I love books about books, so this one was hard to resist.
“Toxic relationships are like ticking bombs. Once I pulled the pin and acknowledged your disregard, your disingenuousness, your betrayal, we could never rewind and begin again.”
This unique coming-of-age story covers themes of identity, self-actualization, isolation, toxic relationships, and power dynamics, which often go hand in hand. It follows Tatum’s life over ten years, from her college years to her early thirties, and her relationship with older renowned writer, M. Domínguez, whom she idolizes (or more precisely – whose writing she’s obsessed with). I loved that it was written in the form of a letter. It felt very personal, and it made it easy to understand Tatum’s perspective and emotions. Even though I couldn’t connect to her character personality-wise, some of her experiences felt relatable.
Overall, this was a solid debut! The writing style was beautiful, and the story was engaging. The outcome of their relationship was predictable, but there was also a twist I didn’t see coming.
Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher Celadon Books, and author Ursula Villarreal-Moura for the ARC copy! My review is based on an uncorrected text. I received a free copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
“Toxic relationships are like ticking bombs. Once I pulled the pin and acknowledged your disregard, your disingenuousness, your betrayal, we could never rewind and begin again.”
This unique coming-of-age story covers themes of identity, self-actualization, isolation, toxic relationships, and power dynamics, which often go hand in hand. It follows Tatum’s life over ten years, from her college years to her early thirties, and her relationship with older renowned writer, M. Domínguez, whom she idolizes (or more precisely – whose writing she’s obsessed with). I loved that it was written in the form of a letter. It felt very personal, and it made it easy to understand Tatum’s perspective and emotions. Even though I couldn’t connect to her character personality-wise, some of her experiences felt relatable.
Overall, this was a solid debut! The writing style was beautiful, and the story was engaging. The outcome of their relationship was predictable, but there was also a twist I didn’t see coming.
Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher Celadon Books, and author Ursula Villarreal-Moura for the ARC copy! My review is based on an uncorrected text. I received a free copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.