast moving, each scene packed with the kind of needle-dropping details you’d notice in your own experience, but leave out when you’re talking to someone else. Like, the unashamed judgement towards people, being awkwardly attracted to strangers, the convoluted nature of a relationship between two people. I don’t know who I’d recommend this book to — it’s the sort of story you stumble into on your own. If you do find yourself reading it, though, it’s probably going to resonate.