RaveLos Angeles Review of BooksWickedly liberating ... I was positively charmed by Theo; he had me feeling coy, like how I imagine Emily Henry’s novels make hearts palpitate ... Gross’s strength lies in leaning in; she understands that sex is murky and messy, strange and shameful ... [Olive\'s] delusions are entertaining, with the sickly twist of being somewhat agreeable ... It’s refreshing how easily the novel marries sex and disgust ...
Thank god for Jessica Gross and her strange, unforgettable women. Open Wide is as disgusting as it is sexy, as nauseating as it is arousing.
MixedPopMattersIt’s fine for a character with means to be a little low-energy, but he veers close to bland ... At its most gripping, Great Black Hope investigates these ideas head-on rather than gesturing at them ... Franklin is certainly a beautiful stylist, but often his sentences feel like they’re trying very hard to make you think so ... The momentum Great Black Hope starts with, the idea that Smith is usually protected because of his family, but not because of his race, and the far-reaching corners of addiction, all but fizzles out in its last few pages.
