taylor dawson

Add friend

taylor’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (250)
currently-reading‎ (6)
read‎ (166)

did-not-finish‎ (0)
dnf-for-now‎ (12)
could-not-finish‎ (0)

could-not-finish-to-save-my-life‎ (0)
couldn-t-finish-to-save-my-life‎ (0)
favourites‎ (0)

Stats | More…

taylor is Currently Reading

taylor dawson is currently reading

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (Neapolitan Novels, #3)

by Elena Ferrante

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

progress:

(30%)
— Sep 27, 2026 02:28PM

Sep 24, 2026 08:00AM

taylor dawson is currently reading

The Pisces

by Melissa Broder (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in May 2025

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

taylor dawson said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" 5 stars!!!

If you aren’t sure what to expect from this, I would say go into it with an open mind. The best way I can describe it is like if Fleabag wasn’t a comedy because while Lucy is self-destructive, sexually explicit and impulsive, she’s not inse 5 stars!!!

If you aren’t sure what to expect from this, I would say go into it with an open mind. The best way I can describe it is like if Fleabag wasn’t a comedy because while Lucy is self-destructive, sexually explicit and impulsive, she’s not insecure like Fleabag. She’s very depressed and suicidal all throughout. On page 75, she compares the ocean to her mood as ‘wild ambivalence’, meaning depression doesn’t care about you and will take you under if it wants which is so incredible.

The way that the book is written seems like the random ramblings of someone going through psychosis, she’s jumping from thought to thought with no clear vision of what she wants to say. She isn’t self aware enough at this time to realise she is mentally ill until she visits her friend at the hospital for the second time. The first time she visits she feels strong because she thinks even at her lowest she wasn’t hospitalised. However, the second time she visits, she feels fearful that she’ll be locked in which makes the reader think she is becoming more aware that her mental health is declining rapidly. She begins justifying impulsive decisions, ignoring friends, not taking care of herself or purposely sedating her sister’s dog in order to meet Theo which leads to its eventual death.

My ONLY issue with this book is that I read it as an e-book and so I knew that Theo was a mermaid before reading. I don’t know if this was printed at the back of the physical book but it shouldn’t be. The reveal would have been better if left for the reader to find out and therefore have to question Lucy’s sanity. The fact she falls for a mermaid when depression is constantly being compared to the ocean is so good. It’s used as a metaphor that suicidal thoughts (Theo) are alluring and dangerous at the same time. There are also references to love addiction throughout with many characters being in horrible toxic codependent relationship, again referencing what can be desirable is also harmful. ...more "

progress:

(12%)
— Jul 18, 2026 07:38AM

Oct 29, 2025 01:56PM · see review