Nicole

Oh man this one deserves the popularity! It was vivid and immersive. It toed the line wonderfully between heavy and comedic. The characters were so well-rounded. They were perfect for the story but also believable. I especially liked how Garmus wrote Six-Thirty to have an entire mental life as a complete character.

Please don't be deterred by the length of this book, or concerns that it might be too dry or dense considering the subject matter. I kept putting it off because of those reasons, but I found it very engaging. I am a language fan, though, so that could have some influence. Until the revolution, it gives excellent dark academia vibes. I'm hesitant to say it, but it felt at times like a Harry Potter for folks who care about social justice issues 😬 but so much more. It's much more in-depth, educated, and intelligent. I found myself feeling blown away by Kuang's knowledge.

I almost didn't read this book because the topics of celebrity and fame don't interest me. Luckily, BookTube convinced me to check it out and I'm so glad I did. It wrecked me in the best way. The characters are so well-crafted and I was completely invested in them. I kept looking forward to reading it. So if you're feeling lukewarm about it, I'd say it's worth your while.

I almost gave up on this book. I thought the writing style was overly descriptive. It would've taken me forever to finish if I looked up every word that I had never seen before. I like books that challenge me but the vocabulary of this book just seemed unnecessary. Every once in a while though, there would be a great sentence that made you stop and re-read it, appreciating it's meaning.