by Casey McQuiston
4.4 · 5 reviewsFor cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through…
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker.
5 reviews
Different flavour — messier, sadder, more grounded despite the time travel. I preferred it.
A punk lesbian from the 70s stuck on a train — what a character. The historical detail about queer New York is clearly a labour of love.
The magic mechanics get repetitive in the middle third and I found August's mystery subplot less interesting than the book did. The ending won me back.
The roommates, the diner, the drag show fundraiser — this is a book about queer community as much as romance. I finished it feeling genuinely hopeful.
McQuiston takes an absolutely absurd premise and makes it ache. August and Jane's whole relationship happens on a subway car and it's more romantic than most books manage with the entire world available.