One of the better bits of TikTok wisdom I’ve stumbled across in regards to modern dating, is from a woman who made a video explaining that the men she dates aren’t in competition with each other, but with her — she’s so comfortable, content, and self-sufficient in her day-to-day life, that any future partner needs to be able to provably enhance her happiness or they can GTFO. (I’m paraphrasing, but you get it.) It’s the kind of ethos I can so easily see underlying New York City-based book critic Selina Chan’s approach to romance in Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, and also the reason why I found it so hard to buy into the book’s core relationship. And yet, I still really, really like Bad Words. (I actually might even love it?) Let me explain.
Robinson’s debut novel is a sharp, smart enemies-to-loversslow burn with a literary feel. (Think: Emma Brodie’s Into the Blue, Anna Maria Volkova’s Games: A Love Story.) It begins with author Parker Navarro learning some devastating news on the eve of his second novel’s release: it’s going to be reviewed by Selina Chan in one of the most well-respected magazines in the country. Selina’s blistering critique of his debut novel four years earlier sent him into a depressive spiral and he fears another harsh takedown will do the same. Parker’s hopes for critical redemption are indeed dashed, when Selina tears his second book to shreds, igniting a viral feud that launches both of them into the spotlight overnight.
As the months pass, Parker and Selina trade barbs on social media, but also begin a quieter dialogue away from the public that challenges their opinions of each other — is Parker really as privileged and desperate for public adulation as he seems? Is Selina actually as heartless as her icy, intellectual reputation suggests? And could their true selves, once revealed, teach them more about vulnerability, connection, and the costs of creation, than either ever would have thought possible?
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Robinson has a really beautiful way of writing. I think that’s why I’m able to find Parker sympathetic, even if I’m not a fan. He has his charming moments, of course, and you come to realize his deep-seated need to people please has been forged in a lifetime of complicated family dynamics — even if you don’t like him, Robinson makes sure you understand him. He’s fully fleshed-out, a real person you can see existing on and off the page.
Robinson gives Selina the same level of introspection. She’s a lifelong book nerd who values authenticity above most things, which is what makes her such an excellent (and cutting) critic. Her experiences with rejection have taught her to harden her exterior in order to protect herself, choosing to embrace loneliness rather than letting people in, rather than risking the exposure of her soft, squishy center. But what is life without risk? What is love without risk? Parker is the person who finally teaches her that some things, some people, are worth the danger of getting burned.
“‘People like you,’ she said, ‘pretend to want real critics. Serious readers. But it’s all for show. If anyone dares to dislike your precious novel, your darling little self-indulgent doorstopper, then surprise, surprise! We suddenly turn into unqualified gatekeepers. And you’ll blame us for your problems. And you’ll stand back and wave in a future where the only ‘reviewers’ in the world are people getting backdoor payments from publishers to recite pitches for books they haven’t read.’”
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Obviously Selina comes to regret parts of her rant as she gets to know the real Parker, the one hiding behind his “obnoxious, brooding profile picture.” But . . . she’s right! And she should say it!
Listen, I love a happy ending as much as the next person, and the chemistry between Parker and Selina simmers along with the best of them. This is an excellent book, in my opinion, and one I’ve happily recommended to friends since I finished. However, I also don’t want to pretend like I thinkBad Words honestly, truly works as a romance. Personally, Parker’s image never fully recovers from his pathetic ‘poor me, pity me’ posturing at the start of the novel. (The Instagram comments and back-and-forths on Threads that Robinson intersperses between chapters are painful.) (Like, it’s giving loser! Sometimes it’s even giving borderline manosphere! Ick.)
All in all, by the time the book wraps up, Robinson succeeds in making Selina and Parker’s relationship make sense. Which works for the book! But as a reader*️Carrie Bradshaw voice*️ I couldn’t help but wonder: is it the kind of relationship that will last? That will stand the test of time? That, I’m not so sure about.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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