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I found this protagonist super annoying and probably should have given up at the halfway mark but it does get somewhat better.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mostly loved the beautiful, smoothly flowing writing, but this story made me feel a bit icky. A relatable recurring theme was fitting people into boxes, and that was very thoughtfully handled. I‘m torn. Almost brilliant. Docking a star for the several foul bodily descriptions for shock value which kinda stole the show. Not in a good way. The writing was so freaking good, that shit was not needed.

I was not rooting for this MC - her need for discovery was almost insufferable and she lost me with the tampon episode. The writing is quite good though.

I know this was a big book that everyone was talking about but when I really looked into the reviews, it was all over the place, so I don‘t feel bad for hate reading it right now. I think I‘ll finish it because it‘s a quick read, but I just don‘t care about the narrator. Being so self aware and self assured in my 40s makes the midlife crisis hard for me to understand. Not a humble brag, just an observation.

3-8-25: My 17th finished book of 2025! I think I really got into this story because I went through menopause so early in life,37,and while the main character is suffering through perimenopause, I felt a connection of sorts.Beyond that, this story was a raw telling of one woman‘s journey through marriage and motherhood and everything that can happen when you let your guard down and start being real with yourself and your desires.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣7️⃣

So this is not a story for everyone. It went to places I don‘t normally seek when reading. It was graphic in parts that were just plain out there & gross at times. But, this book took me out of my comfort zone and put me into a mind that is very unlike mine. That‘s the great thing about reading though, it transports you into another world or life. I gave this a so-so because I don‘t feel like I walked away with anything profound from it. Just eh

A frank and funny novel that veers into the bonkers. I really enjoyed the on point writing and humour. July manages to walk a line between ‘artiste‘ on a complete flight of fancy and enough self-awareness to keep it grounded. Still, her narrator is self-absorbed which stopped me from loving the book (that & her obsession with sex & menopause - but many have loved this part). A provocative, interesting read and great fodder for a book club.

I can‘t remember ever rooting so hard AGAINST the main character. She is dreadful. That being said, I‘m enjoying the book (about 70% complete) and looking forward to seeing how the story ends. Did anyone else feel this way about her?

A middle aged female artist facing a midlife crisis writes about a middle aged female artist facing a midlife crisis with all the credulity of a teenager who has just figured out how to have an orgasm, certain the rest of the world must not be clued in to the experience.

I still really liked it though, there were moments of real insight and while the main character remains insufferable from beginning to end, I still liked her. 💜

"I'd thought the two paths were:

sex with Davey vs. a life of bitterness and regret

But maybe the road split between:

a life spent longing vs. a life that was continually surprising"

I'm still not sure about this book but I feel this quote deeply, and it's one of the few times I've felt any genuineness from the main character, who hides herself from everyone, including the reader.