Morgan Brown's Reviews > Read Bottom Up

I usually hate stories that are written entirely in letters/emails/texts (with the exception of the charming Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). But I loved this!

This is one of the only letter-style books I’ve read where the letters (in this case emails and texts) actually sound realistic, like the way a real person would talk (albeit they did use proper spelling and punctuation, so… half realistic?).

There’s only so many stars you can give something like this (and maybe 4 is a stretch) because the narrative form itself limits character development, completely removes setting and description, and makes even minor details like a person’s occupation or appearance turn into an awkward expository detail shoved into conversation. There’s also the dated element of email, assumingly used for formatting reasons… who emails their friends instead of texting them, let alone with their WORK EMAIL?

That being said, I found the banter charming and the storyline cute and actually realistic — there’s no perfect fairytale rom com protagonist here. Also, can I just say… screw the Bechdel test (which this would not have passed) — women confiding in each other about how much men suck is REALISM (just as much as men complaining to each other about how women are confusing)!