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[Mandy Berman] The Learning Curve: A Novel [Hardcover]
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First published May 28, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
May 28, 2019
The story...I made myself finish this book because I was waiting for the big thing to happen that never did.
There were so many times when it was just so hard to keep reading about these people and their problems.
Also the book ends abruptly.
I just...
June 7, 2019
"Bad fiction is bad fiction."
April 6, 2019
(thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book)
The Learning Curve is my kind of book, though I can certainly see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. It reminded me A LOT of Meg Wolitzer and especially her book The Female Persuasion. One of the biggest criticisms of that book is that the characters are all so privileged and immersed in second wave feminism. And while yes, that is true, I also don't see why this is necessarily a bad thing.
The book is told from the point of view of three characters, but the main focus is the character of Fiona. She's in her senior year of college and living with three girlfriends. A couple years earlier, Fiona's younger sister died and Fiona is still struggling with how to move forward. She has difficulties with school and friends and finds herself sleeping with guys she doesn't necessarily even want to sleep with. We also see a lot of her friend, Liv, a wealthy college student dating a frat boy and dealing with a somewhat tumultuous family life. Both girls develop crushes on a visiting professor, Oliver, who has a scandalous past (it's rumored he slept with a student at a previous teaching job). We also get the perspective of Oliver's wife, Simone, who is left alone in Berlin with their 1-year-old child while Oliver is teaching in the U.S.
I can see why people might roll their eyes at these girls problems. They're certainly "white privilege" problems, but guess what? That doesn't mean they're not an accurate reflection of society and the "problems" so many college girls have. Another issue people may have with the book is that none of the characters are particularly likable. I don't feel a need to actually like the characters I'm reading about, so long as I am invested enough in them to find out what will happen to them. And I did care here.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to read on to find out what would happen to Fiona and Liv (and to a lesser extent Oliver and Simone). I found the ending to be very satisfying and would definitely read another book from Mandy Berman!
The Learning Curve is my kind of book, though I can certainly see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. It reminded me A LOT of Meg Wolitzer and especially her book The Female Persuasion. One of the biggest criticisms of that book is that the characters are all so privileged and immersed in second wave feminism. And while yes, that is true, I also don't see why this is necessarily a bad thing.
The book is told from the point of view of three characters, but the main focus is the character of Fiona. She's in her senior year of college and living with three girlfriends. A couple years earlier, Fiona's younger sister died and Fiona is still struggling with how to move forward. She has difficulties with school and friends and finds herself sleeping with guys she doesn't necessarily even want to sleep with. We also see a lot of her friend, Liv, a wealthy college student dating a frat boy and dealing with a somewhat tumultuous family life. Both girls develop crushes on a visiting professor, Oliver, who has a scandalous past (it's rumored he slept with a student at a previous teaching job). We also get the perspective of Oliver's wife, Simone, who is left alone in Berlin with their 1-year-old child while Oliver is teaching in the U.S.
I can see why people might roll their eyes at these girls problems. They're certainly "white privilege" problems, but guess what? That doesn't mean they're not an accurate reflection of society and the "problems" so many college girls have. Another issue people may have with the book is that none of the characters are particularly likable. I don't feel a need to actually like the characters I'm reading about, so long as I am invested enough in them to find out what will happen to them. And I did care here.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to read on to find out what would happen to Fiona and Liv (and to a lesser extent Oliver and Simone). I found the ending to be very satisfying and would definitely read another book from Mandy Berman!
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November 14, 2019DNF
DNR
DNR
March 15, 2025
letting “bad fiction is bad fiction” be a quote from your book that is arguably the worst collection of absolute nonsense-cliché phrases with the most BS-full uninteresting, unnecessary characters that I have read in a loooonnnggg time was definitely a bold choice!
it’s the new year, let’s reflect inward next time, shall we?
it’s the new year, let’s reflect inward next time, shall we?
August 11, 2022
Better than Perennials.
I really liked the discussions of power and sex, i.e. power and sex. between a woman and an older man (with authority)
Liv's story doesn't feel finished so I wonder if her story will be continued like Fiona's was.
Olivier Ash is one messed up dude.
I really liked the discussions of power and sex, i.e. power and sex. between a woman and an older man (with authority)
Liv's story doesn't feel finished so I wonder if her story will be continued like Fiona's was.
Olivier Ash is one messed up dude.
June 4, 2019
the writing was smart but then that was kinda the point of the whole book,wasn’t it?i felt uncomfortable most of the time reading this book and not even in a challenging way,just a gross one.not my cuppa tea 🤷🏻♀️
May 8, 2019
This novel is truly a novel for the time. The novel follows mainly Fiona and Liv. If you read Mandy’s debut Perennials, you will remember Fiona. I think though that Mandy does a fantastic job of giving the reader all the information they need if they have not yet picked up Perennials. In The Learning Curve we are presented with all of the complex issues that face us when we are in college and most importantly when we are in friendships. You constantly want to be with your friends, safe and secure but you learn on this journey you also need to forge your own path. We follow Fiona and Liv (with their friends Lula and Marley) through the final year of college for three of them (you will learn more about Fiona in the book). The final year for me was hard because I had a part time job, internship, classes and the prospect of moving to Los Angeles after college but it was also one of the best in terms of making things count. I highly highly recommend this book and if you are feeling into it I recommend Perennials. You are in the capable hands of Mandy Berman, who will make sure that everything pays off and you have a sensory reading experience.
Please note that I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley. I chose to write this review and all opinions are my own.
Please note that I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley. I chose to write this review and all opinions are my own.
May 30, 2019
THE LEARNING CURVE by Mandy Berman is a coming of age novel of today, though set 10 years ago. We follow Fiona (who we met in Berman's earlier novel), Liv, and Simone as they explore their sexual selves, body autonomy, and their place in the world while their lives intersect thanks to a charming, yet disappointing, male Professor. As a college story, I was immediately drawn in as those are my favorite types of coming of age stories. The students were certainly going through valid and not often talked about concerns and situations as young women, and I really appreciated this book for that reason.
I thought the novel was intelligent, timely, and engrossing. I am such a fan of Berman's writing and this was one of my most eagerly awaited novels of the year. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. My one issue is that there does seem to be a lot of off-handed fatphobic comments that took me by surprise. I thought it may be all part of the character's development, but that didn't seem to be the case in the end. Just a warning to those who may be sensitive to negative comments such as those.
I thought the novel was intelligent, timely, and engrossing. I am such a fan of Berman's writing and this was one of my most eagerly awaited novels of the year. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. My one issue is that there does seem to be a lot of off-handed fatphobic comments that took me by surprise. I thought it may be all part of the character's development, but that didn't seem to be the case in the end. Just a warning to those who may be sensitive to negative comments such as those.
January 5, 2020
Sloppy is the best word I can think of to describe this book. The writing was subpar (at the beginning Fiona is wearing one thing and then a few pages later she's wearing something completely different without having actually changed ... what's up with that??) and the characters felt unfinished with unsatisfying endings. I read it hoping it would get better, but to no avail, unfortunately. The characters just made so many bad decisions right and left I found myself cringing most of the time while reading ... 2.5/5 stars.
April 29, 2020
I enjoyed Perennials, but I looooved this!
This will definitely be a favorite of the year!
This will definitely be a favorite of the year!
February 21, 2022
hard to care about literally anyone
July 31, 2019
Before I began this review, I made sure to skim the reviews left by other readers just to make sure the reviews aren't redundant. What can I say that hasn't been said? First off, the saving grace of this book is the characters. In particular, Fiona, Liv, their friends, and Simone. I one-hundred percent believe that this book would have been just as good of a story, if not a better story, if Oliver Ash was out of the picture. Oliver's character offers very little to the plot. While I find calling him a flat, one-dimensional character is a bit of a reach, he was definitely the least impactful character.
The writing is okay. Berman could have spent a bit more time researching how to avoid common pitfalls in writing. For example, she overuses "it" and phrases like "it was/there was" too much for my liking. As Stephen King mentioned in his book on writing, authors should limit the amount of times they use "it." Berman might have the word thirty times on one page. Another thing writing-related, Berman's writing is quite verbose, as mentioned by another reviewer. She truly does spend too much time in certain parts of the book elaborating on events the reader doesn't care about. The events, such as Fiona working on her paper in bed, could be explained in a sentence or two. Instead, Berman likes to spend multiple pages, sometimes chapters, focusing on events that aren't necessary to progress the story. One last thing: German uses too many adverbs.
Writing aside, the plot of The Learning Curve is sound. The plot is engaging and makes you think. Although, the ending was fell flat. The story doesn't end with a cliff hanger, if you're worried about that sort of thing. However, as a reader, you still feel tension after you've turned the last page. Berman did not spend enough time working out the resolution, nor did she tie up loose ends. Also, there doesn't seem to be a climax. I'm serious. The entire story is just the building of tension with a weak ending.
As stated earlier, what got me through this story, and what I suspect got others through this as well, is the characters. Berman did an excellent job with the creation of Fiona and friends. Simone is also an amazing character, and I couldn't imagine this story without her. Simone is who makes us better understand, and despite, Oliver Ash. Through her voice, our eyes are opened to the dynamics of her relationship with Oliver, but, as a reader, you will come to appreciate her for who she is as an individual as opposed to the information she has on Oliver.
I notice another reviewer pointed out that this story just reflects the problems of the wealthy and is therefore a piece that the masses cannot relate to. While this observation is somewhat true, (all of the main characters are extraordinarily wealthy--Fiona's father pays for her college tuition, her rent, and distributes $1,000 into her back account everyday, for example), at the end of the day, humans are humans. Rich or poor, we all bleed, hate, love, and sob the same. Fiona experienced a genuine trauma that all the money in the world cannot fix, and so we read about how she copes with said trauma through sexual relationships, drugs, alcohol, and travel, and we can empathize with (even if we can't relate with) her actions throughout the novel.
Over all, I give this book a four-star rating because I was able to finish the work. I'm a rather entitled reader, and I have zero patience for shitty writing. Berman's writing, while it may not be the best, is far from shitty. Furthermore, I give this book four stars because, upon the end, I genuinely wanted to read more, and was sad that I will not get the chance to. Also, again, the characters are phenomenally human, and their actions and emotions are written well; you can feel Fiona's angst through the pages at same points.
TDLR: Would definitely recommend this to a friend. Good characterization. Decent writing. Plot could use some work, but is far from the worst.
The writing is okay. Berman could have spent a bit more time researching how to avoid common pitfalls in writing. For example, she overuses "it" and phrases like "it was/there was" too much for my liking. As Stephen King mentioned in his book on writing, authors should limit the amount of times they use "it." Berman might have the word thirty times on one page. Another thing writing-related, Berman's writing is quite verbose, as mentioned by another reviewer. She truly does spend too much time in certain parts of the book elaborating on events the reader doesn't care about. The events, such as Fiona working on her paper in bed, could be explained in a sentence or two. Instead, Berman likes to spend multiple pages, sometimes chapters, focusing on events that aren't necessary to progress the story. One last thing: German uses too many adverbs.
Writing aside, the plot of The Learning Curve is sound. The plot is engaging and makes you think. Although, the ending was fell flat. The story doesn't end with a cliff hanger, if you're worried about that sort of thing. However, as a reader, you still feel tension after you've turned the last page. Berman did not spend enough time working out the resolution, nor did she tie up loose ends. Also, there doesn't seem to be a climax. I'm serious. The entire story is just the building of tension with a weak ending.
As stated earlier, what got me through this story, and what I suspect got others through this as well, is the characters. Berman did an excellent job with the creation of Fiona and friends. Simone is also an amazing character, and I couldn't imagine this story without her. Simone is who makes us better understand, and despite, Oliver Ash. Through her voice, our eyes are opened to the dynamics of her relationship with Oliver, but, as a reader, you will come to appreciate her for who she is as an individual as opposed to the information she has on Oliver.
I notice another reviewer pointed out that this story just reflects the problems of the wealthy and is therefore a piece that the masses cannot relate to. While this observation is somewhat true, (all of the main characters are extraordinarily wealthy--Fiona's father pays for her college tuition, her rent, and distributes $1,000 into her back account everyday, for example), at the end of the day, humans are humans. Rich or poor, we all bleed, hate, love, and sob the same. Fiona experienced a genuine trauma that all the money in the world cannot fix, and so we read about how she copes with said trauma through sexual relationships, drugs, alcohol, and travel, and we can empathize with (even if we can't relate with) her actions throughout the novel.
Over all, I give this book a four-star rating because I was able to finish the work. I'm a rather entitled reader, and I have zero patience for shitty writing. Berman's writing, while it may not be the best, is far from shitty. Furthermore, I give this book four stars because, upon the end, I genuinely wanted to read more, and was sad that I will not get the chance to. Also, again, the characters are phenomenally human, and their actions and emotions are written well; you can feel Fiona's angst through the pages at same points.
TDLR: Would definitely recommend this to a friend. Good characterization. Decent writing. Plot could use some work, but is far from the worst.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2022
The Learning Curve was a book that read like a movie and was more than just the college drama that I expected going in. The different points of view from each of the main female characters allowed for a rich, and at times upsetting and triggering, story. Strong themes of the patriarchal systems that exist in academia, power imbalances and grooming, family loss, and lusting for something that maybe you shouldn’t. The main characters studying feminist literature balanced with the narrative of them navigating womanhood and misogyny in real life was interesting. Would recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
December 28, 2020
What a slog. There is no love triangle, nor charismatic professor, as promised. There is instead, unsatisfying conclusions and self-important writing.
*I just went to look at the description of her previous book as I had marked that want-to-read as well. After realizing it also focuses on one of this book’s main characters, I removed it from my to-read list. So, that’s one helpful thing this reading did for me.
*I just went to look at the description of her previous book as I had marked that want-to-read as well. After realizing it also focuses on one of this book’s main characters, I removed it from my to-read list. So, that’s one helpful thing this reading did for me.
January 28, 2022
I had really high expectations for this big that were unfortunately not met. The plot is very well thought through and it develops nicely, characters are realistic and complex enough. But it sets the reader for an ultimate denouement that just doesn’t happen.
It’s a missed opportunity to expand on important, underdiscussed issues such as infidelity, sexism, racism and power relations.
It’s a missed opportunity to expand on important, underdiscussed issues such as infidelity, sexism, racism and power relations.
December 8, 2019
Upgraded to 3.5 stars. I like a book that makes me think, and this one did.
March 14, 2023
At some point, you just have to throw the entire man out.
August 2, 2019
It was a good read.
June 26, 2019
I am a fan of PERENNIALS, Mandy Berman's first novel set in this extended universe, but I didn't LOVE it. It was more that I respected it. And going into THE LEARNING CURVE, which jumps ahead 2+ years from the events of the first book (don't worry, this isn't a sequel - but it is nice to have the backing of the first book's plot in my head), I assumed I would feel the same way. That I would be entertained but not blown away, that I would be happy to have another midlist literary fiction title in my back pocket to handsell.
And in part... that's what this is. And yet this is so much more assured than PERENNIALS. So much more sweep. I had very little interest in 18-year-old Fiona, but I found the 21-year-old version fascinating. The way that she's dealing with grief over a dead sister she never really connected with when she was alive feels true. The way that she refuses to engage with people who think she's lashing out with alcohol and sex, and the way that Berman makes it unclear whether Fiona or her friends are the correct ones in this reading of her behavior... well, that's really deftly done.
I can't say that I loved Liv, Fiona's ostensible best friend, and the passages with Simone - the girls' problematic English professor's wife living in Berlin - dragged a bit, but I was very much engaged by this. I could definitely read another book set four years later that followed one of the ancillary characters here - or even one that's modern day (this one is set in 2008) from the perspective of Simone and Oliver's son Henri. That is a feat right there.
And in part... that's what this is. And yet this is so much more assured than PERENNIALS. So much more sweep. I had very little interest in 18-year-old Fiona, but I found the 21-year-old version fascinating. The way that she's dealing with grief over a dead sister she never really connected with when she was alive feels true. The way that she refuses to engage with people who think she's lashing out with alcohol and sex, and the way that Berman makes it unclear whether Fiona or her friends are the correct ones in this reading of her behavior... well, that's really deftly done.
I can't say that I loved Liv, Fiona's ostensible best friend, and the passages with Simone - the girls' problematic English professor's wife living in Berlin - dragged a bit, but I was very much engaged by this. I could definitely read another book set four years later that followed one of the ancillary characters here - or even one that's modern day (this one is set in 2008) from the perspective of Simone and Oliver's son Henri. That is a feat right there.
February 23, 2020
Spoilers ahead
Going into it, I felt it was advertised as a competition between two best friends in college oer their elite, preppy college's new creative writing professor, who was alleged with inappropriate relations with a student at his old teaching job. However, this was far from the premise. Liv, the best friend, only "flirts" with Prof. Ash; meaning, she sent him about 3 e-mails and longingly looked at him during his seminars and the minuscule out of school bump-ins they had. Fiona, on the other hand, does aLmost sleep with him--about 350 PAGES IN!! absolutely NOT what I expected going into the book.
The book essentially surrounded rich kids with classic troubling parents and tendencies to overly drink, somehow manage to sufficiently succeed, and question stupid parts of their lives.
The tiny plot of Liv and Brandon was more interesting than most parts. The issues within their relationship felt understandable and I'd almost rather have Liv be the focal point of the novel with a smattering of Brandon chapters, but, alas, I probably still wouldn't have loved that either.
Overall, the characters felt very underdeveloped and fake. The beginning of the novel was all very telling and not showing, which made for bland characters that I felt very little sympathy for. Fiona's sister's death didn't even make me feel compassionate. It felt like an overdone or stereotypical concept and there was a lack of depth in it overall (from an emotional standpoint).
I could appreciate the love Avi and Stu showed Fiona and I liked the ending, where it seems she begins repairing her relationship with her mom.
Surprisingly, I did sort of enjoy the Simone subplot. I'm not sure why Judaism was so prevalent within the book, but besides that, I liked her plot. Her strained relationship with her husband and challenges with her son felt real and developed. The details of her stressful pregnancies and following her sister's pregnancy/marriage was interesting and was probably one of my favorite components of the novel. I enjoyed the maternal love/woes depicted with her and Henri, as well as the authenticity of her miscarriages.
However, it felt like nothing really happened. And what did happen didn't tie up together in a bow with a big message of any sort. Instead, this novel rambled on about privileged young women in college who drink too much. The chapters were also awfully long, which didn't encourage me to continue reading.
Going into it, I felt it was advertised as a competition between two best friends in college oer their elite, preppy college's new creative writing professor, who was alleged with inappropriate relations with a student at his old teaching job. However, this was far from the premise. Liv, the best friend, only "flirts" with Prof. Ash; meaning, she sent him about 3 e-mails and longingly looked at him during his seminars and the minuscule out of school bump-ins they had. Fiona, on the other hand, does aLmost sleep with him--about 350 PAGES IN!! absolutely NOT what I expected going into the book.
The book essentially surrounded rich kids with classic troubling parents and tendencies to overly drink, somehow manage to sufficiently succeed, and question stupid parts of their lives.
The tiny plot of Liv and Brandon was more interesting than most parts. The issues within their relationship felt understandable and I'd almost rather have Liv be the focal point of the novel with a smattering of Brandon chapters, but, alas, I probably still wouldn't have loved that either.
Overall, the characters felt very underdeveloped and fake. The beginning of the novel was all very telling and not showing, which made for bland characters that I felt very little sympathy for. Fiona's sister's death didn't even make me feel compassionate. It felt like an overdone or stereotypical concept and there was a lack of depth in it overall (from an emotional standpoint).
I could appreciate the love Avi and Stu showed Fiona and I liked the ending, where it seems she begins repairing her relationship with her mom.
Surprisingly, I did sort of enjoy the Simone subplot. I'm not sure why Judaism was so prevalent within the book, but besides that, I liked her plot. Her strained relationship with her husband and challenges with her son felt real and developed. The details of her stressful pregnancies and following her sister's pregnancy/marriage was interesting and was probably one of my favorite components of the novel. I enjoyed the maternal love/woes depicted with her and Henri, as well as the authenticity of her miscarriages.
However, it felt like nothing really happened. And what did happen didn't tie up together in a bow with a big message of any sort. Instead, this novel rambled on about privileged young women in college who drink too much. The chapters were also awfully long, which didn't encourage me to continue reading.
May 27, 2019
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
It felt like there was a lot going on in this book, and yet I found all of the chaos strangely enjoyable. A book that primarily revolves around two college girls and a lonely wife of a college professor living in Berlin doesn't seem particularly appealing to someone like me on the surface, but maybe there's something intriguing about reading about relatively wealthy people whose lives are so different from yours. This book covers such diverse topics as a shady visiting professor with a questionable prior relationship with a student, a father's alcoholism that causes an emotional strain on the rest of his family including his daughter's boyfriend, Monica Lewinsky, the Holocaust, being Jewish in Europe, losing a sibling at a young age and the effects of that that linger for years, etc. etc. At times it's overwhelming, and it's often hard to see where the book is going, but I found a strange curiosity in seeing what random topic would come up next. The ending was disappointing for me, though. At least two of the characters leave a lot of things unresolved, and despite them saying they wanted resolution, the book does not explore any of it before it ends.
It felt like there was a lot going on in this book, and yet I found all of the chaos strangely enjoyable. A book that primarily revolves around two college girls and a lonely wife of a college professor living in Berlin doesn't seem particularly appealing to someone like me on the surface, but maybe there's something intriguing about reading about relatively wealthy people whose lives are so different from yours. This book covers such diverse topics as a shady visiting professor with a questionable prior relationship with a student, a father's alcoholism that causes an emotional strain on the rest of his family including his daughter's boyfriend, Monica Lewinsky, the Holocaust, being Jewish in Europe, losing a sibling at a young age and the effects of that that linger for years, etc. etc. At times it's overwhelming, and it's often hard to see where the book is going, but I found a strange curiosity in seeing what random topic would come up next. The ending was disappointing for me, though. At least two of the characters leave a lot of things unresolved, and despite them saying they wanted resolution, the book does not explore any of it before it ends.
October 9, 2020
When I read the synopsis of The Learning Curve, I immediately knew I wanted to pick it up. I love a good college coming of age story, and that is exactly what this book is. The story follows Fiona, Liv, and Simone and explores each of their relationship to Oliver Ash, an older man who is a famous author and a visiting professor to two of them (Fiona and Liv) and a husband to the other (Simone). The characters grapple with grief, questions of morality, their sexuality, power, masculinity, the patriarchy, and bodily autonomy.
I thought Berman covered a lot of important issues in this book but I'm not sure I loved the way it all came together. It felt, at times, that she was being too obvious with her messaging and the ending felt very rushed. I kept reading because I came to be invested in the characters (and there was quite a large question of will they/won't they) but this novel felt like it was still in a rough draft format at certain parts. This one brought to mind The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan and, to me, has the potential to be a very strong story but just fell a bit flat for me in parts.
I thought Berman covered a lot of important issues in this book but I'm not sure I loved the way it all came together. It felt, at times, that she was being too obvious with her messaging and the ending felt very rushed. I kept reading because I came to be invested in the characters (and there was quite a large question of will they/won't they) but this novel felt like it was still in a rough draft format at certain parts. This one brought to mind The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan and, to me, has the potential to be a very strong story but just fell a bit flat for me in parts.
May 21, 2019
An interesting novel that I suspect some will put down early on for a variety of reasons but those who keep with it will find it an intriguing portrait of three women. This was elevated for me by the viewpoint of Simone, the wife of Oliver, the 40 something former wunderkind now visiting professor who has grabbed the fantasies of Fiona and Liv. The problems of college students don't amount to a hill of beans usually but Fiona, who apparently appeared in Berman's first novel (which I did not read), is coping with the death of a sister and her unwise actions are shaped by that. I found her extremely sympathetic. Berman raises many topical issues (although not always successfully). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. On balance, definitely worth a read.
June 16, 2019
This gritty coming-of-age story pulled me further and further in with each page, until I was looking forward to the end of my day, when I could read whole chunks at a time. Now that I'm done, I'll miss this novel. Mandy Berman creates a very real character in Fiona; you don't always like her, but by the end you know her and root for her. What I liked best, other than the chapters set in Paris and Berlin, is Berman's portrayal of the messiness of the human condition; the grieving part, for which there is no handbook, relationships (both sanctioned and not), and the delicate balance of female friendship. I hope she's working on another novel!
February 10, 2020
I enjoyed this novel a great deal as it involves a school setting (one of my favorites). The focus is on two students, Fiona and Liv as they navigate their way through college, men, and alcohol. Enter, Oliver a new professor who is both handsome and rumored to have slept with an underage young woman, and the plot thickens. Relationships are messy as are marriages and friendships; we see many sides to each of these characters as their choices are often unwise and the repercussions abound. Fiona must confront her grief about the death of her younger sister, Liv must decide what she wants out of a relationship, and Oliver must make some decisions about his young son and his marriage. It is a smart, often witty, and poignant read.
Thanks to Goodreads for this giveaway!
Thanks to Goodreads for this giveaway!
March 26, 2019
This was a novel about 3 different women, all connected in some way to one (kind of awful in my opinion) man, trying to find their way. Although the novel was very well written, I found it so difficult to connect with any of the characters and that made it very difficult for me to get through. I did really enjoy the way the novel referenced other works throughout, it made the content a bit more relatable. I also found the parts that related to religion and the past interesting as well. The novel covered many themes that women face through coming of age as well as later on when they become mothers. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.
May 4, 2019
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaways. This is the story of Liv and Fiona who are friends in college and are both attracted to one professor. Oliver is married and has a son, however, his wife Simone has to endure his absences when he goes to America to make money and teach. This book depicts how college students party, have casual sex and do have a lot of freedom to do what they want. It is a very intellectual book, but you can still understand the depth of it even if you never went to college.
Will Liv or Fiona have an affair with Oliver or will he be true to his family? There are also vivid descriptions of Paris. Emotions and thoughts of the characters dominate the story.
Will Liv or Fiona have an affair with Oliver or will he be true to his family? There are also vivid descriptions of Paris. Emotions and thoughts of the characters dominate the story.
January 14, 2019
I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very enjoyable and well written book, and it is the rare book in which all of the various unlikable characters actually become likable as you get to know them. I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end. It had been a nice year in their company
TW: About 80% into the book a girl confides to her friend that she was raped, and the friend asked if she was just drunk. Putting it in there now even though it’s not a big part of the story because some people may need to know that going in.
This is a very enjoyable and well written book, and it is the rare book in which all of the various unlikable characters actually become likable as you get to know them. I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end. It had been a nice year in their company
TW: About 80% into the book a girl confides to her friend that she was raped, and the friend asked if she was just drunk. Putting it in there now even though it’s not a big part of the story because some people may need to know that going in.
February 1, 2019
I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun read about three women's relationships with a crappy man.
I enjoyed Berman's references to other works of literature throughout the novel, and how she withheld details about Helen that kept the reader guessing.
#TheLearningCurve #NetGalley
This was a fun read about three women's relationships with a crappy man.
I enjoyed Berman's references to other works of literature throughout the novel, and how she withheld details about Helen that kept the reader guessing.
#TheLearningCurve #NetGalley
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