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Blob: A Love Story
A hilarious and moving debut novel about a young woman who decides to turn a sentient blob into her perfect boyfriend...
The daughter of a Taiwanese father and white mother, Vi Liu has never quite fit into her Midwestern college town. Now at twenty-three, after getting dumped and dropping out of college, Vi works as a front desk attendant at a hotel where she refills cucumber water samovars and fends off overtures of friendship from her bubbly blond coworker, Rachel. But when Vi decides to accompany Rachel to a local drag show, her life changes forever. In the alley outside the bar, next to a trash can, is a blob with beady black eyes. Unable to leave it behind, Vi picks up the creature and, in a moment of drunken desperation, takes it home with her.
As her pet blob becomes sentient, Vi realizes it obeys her commands and she decides to mold the blob into her ideal partner. She feeds it sugary cereal and a stream of pop culture, and soon the creature transforms into a movie-star handsome white man. But as Vi's desire to be loved unconditionally threatens to spiral out of control, she is forced to confront her lonely childhood, the ex-boyfriend who has unfriended her, and the racial marginalization that has defined her relationships. Ultimately, Vi embarks on a journey of self-discovery and learns that it's impossible to control those you love.
The daughter of a Taiwanese father and white mother, Vi Liu has never quite fit into her Midwestern college town. Now at twenty-three, after getting dumped and dropping out of college, Vi works as a front desk attendant at a hotel where she refills cucumber water samovars and fends off overtures of friendship from her bubbly blond coworker, Rachel. But when Vi decides to accompany Rachel to a local drag show, her life changes forever. In the alley outside the bar, next to a trash can, is a blob with beady black eyes. Unable to leave it behind, Vi picks up the creature and, in a moment of drunken desperation, takes it home with her.
As her pet blob becomes sentient, Vi realizes it obeys her commands and she decides to mold the blob into her ideal partner. She feeds it sugary cereal and a stream of pop culture, and soon the creature transforms into a movie-star handsome white man. But as Vi's desire to be loved unconditionally threatens to spiral out of control, she is forced to confront her lonely childhood, the ex-boyfriend who has unfriended her, and the racial marginalization that has defined her relationships. Ultimately, Vi embarks on a journey of self-discovery and learns that it's impossible to control those you love.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2025
656 people are currently reading
29664 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Su
2 books93 followersMaggie Su is a writer and editor. She received a PhD in fiction from University of Cincinnati and an MFA from Indiana University. Her work has appeared in New England Review, Four Way Review, TriQuarterly Review, Puerto del Sol, Juked, DIAGRAM, and elsewhere. She currently lives in South Bend, Indiana with her partner, cat, and turtle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,320 reviews
December 1, 2024
what a BORE. if i'm promised blob i want blob and i want it to be exceptionally weird. the strangest part of this novel was how normal everything ended up being and how little a role the blob actually played. anytime the story seemed to take an unexpected turn the author took twenty steps back. with an underdeveloped narrative, every flashback a reminder of how the one-note, shitty protagonist was seemingly always shitty, and mediocre writing with lines such as "i'm wearing pink underwear that says "thursday" on the butt, even though it's monday," what is there to enjoy? thankfully the page count is low.
April 14, 2025
babe you don’t want that blob boy you want a body pillow
January 29, 2025
I’m baffled by the 5 star reviews. This book is BORING and underdeveloped. Nothing is fleshed out. I feel like so much more could’ve been done with this premise. The characters and whatever the author is trying to “say” all feel so shallow.
The titular blob was the perfect vehicle for discussing what it is to be human but the conversation feels very surface level. There are multiple times it seems like the author will have SOMETHING interesting to say about race and identity but never really digs in to uncomfortable topics.
People who call this story “weird” wouldn’t know weird if it hit them with a car. The only blessing was that it was short. This concept needed 200 more pages, but I wouldn’t trust this author to know what do with them.
The titular blob was the perfect vehicle for discussing what it is to be human but the conversation feels very surface level. There are multiple times it seems like the author will have SOMETHING interesting to say about race and identity but never really digs in to uncomfortable topics.
People who call this story “weird” wouldn’t know weird if it hit them with a car. The only blessing was that it was short. This concept needed 200 more pages, but I wouldn’t trust this author to know what do with them.
February 6, 2025
When I saw that this book was blurbed “in the vein of ‘Bunny’ and ‘Convenience Store Woman,’” I immediately, without a second thought, pre-ordered it. Both of those titles are some of my favorite books, and this sounded extremely up my alley. Unfortunately, I feel as though I’ve fallen for a misleading marketing tactic.
This one disappointed me. It wasn’t written well and the story felt incongruent to the characters. I found a couple of syntax errors near the beginning which immediately left a bad taste in my mouth and, as I crossed the 50 page mark, I kept having to refer back to the cover and blurb to make sure I hadn’t bought the wrong book.
It’s worth noting that this book feels young adult, not adult, despite its retail label. It is young adult in writing, tone, and content, and the only adult part of it is really the age of our main character, Vi, who is in her early twenties and, therefore, dealing with early twenties issues, but it is all laid out and conveyed in a juvenile manner. (YA is phenomenal, but because this is marketed so differently it feels unexpected.)
Vi is the female version of Goob from Disney’s “Meet the Robinsons.” If you know you know. She’s a “boo-hoo me” character who treats everyone around her terribly with no tangible reasons behind her actions, while everyone around her is treating her perfectly normal. God knows I love unlikable main characters, but Vi is so two-dimensional that she’s just unlikable, that’s about it, and when her attempted redemption occurs in the end, it doesn’t feel like it’s paying off but rather materializing artificially.
The book has this air of “aiming to be lit-fic but halting at fic, with a prose that relies on balancing between action (filled with “as I did this,” “as he moved there”) and flashbacks that feel out of place until the author forces its connection into the current narrative. Sometimes we switch back and forth between being in a present-time scene and being in a flashback, all within the same, tightly-contained moment. We are given too much freedom, for the story lacks a clear angle that is congruent. It doesn't matter if the blob has no explanation, but because we move so aimlessly, it's inevitable to wonder what this blob even is; if the story squeezed its purpose through a funnel, there wouldn't be space to wonder, but alas.
It also feels like a very long short story. Random little characters are introduced near the climax of the story wholly to add tension, due to the story’s lack of clarity. Bob as a character has the potential to be very fascinating and, instead, comes off as under-explored and, quite frankly, boring. Vi’s family is written out to be intolerant of Vi yet they’re all just really nice and normal, including Alex, so Vi’s actions come off as unnecessarily harsh.
Every character acts in aid of the story, as opposed to individually. They all say things that will inevitably affect Vi, they all act around Vi, they all move according to Vi, and this all inevitably yet artificially pushes the story forward. Vi’s actions aren’t prompted by her character, but rather by the author’s attempt to push the plot forward and make it more “chaotic” by creating unnatural tension. The tale is a muddle of "and then this happened, and then this happened, then this..." without any intention, it is leading to nowhere. Nothing near the end makes sense narratively, and the final scene feels like a comedy skit with no payoff.
This one disappointed me. It wasn’t written well and the story felt incongruent to the characters. I found a couple of syntax errors near the beginning which immediately left a bad taste in my mouth and, as I crossed the 50 page mark, I kept having to refer back to the cover and blurb to make sure I hadn’t bought the wrong book.
It’s worth noting that this book feels young adult, not adult, despite its retail label. It is young adult in writing, tone, and content, and the only adult part of it is really the age of our main character, Vi, who is in her early twenties and, therefore, dealing with early twenties issues, but it is all laid out and conveyed in a juvenile manner. (YA is phenomenal, but because this is marketed so differently it feels unexpected.)
Vi is the female version of Goob from Disney’s “Meet the Robinsons.” If you know you know. She’s a “boo-hoo me” character who treats everyone around her terribly with no tangible reasons behind her actions, while everyone around her is treating her perfectly normal. God knows I love unlikable main characters, but Vi is so two-dimensional that she’s just unlikable, that’s about it, and when her attempted redemption occurs in the end, it doesn’t feel like it’s paying off but rather materializing artificially.
The book has this air of “aiming to be lit-fic but halting at fic, with a prose that relies on balancing between action (filled with “as I did this,” “as he moved there”) and flashbacks that feel out of place until the author forces its connection into the current narrative. Sometimes we switch back and forth between being in a present-time scene and being in a flashback, all within the same, tightly-contained moment. We are given too much freedom, for the story lacks a clear angle that is congruent. It doesn't matter if the blob has no explanation, but because we move so aimlessly, it's inevitable to wonder what this blob even is; if the story squeezed its purpose through a funnel, there wouldn't be space to wonder, but alas.
It also feels like a very long short story. Random little characters are introduced near the climax of the story wholly to add tension, due to the story’s lack of clarity. Bob as a character has the potential to be very fascinating and, instead, comes off as under-explored and, quite frankly, boring. Vi’s family is written out to be intolerant of Vi yet they’re all just really nice and normal, including Alex, so Vi’s actions come off as unnecessarily harsh.
Every character acts in aid of the story, as opposed to individually. They all say things that will inevitably affect Vi, they all act around Vi, they all move according to Vi, and this all inevitably yet artificially pushes the story forward. Vi’s actions aren’t prompted by her character, but rather by the author’s attempt to push the plot forward and make it more “chaotic” by creating unnatural tension. The tale is a muddle of "and then this happened, and then this happened, then this..." without any intention, it is leading to nowhere. Nothing near the end makes sense narratively, and the final scene feels like a comedy skit with no payoff.
February 20, 2025
Vi, our 24-year-old Taiwanese American narrator, is your average girl in a Midwestern town, wasting away at her day job as front desk staff of the Hillside Inn. She’s a townie, born and raised in the same town she went to college in, never making it very far down the road. She’s a bit nerdy, a bit dysfunctional, lacks the charm of her charismatic co-worker, and has never really “fit in”. In the aftermath of a harsh break-up, Vi wanders out of a nightclub, finds the titular sentient blob, and takes it home for nurturing as it grows in to her ideal man.
I originally looked over this book because I wasn’t interested in what I thought would be some weird fantasy romance thing—I won’t yuck anyone’s yum but that’s not for me—but after being gifted this book because of what, I am assuming, is my interest in the weird and unusual, I gave it a go and I am so glad that I did.
Written with sharp wit, easy-going hilarity, and remarkably clever prose, Blob explores themes of love, loneliness, belonging, and identity; a debut that is sure to dazzle readers. I am genuinely surprised at how much I loved a book that I wasn’t planning on reading in the first place; how easily the story flowed from one page to the next and how caught up I was in this strange but moving tale. Blob is a unique look at family dynamics, how we often sabotage our own lives, and the unrelenting pursuit of fitting in. I can’t wait for more from Su.
Thank you Harper Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available Jan. 28 2025
I originally looked over this book because I wasn’t interested in what I thought would be some weird fantasy romance thing—I won’t yuck anyone’s yum but that’s not for me—but after being gifted this book because of what, I am assuming, is my interest in the weird and unusual, I gave it a go and I am so glad that I did.
Written with sharp wit, easy-going hilarity, and remarkably clever prose, Blob explores themes of love, loneliness, belonging, and identity; a debut that is sure to dazzle readers. I am genuinely surprised at how much I loved a book that I wasn’t planning on reading in the first place; how easily the story flowed from one page to the next and how caught up I was in this strange but moving tale. Blob is a unique look at family dynamics, how we often sabotage our own lives, and the unrelenting pursuit of fitting in. I can’t wait for more from Su.
Thank you Harper Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available Jan. 28 2025
March 27, 2025
There’s no reason why I’m not screaming. I consider what it might look like, for a moment. I could run out of my apartment barefoot, find a kind-looking (handsome?) stranger on the street and beg for their help. But the truth is, I'm not the naked girl. I’m Dr. Frankenstein—this is my creation.--------------------------------------
“You’re real,” I whisper, but I don’t know if I’m trying to convince him or me.
You know what the good doctor is proclaiming here - Image from Frankenstein (1931) found on HaraldJohnson.com
Before she can even scream It’s Alive!” Violet Liu has adopted the nearly featureless, smooth-feeling, dinner-plate-size mass that turns up near the trash behind a bar (stuck in, among the zinnias?).
Audrey II - Image from Little Shop of Horrors Wik
In The Rocky Horror Show, Doctor Frank N Furter informs Brad and Janet that he’s been making a man, with blonde hair and a tan, and he’s good for relieving my.……tension. Vi, most likely working with far less raw material, has just joined the man-maker society.
Rocky - Image from the Rocky Horror Wiki
Failure is a heavy weight here. Violet, in her twenties, dropped out of college in her senior year, having learned that her expected career in biochemistry was a lab experiment gone bad. (I can relate, having begun my college career expecting to become an aeronautical engineer, only to crash and burn, finding that my scientific skills were less than imagined, and that my favorite class was comparative literature.) She is not exactly killing it in her hotel receptionist job, and is still recovering from having been dumped by her boyfriend. (She could do better) She tends to solitude, lives in a below-ground apartment that is subject to flooding, and is generally foundering at life. She feels unlovable, and is really not the nicest person.
Maggie Su - image from HarperCollins - shot by Andrew Evans
But what if you had the ability to Build-a-Bob? Make a companion that suited your bespoke desires? Tempting, no? Change takes effort. But what if we could stay as we are and offload the effort of growing to a bit of star jelly?
Transformations abound in Blob. While her new roomie may go through considerable physical changes, it is the emotional, maturational developments, Violet’s and others, on which the story rests. People can change, well, some of them. There are plenty who never will. You know who you are. In time, the most we can hope for those is that they will reveal their true selves before it is too late, or that they are somehow wonderful, and that their remaining unchanging is actually ok.
The star of the 1958 film – or some Thanksgiving cranberry sauce that made good it’s escape - Image from The Movie Buff
Vi faces a series of challenges. Figuring out how to mold her new pal, struggling with being honest with her family, looking at her recently dead relationship with some clarity, looking at herself with some honesty, aspiring to forgive herself, and trying to open up a bit, allowing herself to be vulnerable, receptive to possibility outside the known. Secondary characters see some lights as well, so Vi is not on her journey alone, but this tale is really all about Vi. Even Bob must find his own way.
There is a lot of humor around Bob’s diet, and viewing habits. TV references abound. GIGO is definitely a laugh-out-loud sub-text. Vi is, like the author, comprised of Chinese and Midwest American DNA. Su captures elements of this experience as well as offering a look at what it is for some to be twenty-something and struggling.
Suspension of disbelief is not a heavy lift here, as the conceit of the novel is so blatantly metaphorical. There is cognizance of our human inclination to mold those around us to fit our needs, to the detriment of those people we would sculpt. But there are elements of the narrative that do beggar belief. Let ‘em slide.
Molding a blob into a man may be doable. The reverse certainly happens. But the charm of Blob is showing, with insight, humor and charm, a few steps in the journey of a woman becoming more fully human.
I think we’re all kind of blobs in a way. - from the Debutiful interview
Review posted - 03/21/25
Publication date – 01/28/25
I received an ARE of Blob from Harper in return for a fair review. Thanks, wife.
This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Maggie Su’s Instagram page
Profile – from BookBrowse
Maggie Su is a writer and editor. She received a PhD in fiction from University of Cincinnati and an MFA from Indiana University. Her work has appeared in New England Review, Four Way Review, TriQuarterly Review, Puerto del Sol, Juked, DIAGRAM, and elsewhere. She currently lives in South Bend, Indiana, with her partner, cat, and turtle.Interviews
-----Writers Digest - Maggie Su: I Imagine This Book as a Love Letter to My Younger Self by Robert Lee Brewer
-----Interview Magazine - A Woman and a Blob Walk Into a Bar.
Author Maggie Su Can Tell You the Rest. By Michael Colbert
-----Debutiful - THEY START AS THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS: HOW MAGGIE SU’S CHARACTERS BECAME PEOPLE IN BLOB: A LOVE STORY
Songs/Music
-----The Blob - song from the film – by Burt Bacharach, yes really
-----Hey, Paula - Paul and Paula - referenced in chapter 5
-----I’m I Love With Your Body - Ed Sheeran – referenced in chapter 16
-----American Pie - Don McLean - referenced in chapter 22
Items of Interest
-----TCM - BLOB, THE (1958) - (MOVIE CLIP) BEFORE IT GETS ANY BIGGER!
-----Wikipedia - On the 1958 film
-----Wikipedia - Star Jelly - actual material that may have inspired the film
January 11, 2025
On the face if it Blob is an extremely strange book about Vi, who, on a drunken night out, discovers a strange blob-like creature outside a nightclub. She's no idea what it is but decides to take pity on it and take it home.
I'm begging you now to completely suspend your disbelief over the eponymous character in this book (I assume it's a metaphor but I was never very good at working out what for so I'll leave that up to you to decide). This is actually a book about the way we often sabotage our own lives.
Vi is an incredibly anti-social but needy young woman. She lies to keep her parents off her back, she doesn't care about her work and shows no interest in the lives of others other than how they affect her. She could be really unlikeable but she just comes off as vulnerable.
The story is definitely strange as Vi nurtures the Blob (Bob) and begins to see a different future for herself rather than the hopeless loser she thinks other people see her as. As her life begins to change Vi thinks she will finally get what she wants. But she may well be missing the most important thing - self-love.
I found it difficult to like Vi but that's probably because so many of her traits reminded me of myself when I was young. The writing is great and I found it difficult to put this book down. Once you've forgotten about the strange situation Vi finds herself in then the story becomes all about her struggle to negotiate a world she doesn't feel she fits into.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended. As this is her debut novel I hope to see much more from Maggie Su in the future.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder &Stoughton for the advance review copy.
I'm begging you now to completely suspend your disbelief over the eponymous character in this book (I assume it's a metaphor but I was never very good at working out what for so I'll leave that up to you to decide). This is actually a book about the way we often sabotage our own lives.
Vi is an incredibly anti-social but needy young woman. She lies to keep her parents off her back, she doesn't care about her work and shows no interest in the lives of others other than how they affect her. She could be really unlikeable but she just comes off as vulnerable.
The story is definitely strange as Vi nurtures the Blob (Bob) and begins to see a different future for herself rather than the hopeless loser she thinks other people see her as. As her life begins to change Vi thinks she will finally get what she wants. But she may well be missing the most important thing - self-love.
I found it difficult to like Vi but that's probably because so many of her traits reminded me of myself when I was young. The writing is great and I found it difficult to put this book down. Once you've forgotten about the strange situation Vi finds herself in then the story becomes all about her struggle to negotiate a world she doesn't feel she fits into.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended. As this is her debut novel I hope to see much more from Maggie Su in the future.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder &Stoughton for the advance review copy.
March 21, 2025
The monster x girl premise in Blob feels more like a gimmick—a poorly employed trope disguising yet another story about an unlikeable-yet-likeable 20-something woman: messy, sad, a bit of a loser, and unable (or unwilling) to navigate adulthood. Despite its whimsical concept (which reminded me of Your Monster, a flawed but quirky film) and praise from Kevin Wilson, the novel isn’t particularly funny or subversive. Instead, it reads like a watered-down entry in the she-is-not-feeling-good-at-all canon.
The protagonist, Vi, is a college dropout in her early twenties, recently dumped by her bland boyfriend, and mired in ennui. She works a front-desk job at a hotel, where she spends most of her days indulging in misanthropic thoughts or feeling indifferent to those around her. One night, she comes across a sentient blob-like creature, later named Bob. As Vi grapples with being overlooked by her family, feeling inferior to her seemingly more successful peers, and drifting through life in a haze of boredom and alienation, she discovers that she can mold Bob into her ideal boyfriend. Unfortunately, the novel never fully commits to the absurdity of this premise. Instead of delivering something fresh or darkly humorous, it presents us with a predictable arc: Vi hits rock bottom, and then—like magic—she learns how to live again.
Vi’s character development feels unearned and insincere. The novel consistently shows her being deeply flawed—selfish, insecure yet oddly superior, and largely indifferent to others’ feelings—but undermines this characterization by consistently framing her as a victim of other people’s mistreatment, making her unlikeable behavior or thoughts feel acceptable or justified. I found her not-like-other-straight-girls shtick icky, especially when she is ultimately just as insensitive as her frenemy (and the novel doesn’t really consider the real ramifications of her actions). Her character development feels rushed and unearned, as if the novel had suddenly switched tracks into a more conventional coming-of-age story.
Had the novel leaned further into its absurd elements or embraced a more whimsical tone, it might have felt more entertaining or cohesive (predictable and anodyne in comparison to the work of Ling Ma, Helen Oyeyemi, Sabina Murray, Jean Kyoung Frazier, Kevin Wilson). Instead, it defaults to a familiar narrative: a disaffected young woman finds love and, in turn, becomes a better person. Blob had the potential to be something refreshingly different, but ultimately, it lacks the wit or fevered intensity that could have made it into a more memorable and/or unique read.
The protagonist, Vi, is a college dropout in her early twenties, recently dumped by her bland boyfriend, and mired in ennui. She works a front-desk job at a hotel, where she spends most of her days indulging in misanthropic thoughts or feeling indifferent to those around her. One night, she comes across a sentient blob-like creature, later named Bob. As Vi grapples with being overlooked by her family, feeling inferior to her seemingly more successful peers, and drifting through life in a haze of boredom and alienation, she discovers that she can mold Bob into her ideal boyfriend. Unfortunately, the novel never fully commits to the absurdity of this premise. Instead of delivering something fresh or darkly humorous, it presents us with a predictable arc: Vi hits rock bottom, and then—like magic—she learns how to live again.
Vi’s character development feels unearned and insincere. The novel consistently shows her being deeply flawed—selfish, insecure yet oddly superior, and largely indifferent to others’ feelings—but undermines this characterization by consistently framing her as a victim of other people’s mistreatment, making her unlikeable behavior or thoughts feel acceptable or justified. I found her not-like-other-straight-girls shtick icky, especially when she is ultimately just as insensitive as her frenemy (and the novel doesn’t really consider the real ramifications of her actions). Her character development feels rushed and unearned, as if the novel had suddenly switched tracks into a more conventional coming-of-age story.
Had the novel leaned further into its absurd elements or embraced a more whimsical tone, it might have felt more entertaining or cohesive (predictable and anodyne in comparison to the work of Ling Ma, Helen Oyeyemi, Sabina Murray, Jean Kyoung Frazier, Kevin Wilson). Instead, it defaults to a familiar narrative: a disaffected young woman finds love and, in turn, becomes a better person. Blob had the potential to be something refreshingly different, but ultimately, it lacks the wit or fevered intensity that could have made it into a more memorable and/or unique read.
May 24, 2025
I’m not gonna lie…I’m slightly underwhelmed and a little disappointed. The front cover says “a love story” and there is no romance or love story between Vi and her blob man like I had expected.
The love truly explored and developed is between Vi and herself- which was a much messier and complex journey.
Vi finding a mystery blob that she molds into the perfect man is not the plot, but is the vehicle that pushes Vi to find purpose and investigate what she truly desires for herself.
This book was much darker and heavier than expected as we witness these intense depressive episodes of a young woman lost in her life and as much as I enjoyed it, I feel that there are elements that are still underdeveloped- specifically with Vi’s relationship to race and her identity. We get bits and pieces and those pieces have the potential for something much richer.
CW: depression and depressive episodes, toxic romantic relationships, homophobic family
The love truly explored and developed is between Vi and herself- which was a much messier and complex journey.
Vi finding a mystery blob that she molds into the perfect man is not the plot, but is the vehicle that pushes Vi to find purpose and investigate what she truly desires for herself.
This book was much darker and heavier than expected as we witness these intense depressive episodes of a young woman lost in her life and as much as I enjoyed it, I feel that there are elements that are still underdeveloped- specifically with Vi’s relationship to race and her identity. We get bits and pieces and those pieces have the potential for something much richer.
CW: depression and depressive episodes, toxic romantic relationships, homophobic family
December 14, 2024
This book was SO WEIRD and that’s exactly what I wanted from it. The premise is simple, and it’s one of those that I wish I had come up with: a woman finds a puddle of slime in the alley behind a bar, takes it home, and nurtures it as it gradually morphs into a person.
As you can probably predict, author Maggie Su has a sense of humor. This is not a cutesy story or a spicy one, though, so don’t go in expecting a monster romance or anything like that. What you’ll get is more of a character study on the part of the narrator, Vi, and plenty of information about her backstory and motivation. (It can get sad and it can get dark, but I found parts of it relatable as well. Especially VI’s cold indifference to her customer service job.)
The thing is, Vi is not very likable. She’s kind of funny sometimes, and she’s been through some tough things, but she’s also really abrasive and kind of a jerk in general. There’s a scene about 75% in that flat out made me sick of her. If I knew Vi in real life, I would ignore her texts. But “Blob” was a very entertaining read despite or maybe even because of this, and thanks to the bizarre premise. As the blob develops more into a human man, the story only gets better. I was amused, frustrated and invested. And I’ll absolutely read whatever Maggie Su writes next!
And no spoilers, but I love the fact that things were not spelled out for us. Not all questions need to be answered in a book like this!
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Mention of Animal harm/death, Racism/Hate speech, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Alcohol abuse, Depression
As you can probably predict, author Maggie Su has a sense of humor. This is not a cutesy story or a spicy one, though, so don’t go in expecting a monster romance or anything like that. What you’ll get is more of a character study on the part of the narrator, Vi, and plenty of information about her backstory and motivation. (It can get sad and it can get dark, but I found parts of it relatable as well. Especially VI’s cold indifference to her customer service job.)
The thing is, Vi is not very likable. She’s kind of funny sometimes, and she’s been through some tough things, but she’s also really abrasive and kind of a jerk in general. There’s a scene about 75% in that flat out made me sick of her. If I knew Vi in real life, I would ignore her texts. But “Blob” was a very entertaining read despite or maybe even because of this, and thanks to the bizarre premise. As the blob develops more into a human man, the story only gets better. I was amused, frustrated and invested. And I’ll absolutely read whatever Maggie Su writes next!
And no spoilers, but I love the fact that things were not spelled out for us. Not all questions need to be answered in a book like this!
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Mention of Animal harm/death, Racism/Hate speech, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Alcohol abuse, Depression
June 26, 2025
At 23, Vi’s life is a bit of a mess. She’s a college dropout, still reeling from a recent breakup, and working a lame front-desk job at a mediocre hotel. But one night as she’s heading into a bar to watch a drag show, she sees a mysterious creature cowering beside a dumpster. She’s not sure what it is; her best guess is some sort of blob fish (I highly recommend Googling these to get the vibe!). Drunk and feeling sorry for the pitiful creature, she takes it home. As she tends to the weird little blob, she starts to care about it. And then it starts growing…and morphing into something else entirely…
I loved this charming little book, and my only regret is waiting so long to read it. Vi is a compelling antihero who I couldn’t resist caring about even at her most self-destructive. Her judgements of the people around her are sharply incisive. If she were real, I would totally want to be her friend.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny (literally, I read it on the train and kept disturbing everyone with my giggling) with a snarky sensibility, but also a lot of heart. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!
I loved this charming little book, and my only regret is waiting so long to read it. Vi is a compelling antihero who I couldn’t resist caring about even at her most self-destructive. Her judgements of the people around her are sharply incisive. If she were real, I would totally want to be her friend.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny (literally, I read it on the train and kept disturbing everyone with my giggling) with a snarky sensibility, but also a lot of heart. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!
January 30, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
A messy depressed girl meets an alien and kind of learns basic human decency? Skippable.
Pre-reading:
Cover porn.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Dude, I don’t think they let you into college without knowing what mitochondria do.
Rachel seems genuinely nice. I hope the book doesn't ruin that just because she's pretty.
They're both being mean to Rachel.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Do not fuck the blob. (We are safe.)
It’s reminding me of that The Eyes are the Best Part book.
Girl, stand up.
Incredible that I’m reading about yet another Violet this close together.
A little Annie Bot.
1500 a month is so cheap. Are you kidding? (Cries in Massachusetts.)
Karaoke is not the solution to depression.
This kinda read like every other book about a messy twenty-something with depression and doesn’t really have a resolution.
Like a 2.5 but solid enough to read, so probably a 3.
Post-reading:
Sometimes I finish a book and I’m like that was fine, but also this is so skippable.
Like if you’re picking this book up for messy girl fiction, you’ve already read better. If you’re picking this book up for campy alien smut, you won’t find that here. If you’re picking this book up for some humanistic epiphany, you’re gonna be left hanging.
Like it’s just…there. It’s a complete story, and it’s enjoyable enough to read, but it doesn’t do anything new and it doesn’t really have any big conclusions to reach.
The main character is distinctly unlikable with such a victim complex. The whole book you’re kind of just like grow up, honey. And she almost gets there, but she’s excused from a lot of her actions under the mental distress blanket.
The main character’s brother was so compelling, and he doesn’t get more than a few throwaway remarks. I wanted to hear so much more from him.
This book is more of a writers’ workshop thought experiment than an actual sci-fi novel. The alien and the mechanisms behind his growth are not examined at all. He’s more of a vehicle to drive the main character to change. It’s also not a love story. It’s another girlypop wrecks her life over a breakup and her parents continuously enable her shitshow.
I think there was a lot available for this book to comment on like the influence of media in the formation of toxic masculinity, consent, autonomy, power dynamics, like the list goes on and on, and it just does nothing with any of it. It’s also such an absurd concept and yet never capitalizes on that. This should be campy. It should have that sharp edge of satire to it. It doesn’t.
It’s a fun concept but the execution is not there. You won’t be missing out on anything if you leave this on the shelf.
Who should read this:
Messy girl fiction fans
Camp fans (but this book isn’t really camp)
Mixed family rep
Ideal reading time:
Right before spring semester if you need a kick in the pants
Do I want to reread this:
Nope.
Would I buy this:
Nope.
Similar books:
* Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler-lit fic character study, mental health
* Monstrilio by Gerardo Samson Cordova-magical realism horror, grief commentary, and like it’s a very different book but it’s also about whether a blob can be considered a real person
* The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim-revenge thriller, horror, racial commentary
* Annie Bot by Sierra Greer-dystopian sci-fi, social commentary
* She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark-short story collection with some campy alien ones
* The Fetishist by Katherine Min-lit fic character study, racial fetishization commentary
* Big Swiss by Jen Beagin-lit fic character study, messy girl fiction, queer romance
* Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter-much darker lit fic, character study, social commentary satire, mental health
* Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan-lit fic character study, angry sad girl book
* Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe-lit fic, character study, family drama, messy girl fiction
A messy depressed girl meets an alien and kind of learns basic human decency? Skippable.
Pre-reading:
Cover porn.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Dude, I don’t think they let you into college without knowing what mitochondria do.
Rachel seems genuinely nice. I hope the book doesn't ruin that just because she's pretty.
They're both being mean to Rachel.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Do not fuck the blob. (We are safe.)
It’s reminding me of that The Eyes are the Best Part book.
Girl, stand up.
Incredible that I’m reading about yet another Violet this close together.
A little Annie Bot.
1500 a month is so cheap. Are you kidding? (Cries in Massachusetts.)
Karaoke is not the solution to depression.
This kinda read like every other book about a messy twenty-something with depression and doesn’t really have a resolution.
Like a 2.5 but solid enough to read, so probably a 3.
Post-reading:
Sometimes I finish a book and I’m like that was fine, but also this is so skippable.
Like if you’re picking this book up for messy girl fiction, you’ve already read better. If you’re picking this book up for campy alien smut, you won’t find that here. If you’re picking this book up for some humanistic epiphany, you’re gonna be left hanging.
Like it’s just…there. It’s a complete story, and it’s enjoyable enough to read, but it doesn’t do anything new and it doesn’t really have any big conclusions to reach.
The main character is distinctly unlikable with such a victim complex. The whole book you’re kind of just like grow up, honey. And she almost gets there, but she’s excused from a lot of her actions under the mental distress blanket.
The main character’s brother was so compelling, and he doesn’t get more than a few throwaway remarks. I wanted to hear so much more from him.
This book is more of a writers’ workshop thought experiment than an actual sci-fi novel. The alien and the mechanisms behind his growth are not examined at all. He’s more of a vehicle to drive the main character to change. It’s also not a love story. It’s another girlypop wrecks her life over a breakup and her parents continuously enable her shitshow.
I think there was a lot available for this book to comment on like the influence of media in the formation of toxic masculinity, consent, autonomy, power dynamics, like the list goes on and on, and it just does nothing with any of it. It’s also such an absurd concept and yet never capitalizes on that. This should be campy. It should have that sharp edge of satire to it. It doesn’t.
It’s a fun concept but the execution is not there. You won’t be missing out on anything if you leave this on the shelf.
Who should read this:
Messy girl fiction fans
Camp fans (but this book isn’t really camp)
Mixed family rep
Ideal reading time:
Right before spring semester if you need a kick in the pants
Do I want to reread this:
Nope.
Would I buy this:
Nope.
Similar books:
* Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler-lit fic character study, mental health
* Monstrilio by Gerardo Samson Cordova-magical realism horror, grief commentary, and like it’s a very different book but it’s also about whether a blob can be considered a real person
* The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim-revenge thriller, horror, racial commentary
* Annie Bot by Sierra Greer-dystopian sci-fi, social commentary
* She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark-short story collection with some campy alien ones
* The Fetishist by Katherine Min-lit fic character study, racial fetishization commentary
* Big Swiss by Jen Beagin-lit fic character study, messy girl fiction, queer romance
* Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter-much darker lit fic, character study, social commentary satire, mental health
* Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan-lit fic character study, angry sad girl book
* Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe-lit fic, character study, family drama, messy girl fiction
July 10, 2025
This is not a monster romance but monster romance definitely laid the foundation for this one. On its surface, BLOB is a work of surrealist fiction about a gen Z burnout who is struggling to figure out where she fits in, in a society that judges women harshly and Asian women more harshly still. When she finds a blob in a back alley she impulsively takes it home, and the blob becomes a sort of symbol for her own amorphous sense of self that she ends up projecting all of her insecurities on.
I liked this book a lot. It was literary and delightfully weird, featuring an "unlikable" heroine who was also painfully relatable. To me, it felt like a lot of her meanness was a projection of the misery she felt inside. Pushing against people and acting out to prove to herself that she wasn't invisible: that she still existed and was still seen. Her development throughout the book was masterfully done because so much of growing as an adult is identifying those parts of ourselves that are alien and ugly.
Maybe this book is actually about the "blob" inside of us all that doesn't know how to be human or loved.
4 stars
I liked this book a lot. It was literary and delightfully weird, featuring an "unlikable" heroine who was also painfully relatable. To me, it felt like a lot of her meanness was a projection of the misery she felt inside. Pushing against people and acting out to prove to herself that she wasn't invisible: that she still existed and was still seen. Her development throughout the book was masterfully done because so much of growing as an adult is identifying those parts of ourselves that are alien and ugly.
Maybe this book is actually about the "blob" inside of us all that doesn't know how to be human or loved.
4 stars
May 21, 2025
1.25 ⭐️
very very very very underwhelming. I thought this book will be ridiculous but it was worse it was boring as hell and nothing really happened. Ultimately this books is ab a woman who cannot get over her ex. And at the end she is like “wait!! It’s all only because I didn’t have a self-worse. now I have one!!” Happy end lol
None of the characters were written well. The writing is very simple.
The premise was promising, but in reality it was not used well in the book at all.
Pre-read:
Dating is so dead in our modern world that making a boyfriend out of a blob seems to be a good option.
very very very very underwhelming. I thought this book will be ridiculous but it was worse it was boring as hell and nothing really happened. Ultimately this books is ab a woman who cannot get over her ex. And at the end she is like “wait!! It’s all only because I didn’t have a self-worse. now I have one!!” Happy end lol
None of the characters were written well. The writing is very simple.
The premise was promising, but in reality it was not used well in the book at all.
Pre-read:
Dating is so dead in our modern world that making a boyfriend out of a blob seems to be a good option.
March 4, 2025
3.5/5! Good book with a fun concept. Reminded me a bit of Edward Scissorhands or maybe even the Pisces a little bit (but less messed up). Kinda wholesome!
April 4, 2025
i’m unsure how to feel as she definitely did not fuck the blob like i thought she was going to. this started out very strong, just my type of weird and awkward. but somehow the book stopped being about the blob which i thought was the whole point?? i still liked it, it was emotional with a lot of wack but realistic decision making, but not exactly what i thought it was gonna be
January 30, 2025
Thank you bunches to Maggie Su & Harper Perennial for my free copy of Blob!
I. Love. This. Book.
Finished it less than 24hrs from its delivery.
Maggie has woven several sobering themes into what still manages to feel like a light & LOL-funny read.
If you’re familiar with the idea of brain candy reads (S/O my friend Hannah for adding “brain candy” to my lexicon), I’ve dubbed this brain candy with substance. Consistent laughs, some absurdity, and zero lulls. Yet you never lose focus of the point Maggie is making. There’s obvious substance behind the humor, leaving nothing to meaninglessness.
I am 110% certain Blob is going to be huge, and Maggie deserves all the praise & then some. If you’re looking for a wholesome, sneakily profound and hilarious next read, here it is.
This doesn't deserve to be compared to Blob... But remember the Disney movie Life-Size, w Tyra Banks? Imagine that but 9727475 better, and with a bf instead of bff.
Edited to add: I finished this sucker in less than 24 hrs... That's almost impossible for me lately.
I. Love. This. Book.
Finished it less than 24hrs from its delivery.
Maggie has woven several sobering themes into what still manages to feel like a light & LOL-funny read.
If you’re familiar with the idea of brain candy reads (S/O my friend Hannah for adding “brain candy” to my lexicon), I’ve dubbed this brain candy with substance. Consistent laughs, some absurdity, and zero lulls. Yet you never lose focus of the point Maggie is making. There’s obvious substance behind the humor, leaving nothing to meaninglessness.
I am 110% certain Blob is going to be huge, and Maggie deserves all the praise & then some. If you’re looking for a wholesome, sneakily profound and hilarious next read, here it is.
This doesn't deserve to be compared to Blob... But remember the Disney movie Life-Size, w Tyra Banks? Imagine that but 9727475 better, and with a bf instead of bff.
Edited to add: I finished this sucker in less than 24 hrs... That's almost impossible for me lately.
September 1, 2025
Hate this one. Not ashamed to say that. Writing about gratuitous animal cruelty and abuse in the first few pages was gross and unnecessary. Then you give us the most unlikeable main character who is so nasty and self absorbed. Everything about this story was either boring or meant to ”shock” readers.
I think this book was written to be edgy but just flops.
I think this book was written to be edgy but just flops.
November 24, 2024
I see you "would you still love me if I was a worm?" girlies and I raise you "If I made you legs, would you leave me?" (Blob, pg 116)
I'm sure this is supposed to be a commentary on the human experience but Vi is so unlikeable I'm rooting for the blob to leave her for about half of the book.
I'm sure this is supposed to be a commentary on the human experience but Vi is so unlikeable I'm rooting for the blob to leave her for about half of the book.
April 26, 2025
This is a strange, funny, and unexpectedly tender book about trying to create the love you think you deserve. Vi’s journey is messy and full of bad choices, but it taps into something raw about loneliness and self-destruction. Even when the story feels chaotic, it’s impossible not to see yourself in some of her worst moments. It’s weird, it’s heartbreaking, and it lingers long after you finish.
Read
February 8, 2025heteropessimist girlies will try to date anything but a woman
March 12, 2025
Not enough Bob the Blob. Too much aimless character work. Will check out this author again, though!
May 28, 2025
Crazy and weird, 3.25 stars.
March 26, 2025
My goodness do so many books fall into the mismarketing trend. This is NOT a love story nor a romance. Anyway, mislabeling issues aside, I found this to be weirdly engaging. The plot of a blob that the main character can mold into her ideal boyfriend is an interesting one, and I kept wanting to see how the story would unfold. Unfortunately, there were several flashbacks and infodumps when the main character would start going on about past relationships. I feel those bits were very dull, and the entire concept of the blob and social commentary that could have been derived from it was wasted. So much untapped potential, and yet it still maintained my interest.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to anybody, because I don't think it stands out enough in any aspect, but for me it was an interesting experience and that is more than I can say for some books. 7/10
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to anybody, because I don't think it stands out enough in any aspect, but for me it was an interesting experience and that is more than I can say for some books. 7/10
February 2, 2025
No one is more sad than me.
I love nothing more than sad girl fic and weird books. Unfortunately BLOB is underdeveloped and lacking real exploration of its subject matter
Sad Girl Fic
I feel like there's such a fine line with sad girl fic. I need to find the character and their story compelling, and the conclusion satisfying. By nature the stories are a bit slow and mundane, because it's a character study of our sad girl - why she's depressed, why her life is frankly trash, and generally how that arch progresses.
Blob had an opportunity to take out some of that mundane-ness with you know... the blob. And it did at first. We get visuals of the blob existing half formed that I think were so fun. But boy was it wasted.
The most tragic part of Blob for me was if you removed the blob, I fully believe you could have had the same story. You could get Vi's same story arch with very few plot beat changes. All her interactions with Blob just made me like her less.
The blurb says "BLOB tells a witty, heartfelt story of what it means to be human." and it tackles that for literally 2 pages at the end.
The Characters
No one in this book is perfect. Everyone is kind of a flailing mess - which is the point, but as above, it's underdeveloped.
Vi: Just terrible. She honestly reminded me of Ji-won in The Eyes Are the Best Part but like, without any of the fun eyeball obsession and murderous tendencies that made her fun to follow. She's introverted, and socially awkward but we spend the whole book seeing flashback moments of her ruining friendships by being straight mean.
Bob: Underutilized, underdeveloped. He and the main character don't even really talk. And I think BLOB would have benefited from it spanning more time
Rachel: Vi's super pretty, super nice coworker. We do see her life isn't perfect and put together, in casual drops that I would have loved to explore deeper buuuut we don't. I wish her the best and I hope she finds happiness, she deserves better than the ending she got
The Rant
ALL THAT SAID
I could have given this book 3 stars. It was fine. Underdeveloped when it could have been excellent. It has good bones.
But I'm removing a star for 2 things
1. Can we stop having alcoholic characters where alcohol is never address as an issue? This happens in Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler too. Alcohol is being used as a crutch/numbing agent, all the time, and they're actively making terrible, life effecting decisions while drinking. But we never discuss it. It's something I've been noticing a lot with FMCs and the only person who has addressed it in a book so for is Talia Hibbert
2. I do want to preface this one by saying I am probably more sensitive to this than other people as I've struggled with ED in the past and actively curate my feeds to avoid diet talk and have surrounded myself in a very body positive sphere so I don't have much exposure. So when it sneaks its why so casually into a book this much I find it pretty noticeable.
Trust me, I know it's unfortunately normal to be preoccupied with body size. But the number of casual mentions of Vi's fat rolls (in a negative way) that were never challenged. The inclusion of Rachel's disordered eating - again not really challenged. Was reminiscent of fiction before the body positivity movement and I do not want to go back there. So CW/TW for disordered eating, fat shaming, fatphobia etc
There was one particular line that actually made me angry
I love nothing more than sad girl fic and weird books. Unfortunately BLOB is underdeveloped and lacking real exploration of its subject matter
Sad Girl Fic
I feel like there's such a fine line with sad girl fic. I need to find the character and their story compelling, and the conclusion satisfying. By nature the stories are a bit slow and mundane, because it's a character study of our sad girl - why she's depressed, why her life is frankly trash, and generally how that arch progresses.
Blob had an opportunity to take out some of that mundane-ness with you know... the blob. And it did at first. We get visuals of the blob existing half formed that I think were so fun. But boy was it wasted.
The most tragic part of Blob for me was if you removed the blob, I fully believe you could have had the same story. You could get Vi's same story arch with very few plot beat changes. All her interactions with Blob just made me like her less.
The blurb says "BLOB tells a witty, heartfelt story of what it means to be human." and it tackles that for literally 2 pages at the end.
The Characters
No one in this book is perfect. Everyone is kind of a flailing mess - which is the point, but as above, it's underdeveloped.
Vi: Just terrible. She honestly reminded me of Ji-won in The Eyes Are the Best Part but like, without any of the fun eyeball obsession and murderous tendencies that made her fun to follow. She's introverted, and socially awkward but we spend the whole book seeing flashback moments of her ruining friendships by being straight mean.
Bob: Underutilized, underdeveloped. He and the main character don't even really talk. And I think BLOB would have benefited from it spanning more time
Rachel: Vi's super pretty, super nice coworker. We do see her life isn't perfect and put together, in casual drops that I would have loved to explore deeper buuuut we don't. I wish her the best and I hope she finds happiness, she deserves better than the ending she got
The Rant
ALL THAT SAID
I could have given this book 3 stars. It was fine. Underdeveloped when it could have been excellent. It has good bones.
But I'm removing a star for 2 things
1. Can we stop having alcoholic characters where alcohol is never address as an issue? This happens in Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler too. Alcohol is being used as a crutch/numbing agent, all the time, and they're actively making terrible, life effecting decisions while drinking. But we never discuss it. It's something I've been noticing a lot with FMCs and the only person who has addressed it in a book so for is Talia Hibbert
2. I do want to preface this one by saying I am probably more sensitive to this than other people as I've struggled with ED in the past and actively curate my feeds to avoid diet talk and have surrounded myself in a very body positive sphere so I don't have much exposure. So when it sneaks its why so casually into a book this much I find it pretty noticeable.
Trust me, I know it's unfortunately normal to be preoccupied with body size. But the number of casual mentions of Vi's fat rolls (in a negative way) that were never challenged. The inclusion of Rachel's disordered eating - again not really challenged. Was reminiscent of fiction before the body positivity movement and I do not want to go back there. So CW/TW for disordered eating, fat shaming, fatphobia etc
There was one particular line that actually made me angry
August 26, 2024
Blob is a novel about a woman who meets a blob in an alley and tries to turn it into a perfect man. Vi has dropped out of college, is still dealing with her last breakup, and works at the reception in a local hotel, where she tries to avoid talking to her friendly co-worker, Rachel. When she finally gives in to Rachel and goes out with her to a drag club, Vi finds a blob in an alley. Intrigued, she takes it home, where it eats cereal and watches TV, and soon Vi realises she can shape the blob as she wants, so she tells the blob to become an attractive man. However, even the blob resists Vi's control, and she has to face the fact she might have to stop running away from everything.
The blob concept is such a fun one for a novel and I love weird novels like this, exploring a character's constant fucking things up through the lens of something strange. Vi feels like a outsider everywhere and protects herself by ruining things or avoiding what she really wants, and the blob appears as an easy way out, until she realises that it isn't, because the blob becomes Bob, who has autonomy and doesn't want to do what she does. It's like using Frankenstein as a chance to realise you have to actually take control of your life and be better to other people, rather than not putting the work in with them. The narrative does actually give Vi a chance to change, and it's a charming take on a coming of age story.
The blob concept is such a fun one for a novel and I love weird novels like this, exploring a character's constant fucking things up through the lens of something strange. Vi feels like a outsider everywhere and protects herself by ruining things or avoiding what she really wants, and the blob appears as an easy way out, until she realises that it isn't, because the blob becomes Bob, who has autonomy and doesn't want to do what she does. It's like using Frankenstein as a chance to realise you have to actually take control of your life and be better to other people, rather than not putting the work in with them. The narrative does actually give Vi a chance to change, and it's a charming take on a coming of age story.
February 4, 2025
A wonderfully weird idea for a book that was poorly executed. The main character sucks and there was no substance here. There were also a lot of unnecessary references to weight, which came off rather fat phobic. At least it was easy to read and get through.
May 4, 2025
5/10 stars. I think this might’ve been the tamest, most surface level way possible to execute such a wild ass concept. Too many Sad Girl pity spirals, not enough doing freaky stuff with the Blob boyfriend.
February 5, 2025
This was incredible. That's the review.
April 22, 2025
This is sort of like an adult dating literary version of that school exercise they used to make you do where you carried around a raw egg and pretended it was a baby you were tasked with caring for as a way of predicting your grown-up functional abilities? I think it needed More Blob. I enjoyed reading about the blobfish way more than I did about Bob and I lost the emotional connection as well as a meaningful connection to the metaphor as the novel slid onward. It seemed like a waste of the potential inherent in the unusual initial premise. Also, Vi strained my tolerance for a sad girl lit, shirt-stained messy, get your life together main character, and my tolerance for that is fairly high.
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