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Strange Loops
A propulsive, darkly gripping novel about the power and paradoxes of human longing, faith, trauma and taboo, from the acclaimed author of The Amateurs, shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award.
A fractured portrait of a darkly riveting sibling relationship from the inside out, Strange Loops is an electrifying, intelligent and emotionally charged second novel from an award-winning young literary star on the rise.
Francine and her twin brother Philip share a powerful bond in childhood that fades as they became young adults. When Philip unexpectedly becomes intensely religious, his sister decides to join his Christian youth group and soon becomes infatuated with the youth pastor. Obsessed by this transgression and what he sees as his sister's moral impropriety, Philip eventually uncovers a dark secret that threatens to shatter his faith and estranges the two siblings for decades. Later, as an adult, even as the storm clouds of resentment and mutual betrayal between her and her brother still churn around them, Francine finds herself both stirred and alienated by her attraction to an ex-student who has recently reappeared in her life, making her feel caught in a condition of perpetual departure toward the same inevitable calamity.
Crackling with the intensity and plot twists of a dark domestic thriller but bursting with ideas and distinguished by Harmer's penetrating eye for the messiest and most meaningful human relationships--all rendered in lean, sharp pose, Strange Loops shocks, rattles, and entertains while asking vital questions about the paradoxes that make us who we are, and probes the possibility of love outside of any will to possess or be possessed.
A fractured portrait of a darkly riveting sibling relationship from the inside out, Strange Loops is an electrifying, intelligent and emotionally charged second novel from an award-winning young literary star on the rise.
Francine and her twin brother Philip share a powerful bond in childhood that fades as they became young adults. When Philip unexpectedly becomes intensely religious, his sister decides to join his Christian youth group and soon becomes infatuated with the youth pastor. Obsessed by this transgression and what he sees as his sister's moral impropriety, Philip eventually uncovers a dark secret that threatens to shatter his faith and estranges the two siblings for decades. Later, as an adult, even as the storm clouds of resentment and mutual betrayal between her and her brother still churn around them, Francine finds herself both stirred and alienated by her attraction to an ex-student who has recently reappeared in her life, making her feel caught in a condition of perpetual departure toward the same inevitable calamity.
Crackling with the intensity and plot twists of a dark domestic thriller but bursting with ideas and distinguished by Harmer's penetrating eye for the messiest and most meaningful human relationships--all rendered in lean, sharp pose, Strange Loops shocks, rattles, and entertains while asking vital questions about the paradoxes that make us who we are, and probes the possibility of love outside of any will to possess or be possessed.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 25, 2023
This book broke my heart. It was impossible to read and yet I couldn’t stop.
June 20, 2024
i think this was supposed to be an angsty tormented back and forth about religion and self worth, but that vision did not land for me, at all. i was too distracted by the extreme trashiness.
February 7, 2024
I couldn’t put this down. Dysfunctional sibling drama - hard to have sympathy for anyone in this book. I’m not sure I fully understood all the underlying religious themes, would be good for group discussion. Everything was so complex. Quite dark and uncomfortable at times, it gave me My Dark Vanessa vibes.
July 20, 2022
i didn’t enjoy this.
CW: adult/minor relations, suicide
Plain & simple. I’m not sure if I just wasn’t the right audience for it but I found the characters extremely unrelatable and hard to connect with. They weren’t necessarily (completely) unlikeable but they weren’t enjoyable either nor did they seem to possess any growth.
The plot itself was strange (hence the title?) and boring and the writing felt clinical. This wasn’t for me, unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: adult/minor relations, suicide
Plain & simple. I’m not sure if I just wasn’t the right audience for it but I found the characters extremely unrelatable and hard to connect with. They weren’t necessarily (completely) unlikeable but they weren’t enjoyable either nor did they seem to possess any growth.
The plot itself was strange (hence the title?) and boring and the writing felt clinical. This wasn’t for me, unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2023
4.5 - i enjoyed this way more than i thought i would, considering that i did not anticipate religion and belief to be at the center of the text. but it ended up turning out to be a book i find myself wanting to talk incessantly about, to justify and explain and defend and to criticize the characters and their actions. while it left me wanting more, it wasn't that it was lacking but rather, these characters were so complex and dimensional that i could have spent much longer delving into their relationships and their pitfalls. an unexpected book that i see myself raving about for a long long time
December 27, 2024
3.5 stars. All of the characters were deeply unlikeable but it got me hooked in the sense that I wanted to keep reading so I could continue judging and psychoanalyzing them
July 27, 2023
3.5-rounded down
This book made me uncomfortable, yet it surprised me in the best way possible.
It is unconventional and bold and tackles pretty dark topics.
"Strange Loops" is a complex story about a dysfunctional family comprised of a set of twins, an older brother, their partners, children and parents, as each member tries to find their truth, identity and live out a life they deem worthy while processing some form of trauma. Each entanglement is an infinite loop of forgiveness and conflict, with a never-ending inevitable return to conflict and resentment.
This book offers a wide range of interesting dualities, where couples and siblings are complete opposites of each other. It is a complicated dynamic that starts with the parents and is later inflicted on the twins, Francine and Philip, who may look the same but always end up in a strange loop of resentment and hatred due to their differences. Their efforts to detangle each of their messes always end up creating more indivisible loops, reinforcing their co-dependent relationship.
I did not expect this book to have such a strong focus on faith, morality and religion, but I loved how the reflections on those topics were weaved into the narrative. As Philip and Francine search for a better life through faith in God, they take different paths to challenge their own definitions of morality. Francine decides to test the boundaries of it whereas Philip tries to apply God's definition of morality to every aspect of his life. This difference only leaves them more estranged from each other and feeling unsatisfied, guilty and angry.
Despite Francine's immoral actions and decisions, I could not help but feel sadness for her, and despite Philip's angelic exterior, I could not help but feel disgusted by his true nature.
In an attempt to understand her past, teenage attraction and immoral relationship with a much older man whose title serves God, and his intentions, she, now married with two children, decides to entertain a similar relationship with a much younger man, only to realise all she feels is guilt. Where does the line between morality and immorality blur? Can love truly triumph over all, as Christianism seems to claim?
As she tries to find her way, Philip's anger and resentment towards her, mirroring their mother's, never allow her any respite as he believes she steals the "good things" in his life to spite him. Despite his attempt to keep himself pure by becoming a vegetarian, trying to educate himself about social injustices, and becoming a Christian, he remains sinful through his actions towards his sister, never feeling guilty about his actions as he thinks he is being moral.
All to say, I am thoroughly impressed by the way Liz Harmer tackled these sensitive topics with her seductive writing that kept me hanging on her every word.
If you enjoy the discussions from books like Lolita or My Dark Vanessa, I have no doubt you will also be interested in this one.
This book made me uncomfortable, yet it surprised me in the best way possible.
It is unconventional and bold and tackles pretty dark topics.
"Strange Loops" is a complex story about a dysfunctional family comprised of a set of twins, an older brother, their partners, children and parents, as each member tries to find their truth, identity and live out a life they deem worthy while processing some form of trauma. Each entanglement is an infinite loop of forgiveness and conflict, with a never-ending inevitable return to conflict and resentment.
This book offers a wide range of interesting dualities, where couples and siblings are complete opposites of each other. It is a complicated dynamic that starts with the parents and is later inflicted on the twins, Francine and Philip, who may look the same but always end up in a strange loop of resentment and hatred due to their differences. Their efforts to detangle each of their messes always end up creating more indivisible loops, reinforcing their co-dependent relationship.
I did not expect this book to have such a strong focus on faith, morality and religion, but I loved how the reflections on those topics were weaved into the narrative. As Philip and Francine search for a better life through faith in God, they take different paths to challenge their own definitions of morality. Francine decides to test the boundaries of it whereas Philip tries to apply God's definition of morality to every aspect of his life. This difference only leaves them more estranged from each other and feeling unsatisfied, guilty and angry.
Despite Francine's immoral actions and decisions, I could not help but feel sadness for her, and despite Philip's angelic exterior, I could not help but feel disgusted by his true nature.
In an attempt to understand her past, teenage attraction and immoral relationship with a much older man whose title serves God, and his intentions, she, now married with two children, decides to entertain a similar relationship with a much younger man, only to realise all she feels is guilt. Where does the line between morality and immorality blur? Can love truly triumph over all, as Christianism seems to claim?
As she tries to find her way, Philip's anger and resentment towards her, mirroring their mother's, never allow her any respite as he believes she steals the "good things" in his life to spite him. Despite his attempt to keep himself pure by becoming a vegetarian, trying to educate himself about social injustices, and becoming a Christian, he remains sinful through his actions towards his sister, never feeling guilty about his actions as he thinks he is being moral.
All to say, I am thoroughly impressed by the way Liz Harmer tackled these sensitive topics with her seductive writing that kept me hanging on her every word.
If you enjoy the discussions from books like Lolita or My Dark Vanessa, I have no doubt you will also be interested in this one.
February 23, 2023
Once again with the less-than-satisfactory ending... I do love the complex relationships between the characters, though.
March 22, 2023
NOPE! Not for me this one. I think it’s fair to say that I am not the reader for this title.
For starters, I am an atheist so a book that has GOD, Jesus, Mary Magdalene and King David used as measuring sticks for good and bad behaviour has zero interest to me.
But that the author has to keep bringing them up all the time - and comparing all of her characters thoughts and actions to biblical passages and/or qualities of the above names individuals…
Comes off as amateurish… way too much telling.
Let your biblical allusions and/or allegories stand on their own... don't force it down out throats.
And if she wanted to pay homage to Hofstadter’s I Am A Strange Loop, well why did we need all the religious clap-trap?
The structure of the book was also problematic. I don’t mind books that are set across multiple time frames, but this once jumped around here, there and everywhere between the two PoV’s… I need something at least a little more chronologically ordered to be able to keep track of the story. The end result for me was confusion more than one too many times.
As for the characters, they don’t have to be either reliable for likeable, but I do expect to see some growth over the course of the story. There is zero growth in either Francine or Philip from their teen years into their mid-30’s.
Mostly though… it was just boring.
And the ending… well, it was such a cop-out... the easiest resolution in the world... and only a resolution for the one character. No resolution for anyone else...
The only reason I finished was because a friend had read it and enjoyed it... so I kept figuring that it had to get better. It didn’t!
For starters, I am an atheist so a book that has GOD, Jesus, Mary Magdalene and King David used as measuring sticks for good and bad behaviour has zero interest to me.
But that the author has to keep bringing them up all the time - and comparing all of her characters thoughts and actions to biblical passages and/or qualities of the above names individuals…
Comes off as amateurish… way too much telling.
Let your biblical allusions and/or allegories stand on their own... don't force it down out throats.
And if she wanted to pay homage to Hofstadter’s I Am A Strange Loop, well why did we need all the religious clap-trap?
The structure of the book was also problematic. I don’t mind books that are set across multiple time frames, but this once jumped around here, there and everywhere between the two PoV’s… I need something at least a little more chronologically ordered to be able to keep track of the story. The end result for me was confusion more than one too many times.
As for the characters, they don’t have to be either reliable for likeable, but I do expect to see some growth over the course of the story. There is zero growth in either Francine or Philip from their teen years into their mid-30’s.
Mostly though… it was just boring.
And the ending… well, it was such a cop-out... the easiest resolution in the world... and only a resolution for the one character. No resolution for anyone else...
The only reason I finished was because a friend had read it and enjoyed it... so I kept figuring that it had to get better. It didn’t!
September 14, 2023
this book is bold and I loved it.
this book is all about dichotomies, all the pairs are opposites, the couples, the twins, the characters and all gravitate in a strange loops where relationships, particularly between the twins Francine and Philip, seem forever conflicted, so palpable is their antipathy towards each.
I didn't expect this book to be about religion, faith and morality at all. But I did find myself immersed in a dysfunctional family, caught up in strange loops where chaos reigns following a series of divisive decisions made by Francine. From an early age, she's been drawn to the forbidden, attracted by men much older or much younger than her, succumbing to sin and unleashing the wrath of God - I loved the metaphorical atmosphere of divine and religious calamity that hangs over this family.
Liz Harmer has a very interesting way of dealing with the delicate subject of relationships with many age differences, and the character finds herself both in the persona of the very young child - everyone would wonder if she hasn't been manipulated by her lover and is immature, and in the persona years later of the mature woman who is seduced by a youngster and questions her life to live out her idyll.
the characters are dark, unlikeable, confused and deeply complex.
the plot revolves around drama and hatred between siblings with diametrically opposed lives and beliefs.
the book is fast-paced, and you get caught up in that strange loop that makes it so easy to read in one sitting.
this book is all about dichotomies, all the pairs are opposites, the couples, the twins, the characters and all gravitate in a strange loops where relationships, particularly between the twins Francine and Philip, seem forever conflicted, so palpable is their antipathy towards each.
I didn't expect this book to be about religion, faith and morality at all. But I did find myself immersed in a dysfunctional family, caught up in strange loops where chaos reigns following a series of divisive decisions made by Francine. From an early age, she's been drawn to the forbidden, attracted by men much older or much younger than her, succumbing to sin and unleashing the wrath of God - I loved the metaphorical atmosphere of divine and religious calamity that hangs over this family.
Liz Harmer has a very interesting way of dealing with the delicate subject of relationships with many age differences, and the character finds herself both in the persona of the very young child - everyone would wonder if she hasn't been manipulated by her lover and is immature, and in the persona years later of the mature woman who is seduced by a youngster and questions her life to live out her idyll.
the characters are dark, unlikeable, confused and deeply complex.
the plot revolves around drama and hatred between siblings with diametrically opposed lives and beliefs.
the book is fast-paced, and you get caught up in that strange loop that makes it so easy to read in one sitting.
May 20, 2023
This was surprisingly good! I was not expecting such an engaging read from an author and book I had previously never heard of. Beautiful prose and everything but that bizarre ending (woof) was very well done.
March 17, 2024
This actually took me two weeks to read but I forgot to update it on goodreads so now it looks like it took me months. honestly, this book felt like it took me months to finish.
September 11, 2022
I found this novel intriguing, highly original and unexpected. Harmer references both Douglas Hofstadter and Roland Barthes, I found it an interesting exploration of some of their ideas in a clear, straightforward contemporary novel. I previously have found both of these thinkers (especially Barthes' A Lover’s Discourse) fascinating. The reader doesn't have to know Barthes' work or Hofstadter‘s theories on Strange Loops to follow this ultimately satisfying novel, but it does give greater depth of interpretation. Hofstadter’s views deal with interiority, what it is or its soulfulness.
Harmer’s aim here seems to mirror that question. A dysfunctional family, comprised of a set of twins and an older brother, their spouses, their offspring, and their parents, muddle along in their own strange loops, conversationally and behaviourally, the twins in particular looking for a way to untangle the mess they keep getting into. Early interdependence makes a pattern which is almost impossible to understand or break.
Harmer sets faith against secularism, as well as many other seeming dichotomies. The arguments, the births, the choice of partners all go into the making of these strange loops. The relationships she presents are definitely constructs and function in repetitive patterns with variations. That she makes the characters both seem alike to each other and still distinct is amazing in itself - a feat of character development right there. Kristal, Jaime, and her dad are variations on the same character, while Francine, Philip and her mother are repeated in each other. Alexander and Howie are two sides of the same figure, with varying aspects highlighted. For the most part, Harmer’s loops are clear to follow, but, in the beginning, I wanted to know more about the explosive family situation. A veer off into Philip's view slowed me down a bit. While Francine was vital and intriguing, Philip seemed lacklustre and boring. This inconsistency was the only drawback, however, and, as I learned more about Philip, I found his perspective in the novel important as the book raced to its end.
It is interesting to see how these ideas played out in a seemingly simple book on love, faith, family relationships and dysfunctions.
I think Harmer accomplishes her goals of meshing these deeper ideas into a thriller-like story of betrayal and identities.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Harmer’s aim here seems to mirror that question. A dysfunctional family, comprised of a set of twins and an older brother, their spouses, their offspring, and their parents, muddle along in their own strange loops, conversationally and behaviourally, the twins in particular looking for a way to untangle the mess they keep getting into. Early interdependence makes a pattern which is almost impossible to understand or break.
Harmer sets faith against secularism, as well as many other seeming dichotomies. The arguments, the births, the choice of partners all go into the making of these strange loops. The relationships she presents are definitely constructs and function in repetitive patterns with variations. That she makes the characters both seem alike to each other and still distinct is amazing in itself - a feat of character development right there. Kristal, Jaime, and her dad are variations on the same character, while Francine, Philip and her mother are repeated in each other. Alexander and Howie are two sides of the same figure, with varying aspects highlighted. For the most part, Harmer’s loops are clear to follow, but, in the beginning, I wanted to know more about the explosive family situation. A veer off into Philip's view slowed me down a bit. While Francine was vital and intriguing, Philip seemed lacklustre and boring. This inconsistency was the only drawback, however, and, as I learned more about Philip, I found his perspective in the novel important as the book raced to its end.
It is interesting to see how these ideas played out in a seemingly simple book on love, faith, family relationships and dysfunctions.
I think Harmer accomplishes her goals of meshing these deeper ideas into a thriller-like story of betrayal and identities.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2023
Francine and Philip are both messed-up and consumed with longing for something to make sense in their lives, something meaningful to cling to. They go about finding it in completely opposite ways, and from high school on they hate each other without being able to articulate exactly why. They both behave atrociously whenever they are together.
In the "present", both twins are in loving marriages to very even-keeled and well-adjusted spouses. Yet they both continue to seethe and rage about the past. At times, you wonder if the Magic Dream Spouses would really stay with either of them.
Mostly, the book is from the point-of-view of Francine. At each stage, we see how she launches herself towards something without any regard for anyone or herself. She careens wildly towards disaster, but has avoided any public consequence. I thought the parts from Francine's point-of-view were extremely good, and the Philip chapters only really useful to let us in on some things Francine didn't know. Some of my favourite bits were the moments in which Francine almost has a revelation, but then it slips away.
I don't know how much I took away from the book (other than "don't go to reunions if you have a train wreck of a family"), but it is a wild ride and is well-written.
In the "present", both twins are in loving marriages to very even-keeled and well-adjusted spouses. Yet they both continue to seethe and rage about the past. At times, you wonder if the Magic Dream Spouses would really stay with either of them.
Mostly, the book is from the point-of-view of Francine. At each stage, we see how she launches herself towards something without any regard for anyone or herself. She careens wildly towards disaster, but has avoided any public consequence. I thought the parts from Francine's point-of-view were extremely good, and the Philip chapters only really useful to let us in on some things Francine didn't know. Some of my favourite bits were the moments in which Francine almost has a revelation, but then it slips away.
I don't know how much I took away from the book (other than "don't go to reunions if you have a train wreck of a family"), but it is a wild ride and is well-written.
January 6, 2023
🚩please note book contains sensitive topics such as: suicide, grooming, sexual abuse
“Strange Loops” is a fascinating novel on lust and desire that is debuting January 31, 2023.
A quote from one the main characters Francine that I feel encompasses the major questions we face throughout this novel was: “This was proof to her that the truth of the world is sex not god despite her lack of belief she experienced this is as a loss. Was the truth of the world only bodies and desires and their satisfaction? Or maybe desire was the root to god? There was a mystery here that she wanted to tug on like the fraying edge of a piece of clothe to make it unravel and reveal. She felt the mystery but could not access it”.
I was left with weight of contemplation on such themes and unease much to the intended effect from the author. There is much that we can pick apart from this work. For me it felt like Lolita meets the Death of a Salesman, and a little bit of Kate Chopin.
“Strange Loops” is a fascinating novel on lust and desire that is debuting January 31, 2023.
A quote from one the main characters Francine that I feel encompasses the major questions we face throughout this novel was: “This was proof to her that the truth of the world is sex not god despite her lack of belief she experienced this is as a loss. Was the truth of the world only bodies and desires and their satisfaction? Or maybe desire was the root to god? There was a mystery here that she wanted to tug on like the fraying edge of a piece of clothe to make it unravel and reveal. She felt the mystery but could not access it”.
I was left with weight of contemplation on such themes and unease much to the intended effect from the author. There is much that we can pick apart from this work. For me it felt like Lolita meets the Death of a Salesman, and a little bit of Kate Chopin.
February 20, 2023
This book gave me so many uncomfortable feelings, but mostly because of my upbringing, and because of that, I feel hard-pressed to say what I think of it because my experience is probably quite a different one from what you'd have. I loathe the word "trigger" but it seriously brought up a lot of negative stuff!
And that is not to say I disliked it. I can do discomfort now that I know how to process it. It's very well-written and evocative, and Harmer's ability to create visceral scenes is superb. She doesn't shy away from hard topics not many touch, which for now I'll couch in the question of morality. Full of thought-provoking issues, it's a novel that will likely stay with me a long time. It took me a while to read it because I kept needing to distance myself from the strong feelings I had while reading. But that doesn't mean the book isn't good. It's kind of like, for me, that actor who plays her role so well, you hate her, but you have to just have to admire that skill.
And that is not to say I disliked it. I can do discomfort now that I know how to process it. It's very well-written and evocative, and Harmer's ability to create visceral scenes is superb. She doesn't shy away from hard topics not many touch, which for now I'll couch in the question of morality. Full of thought-provoking issues, it's a novel that will likely stay with me a long time. It took me a while to read it because I kept needing to distance myself from the strong feelings I had while reading. But that doesn't mean the book isn't good. It's kind of like, for me, that actor who plays her role so well, you hate her, but you have to just have to admire that skill.
June 20, 2024
Five stars for STRANGE LOOPS. I asked my local bookshop to order this book for me after meeting Liz Harmer through Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop.
I loved it, in part, because it's about siblings and I'm fascinated by siblings. (I'm writing about sisters).
No, this isn't your casual beach read. It is intense, truly immersive, and unsettling. Why is it unsettling? It confronts the reader with impossible questions about what it means to be a woman; what happens when a family's scar tissue--every family has it, no matter how old the wound--is pressed on, reopened, never healed. The story's examination of the injurious nature of symbiotic, codependent relationships is fascinating and really, a little scary.
The writing on a line level is also stunning. Check out this beauty from the last page. "A body, which was only blood and bone sorted into alleyways and rooms." I'll say it once more. I loved STRANGE LOOPS.
I loved it, in part, because it's about siblings and I'm fascinated by siblings. (I'm writing about sisters).
No, this isn't your casual beach read. It is intense, truly immersive, and unsettling. Why is it unsettling? It confronts the reader with impossible questions about what it means to be a woman; what happens when a family's scar tissue--every family has it, no matter how old the wound--is pressed on, reopened, never healed. The story's examination of the injurious nature of symbiotic, codependent relationships is fascinating and really, a little scary.
The writing on a line level is also stunning. Check out this beauty from the last page. "A body, which was only blood and bone sorted into alleyways and rooms." I'll say it once more. I loved STRANGE LOOPS.
May 19, 2023
Twins Francine and Phillip close as children find themselves at odds as teenagers and barely able to stand each other as adults. There lives have gone separate ways but they are firmly connected. Francine, married with two children describes herself as a wild stallion, unable to find peace in her life. Phillip, wants to have faith and while religion has let him down, he co tin yes to look for answers. The relationship between the two of them is damaged because neither thinks of the other first. I did not like Francine and I equally did not like Phillip but I so wished they had found their way back to each other as twins.
January 9, 2024
A beautiful and oddly spiritual novel. I was reminded of Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair and The Power and the Glory, flawed humans who are searching for something. The writing is gorgeous, and the flawed Francine’s quest for love and physical rapture, for life itself, takes on an almost spiritual urgency. It seems no accident that her youthful love affair with a minister determines the course of her life. The book is disturbing and profound and beautifully written and asks deep questions about life, the nature of love and marriage, and whether we can ever truly escape our early formative experiences.
June 18, 2022
A story of Francine and Philip who are twins, growing up in phases from the storyline of this novel and each has life experiences of their own. Sibling struggles present, some struggles, misunderstanding, a family group dynamics which brought them into a spiral of arguments and dissagrements.
There were segments in the story that I find confusing but overall the read is satisfying and short enough to finish in one sitting.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House, Knopf Canada for the ARC.
3.4/5 stars
There were segments in the story that I find confusing but overall the read is satisfying and short enough to finish in one sitting.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House, Knopf Canada for the ARC.
3.4/5 stars
February 16, 2023
In this book, Harmer does a great job creating flawed characters that are hard to like. Twins Francine and Philip have grown to resent one another which makes family gatherings a bit toxic. Their mother only contributes to the toxicity. Toward the end of the story it appears that a reconciliation will be possible between Francine and Philip, but there is no happy ending to be found. The book left me frustrated, yearning for one of the siblings to put the past behind them and embrace the other before it was too late.
February 18, 2024
it’s impossible to get bored reading this book because there is sooooo much going on.
What I enjoyed so much was the ways in which Francine’s sexual decisions impact her twin’s so much that he literally decides to hate her from his adolescence up until his adulthood.
We get these twins who from the get go are complete opposites that from the beginning you can’t imagine how their relationship can be rekindled but you still hope that by the end it can be fixed.
I have so much to say but it would take forever to write it all down.
I love this book!
What I enjoyed so much was the ways in which Francine’s sexual decisions impact her twin’s so much that he literally decides to hate her from his adolescence up until his adulthood.
We get these twins who from the get go are complete opposites that from the beginning you can’t imagine how their relationship can be rekindled but you still hope that by the end it can be fixed.
I have so much to say but it would take forever to write it all down.
I love this book!
March 17, 2023
not entirely sure what to make of this book. but it is quite strange indeed. strange characters, strange family dynamics, strange romance plots. everyone's got some serious issues but nobody seems to have any self awareness. nor was there much character development.
and i usually like dysfunctional family dramas
and i usually like dysfunctional family dramas
March 22, 2023
I enjoyed the looping nature of this novel, back and forth in time, between characters, and the inevitable pull towards the fate of each character. I can relate to that irresistible pull of history repeating itself! I confess that I'm more of an optimist than this book but I enjoyed thinking about the power of desire and being desired and how they play into all facets of life.
May 9, 2023
I like to read about people who can’t keep themselves from doing self-destructive things, and this book is chock full of that. Maybe *too* full, in a way that’s unsatisfying because nobody has an actual character arc? Certainly an interesting slice of Canadian suburban (urban?) like that I’ve never experienced before.
October 17, 2023
Not to say that it wasn’t incredibly well written, just that the book and the content itself shows seems to have some hedonistic and incredibly morally grey bits. There are lots of pedophilic relationships throughout, but the book doesnt really show how horrible and traumatic those relationships can be, rather romanticizes the pleasure and the sex from those relationships.
February 20, 2023
This covers dark subjects, and I appreciated the shorter length. This was a good, quick drama that I liked even though the subject matter was a little sick. If you liked My Dark Vanessa, I recommend this.
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May 29, 2023What a convoluted story! About a brother & sister, twins, who are perhaps too dependent, perhaps too separate. They can't seem to function without hurting one another. Secrets lead to tragedy. Twisty with unexpected (to me) ending. Kind of dark but I kept reading.
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