Intermezzo Review

Friday 29th of August, 2025

Category: book-reviews

Tags: dnf

I must preface this by saying just because I do not like this book, doesn't mean other people can't love it. Okay, let's carry on.

This book is basically smut and I'm only 6 chapters in. I'm not going to finish it because if the rest of the book is anything like what already a third of the book is about - lusting after women and sex scenes - then I'm happy to DNF it.

This book contains absolutely nothing of substance. I feel like Sally Rooney was meant to explore the concept of grief and the different ways in which the brothers cope with the loss of their father, but it felt as though it was chapter after chapter of trivial conversations about relationships and who screwed whom when and, 'I'm shy I don't talk to a lot of girls', or 'I'm Peter and I'm too handsome and rich, poor me.' I understand that some people don't cope well with loss at all and instead of reaching out for support they spiral into themselves and drown in their vices. The brothers are fine. They are sad sometimes but most of the time they just want to kiss someone and have sex because they don't really speak to each other anyway so why the rush in meeting up. They weren't written in a way that makes the reader sympathise with them.

This book gave me the same vibe as Verity by Colleen Hoover, which I also did not love, the difference being I actually finished that book, reluctantly thanks to my stubbornness. I have now learned that I do not have to finish books if I don't like it. Who knew.

Also, on a more general note, I don't think a book needs to have dick-sucking reviews plastered all over the cover if it was actually a good book. I believe that any good piece of writing speaks for itself, not eight different newspapers trying to convince people that the book is 'perfect', 'a marvel', 'sublime', amongst other claims. One that irked me the most was one from the Sunday Times claiming that this was Rooney's 'most mature and moving book'.... Yeah, right.