No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood has been praised by authors like Sally Rooney and Jia Tolentino for its wit and originality.
It’s about our society’s reliance on social media and the digital world, and how it continues to morph and shape our culture and actions (and for the most part, not in a good way). But partway through the story, something happens that drags the main character out of her social media-addicted daze.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Riverhead Books) in exchange for an honest review.
**Please note, some links on this page are affiliate links. If a purchase is made through an affiliate link, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure policy here. Thanks for your support!
Order on Amazon | Support local bookstores
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood: My Thoughts
This was one of the strangest books I’ve read in a long time, with a unique, experimental style: like fragmented thoughts bouncing around in someone’s head. It did feel a little jarring to me (especially at first).
The prose is clever and thought-provoking, though I will admit some of it went over my head a bit. Maybe I’m not ‘online’ enough to understand a lot of the references? The passages I did understand were wry, bordering on genius, whereas others were almost trying to be weird or shocking just for the sake of it.
I understood generally what points the book was trying to make, and they’re mainly good points. But the story is split into two parts – almost like two different books – and Part 1 just felt disjointed to me. Part 2, though, made Part 1 worth reading.
I loved Part 2, where we finally have tangible characters to care about and a plot we can follow. Instead of the surreal fragments of Part 1, we have a cohesive and utterly emotional story. I understand that the style in Part 1 is on purpose, but unfortunately, it just isn’t as enjoyable to read.
One thing to note: if you do read this, make sure to read the synopsis before you start. Otherwise, you’ll have ZERO idea what’s going on! ?
While my thoughts on this book were conflicted, in the end it was worth reading, and Patricia Lockwood is clearly a very talented writer.
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5) stars
Release date: February 16th, 2021
Looking for more great book recommendations? Check out my list of exciting New Book Releases in February 2021!
