My First Book Review: "Beautiful World, Where Are You"

Sally Rooney is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In my first-ever book review, I tell you why!

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I have been waiting to have read a book good enough to warrant my first go at a book review. I am happy to say that this month I have found it. While I am still learning the ins and outs of what constitutes a well-written review, here is my first try!

Beautiful World, Where Are You follows the intertwined stories of four characters. There are the two long distance best friends and consequential main characters, Eileen and Alice, and their complicated love lives, which include two men by the name of Simon and Felix. Throughout, we follow along as Eileen and Alice grapple to find meaning in the complex world of life, through their work, relationships, travel, and more. It is a relatable story, filled with flaws and mistakes but also beauty and excitement. 

Alice and Eileen became best friends during college and have been inseparable since. Eileen spends her days as a copy editor at a magazine, meanwhile Alice has made quite a fortune writing novels. After a mental breakdown that landed her in the hospital, Alice decides to settle into the countryside of a town she’s never known. Seeking solace through fresh faces, she meets Felix on a dating app, sparking a casual-then-meaningful courtship. 

Meanwhile, still in Dublin and coming out of a long-term relationship, Eileen decides to seek the comfort of her childhood friend and crush, Simon. Simon, a few years older, began to help Eileen’s father’s farm over the summer months when they were children, leading to young Eileen’s developing infatuation. As they grew together, a budding relationship loomed overhead, but had never been established...yet.

Sally Rooney is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. I read Normal People and subsequently fought off tears. She came back with Beautiful World, Where Are You, an equally unique and wonderful story that is sure to leave you with an indescribable feeling. 

One of the iconic trademarks that separates Rooney from the rest of New York Times Best Sellers List is her omission of quotation marks in her works…or, really, many forms of punctuation, for that matter. It surely is an adjustment to make, and not one that I found easy during Normal People, but once it is made it is worth it for the work that follows. 

Through a series of letters sent as emails, Eileen and Alice share their most philosophical thoughts and deepest secrets related to the world they live in. I would argue that there isn’t necessarily a particular plot that makes this story engaging, but rather, the idea that the story itself reflects life - good things happen, bad things happen, people laugh, people fight, so on and so forth. For a sentimentalist like myself, this is exactly why Rooney’s books make me swoon. It is Rooney’s effortless perfection in capturing the little, relatable things that makes life matter that is unforgettable to me, and it is why I will continue to pick up her books as they release. There is a simultaneous allure, delicacy, melancholy and sadness depicted through her character’s relations with others - from the complicated significance behind the avoidance of Simon and Eileen actually beginning a relationship with one another to Felix’s inexplicable “hatred” for Alice as she attempts to adjust back to societal norms. It is no secret that I find life depicted this way to be phenomenal, as my graduation speech spoke much of the importance of these moments, indicating why I find Sally Rooney’s work to be equally charming. 

I assure you that the book is not boring, even if the plot could be perceived as a bit bland. I found myself particularly encapsulated by the relationship between Simon and Eileen, vigorously rooting for its prosperity, meanwhile absolutely hating Felix and his insolence towards Alice (sorry if you like Felix, but as time went on I hated the idea of him hurting Alice any further - that girl needs some peace and quiet).

In an attempt to not spoil this amazing read, I will leave it here. I highly recommend this book, along with all of Rooney’s. I have yet to read Conversations With Friends, but for now I find it safe to say that this is Rooney’s best book yet - full of laughter, tears, love and sex, it sure is a page-turner after all.