Campbell Andrews’s Reviews > Hello Beautiful > Status Update

has it occurred to the author that there are other religions than Catholicism and that it’s possible to be a bad Catholic

“she recognized the religion’s retributive justice jn her bones.”

more received, assumed wisdom — as if without her childhood Catholicism she would have no reason to feel guilty

“It was hard for me to accept the fact that we don’t choose who we love”

bzzt, sorry. this book has many tremendous moments and tenderly observed scenes, but it i built on received wisdom and cannot even stand up under its own scrutiny.

I am less than convinced in the ideal of romantic love that this boon expresses

it is to the author’s credit that I did not spend the first half of the book wondering which character was gay

so, so much to like — but her metaphors don’t land. fortunately it doesn’t matter much