Could not put it down!
A romantic comedy that will steal your heart and fill your space with new friends.
August is cynical. She’s full of anxiety, unsure of her place in love and wary of anything promising to improve or change her life – like love or magic.
Then she moves into an uneven New York apartment with a psychic, an artist and a tattooer and meets a gorgeous girl on the train. Now suddenly, life does feel a little more magical and August isn’t as eager to be left alone.
There is just one catch.
August’s crush, Jane from the subway? She’s been displaced in time and only exists on the G train. Now August and her housemates need to help Jane find her way home.
What I liked: Every single character. August was very relatable – cynical, anxious and confused about her place in the world. She doesn’t want to rely on anyone but she’s surrounded by the love and affection of so many amazing characters, she can’t help but be drawn into their world.
August’s housemates and friends. They are so diverse, interesting and so very much themselves.
- Niko – trans Latino part-time psychic, part-time bartender (housemate)
- Myla – queer Black electrical engineer turned artist (housemate)
- Wes – queer Jewish tattoo artist unowned by his rich upper-crust family (housemate)
- Isaiah/Annie – the queer black accountant who lives across the hall by day and performs as the dazzling drag queen Annie Depressant by night.
Jane. A Chinese lesbian from the 1970s stuck on a subway in 2020. Jane is wonderful. Jane is so very alive for someone who exists outside of time and space. She’s confident, she’s passionate, she’s cheeky and she’s impossible.
The writing style. This was so easy to read, so evocative and such a warm comfort. I could not put this book down – I felt like I’d be missing out on a moment with my friends.
What I didn’t like: The subplot, the search for August’s uncle (and namesake) who went missing before she was born. It was a really interesting idea, and really showed how August’s personality developed but it felt rushed by the end. The conclusion felt forced and while it explained things – August’s relationship with her Mother, her Grandparents and even Jane – it didn’t feel as natural as the rest of the book.
Subway sex. McQuiston managed to give them time alone but the idea of doing anything sexual on the subway makes my skin crawl – particularly after two years of COVID. We know people don’t wash their hands enough!
Conclusion: I’ll be looking for more Casey McQuiston. I loved this book and I’ll recommend it to anyone interested in an endearing romantic comedy.
Rating:
Raiding Bookshelves 