Ok so I finally finished this book and though I loved the ending and agree generally with your review, there was just something missing for me. Maybe it was....stakes? What would happen if Sam and Sadie didn't finish their game? They'd be fine! What happens to them if they never build another game again? They'd be fine! And I never for one second thought Sam and Sadie would ever end up together so romantic suspense was not on the table. Very well plotted and I cared enough about these characters to keep reading...but barely. Not as propulsive of a read I was hoping for.
“Normal People wishes it was this book.” Hahahahaha! I have not read Zevin’s book but I did read Normal People and it’s the book I actually finished and liked least in 2022. I like her writing style, so I may try another of her books but I suspect that I’m just too...old for this sort of relationship drama. Like in my 20s, I probably would have liked reading about two insufferable characters who treat each other badly and spend most of the book either having sex or thinking about it. But 43 year old me just wanted to clunk their heads together.
Ok so I finally finished this book and though I loved the ending and agree generally with your review, there was just something missing for me. Maybe it was....stakes? What would happen if Sam and Sadie didn't finish their game? They'd be fine! What happens to them if they never build another game again? They'd be fine! And I never for one second thought Sam and Sadie would ever end up together so romantic suspense was not on the table. Very well plotted and I cared enough about these characters to keep reading...but barely. Not as propulsive of a read I was hoping for.
“Normal People wishes it was this book.” Hahahahaha! I have not read Zevin’s book but I did read Normal People and it’s the book I actually finished and liked least in 2022. I like her writing style, so I may try another of her books but I suspect that I’m just too...old for this sort of relationship drama. Like in my 20s, I probably would have liked reading about two insufferable characters who treat each other badly and spend most of the book either having sex or thinking about it. But 43 year old me just wanted to clunk their heads together.
Happy new year.