Osame Osayande’s Reviews > The Story of a New Name > Status Update

she was explaining to me that I had won nothing, that in the world there is nothing to win, that her life was full of varied and foolish adventures as much as mine, and that time simply slipped away without any meaning, and it was good just to see each other every se often to hear the mad sound of the brain of one echo in the mad sound of the brain of the other.

the two main characters have to lean on men multiple times in the books for safety etc. the rich guys that elena seeks shelter in during college and keeps her from being bullied for her accent etc. and lila and stephano and enzo etc.

I understood suddenly why I hadn't had Nino, why Lila had had him. I wasn't capa-ble of entrusting myself to true feelings. I didn't know how to be drawn beyond the limits. I didn't possess that emotional power that had driven Lila

Did I keep my feelings muted because I was frightened by the violence with which, in fact, in my innermost self, I wanted things, people, praise, triumphs?