b00ksforeveryone reviewed Isn't It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz
my review
4 stars
(note that i did receive a free ARC of this book)
i loved this author's debut, couldn't get into their second for some reason, and then am back to adoring this one (i know this is a review for ISN'T IT OBVIOUS but it's making me want to give WHENEVER YOU'RE READY another try).
i normally am a ball of anxiety when it comes to plots that involve characters hiding from each other (there's a lot of confusion and angst on both characters' minds because they think they're being unfair to each other), but surprisingly and pleasantly that was not the case here. when the illusion breaks, the character who finds out first doesn't drag it out for long, so there wasn't a massive limbo phase there either.
i was really drawn by the longing but also how nurturing both of these main characters are, they're both like warm hugs. …
(note that i did receive a free ARC of this book)
i loved this author's debut, couldn't get into their second for some reason, and then am back to adoring this one (i know this is a review for ISN'T IT OBVIOUS but it's making me want to give WHENEVER YOU'RE READY another try).
i normally am a ball of anxiety when it comes to plots that involve characters hiding from each other (there's a lot of confusion and angst on both characters' minds because they think they're being unfair to each other), but surprisingly and pleasantly that was not the case here. when the illusion breaks, the character who finds out first doesn't drag it out for long, so there wasn't a massive limbo phase there either.
i was really drawn by the longing but also how nurturing both of these main characters are, they're both like warm hugs. i can see myself in both of them and their stories, for better and for worse; the way that suresh is kind of pushing ravi to reconcile and love their dad despite his unwelcoming and unyielding personality because they're ~family~ feels like an echo of a conversation i've had with my sibling. i'm thinking of how if i was in a situation like leo was as a teen, there's no adult i would have felt comfortable enough to turn to, but also finding some solace in leo being able to ask for AND get this kind of help (while also being like uh damn yael and ravi are pulling a lot of emotional labor in their communities ;__; QTBIPOC do not get a break whew). i love the epilogue; well mostly the part that talks about the upcoming change in living situation for the main characters, the way that it feels so deliberate and thoughtful and supportive.
