This is our fourth (April) TsundokuSquad read of the year. This time we read it in on go and discussed at the end, as opposed to splitting it up and discussing weekly like usual.
Book Synopsis:
Diana Martin has lived her life in the shadow of her sadistic older brother. She quietly watches the family next door, enthralled by celebrity fashion designer Marianne Taylor and her feted daughter, Aurelle.
She wishes she were a ‘Taylor girl’.
By the summer of 1995, the two girls are at university together, bonded by a mutual desire to escape their wealthy families and personal tragedies and forge new identities.
They are closer than lovers, intoxicated by their own bond, falling into the hedonistic seduction of the woods and the water at a remote university that is more summer camp than campus.
But when burgeoning artist Diana has a chance at fame, cracks start to appear in their friendship. To what lengths is Diana willing to go to secure her own stardom?
Our Review:
We have some mixed views about this one. Two people even DNF’d it in the end!
A couple of us thought this might have been down to genre, a couple thought it quite slow and I personally just didn’t like the writing style at all.
Some of us disliked the toxic friendship elements and others were quite drawn to it. We all felt it was a little predictable and therefore slightly dull!
A couple of us also found the back and forth a bit confusing. Taking a few paragraphs to realise if it was the present time or before they lived together.
We all agreed we disliked pretty much all the characters (except maybe Noah).
Overall we have a group rating of 3/5 and our words can be seen below.
Group rating 3/5
My individual rating 2/5
As always this book might be one you love or hate, the only way you’ll find out is by giving it a go.
Our May read is How To Kill Your Family, so keep your eyes peeled for our thoughts!
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