Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Rioghnach Robinson, this month's Good Morning America book club pick. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
Parker Navarro’s debut novel sold at auction for $1.2M and was set to cement his career as an actor. Then City Magazine book critic Selina Chan’s scathing review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption;;for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can’t refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other.
This is a novel that hits on a lot of points. As a book lover and reviewer, you can see how easy it could be to get caught up in book blurbs, celebrity book picks, bestseller lists, and let them guide your opinion of a book. This book explores both sides of that part of the literary world - author and critic - as well as the unfortunate issues of social media weighing in without the full story. In addition, this is a wonderful romance as well, feeling real and nuanced, and I was rooting for both these characters. There's also a discussion of family expectations and discourse, mental health, race, and culture. This would be a perfect book club pick as there is so much to talk about!
No comments:
Post a Comment