A review by krsweet
Real Life by Brandon Taylor

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. I did not know the experience of working as a lab-centric grad student could be so accurately portrayed in text. The feelings had me back in the thick of things in a way that felt so raw and real, but I wanted to read more despite it dredging up past resentments. And on top of that the story covered race and sexuality in a way that felt so true to how someone with crushing anxiety/depression/stress would respond. Somehow the text put into words how it feels to be someone living with the weight of everything playing on their mind at once and just giving up. The feelings of knowing any choice you make doesn't matter. I don't think I've seen this kind of response explored before, but it hit me right in my core.
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