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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
No doubt, she's a talented writer and this book is full of exciting, unique ideas. The problem is that the characters and ideas about psychics and suicide and disappearing get thrown at the reader and moved along so quickly that very little gets deeply explored. I found all the characters flat and so I had a hard time seeing any of them in my mind. This is a book of ideas to be certain, but I think it wanted me to feel a whole lot more for the character of Julia than I really did.
This was more of a 2.5 really. Fascinating plot but I kept having to go back to re-read parts; it was a bit confusing towards the end.
I actually REALLY liked it at the very beginning. Like pulled in really fast, but unfortunately that feeling did not stick and then finishing it almost became a chore :( Perhaps it was just that life got crazy, so I don't want to knock the book too hard....but there you have it.
More like 2.5
Very hard to get into and somewhat difficult to follow. Enjoyed the language and flow.
Very hard to get into and somewhat difficult to follow. Enjoyed the language and flow.
At first it was intriguing, but after awhile it became long and tiresome. Not worth reading in my opinion.
2 ⭐️
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this read. This was an audiobook for me and I struggled with the readers tone / pace at first. She was just very slow and it caused the story to drag on quite a bit. I think I understand why she was reading this way - adds to the mystery, supernatural feel - but I wasn’t a fan.
The story itself had some good plot twists however I felt that most of them were simply thrown out there and not built up to.
Decent read through. I am interested to see if I would have had a different opinion if I had read it instead of listening.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this read. This was an audiobook for me and I struggled with the readers tone / pace at first. She was just very slow and it caused the story to drag on quite a bit. I think I understand why she was reading this way - adds to the mystery, supernatural feel - but I wasn’t a fan.
The story itself had some good plot twists however I felt that most of them were simply thrown out there and not built up to.
Decent read through. I am interested to see if I would have had a different opinion if I had read it instead of listening.
It sounds cliche to say that a book hooks you with it's first sentence, but in this case it couldn't be more true. I actually whispered the word "wow" when I finished the intro.
Though this is a beautiful, engaging book, it is also quite complicated. I totally loved the idea of the psychic attacks that Julie is subjected to and doles out. The language and writing is superior to so many other books I have read lately. Julie's voice was so pitch-perfect. I found myself looking up to her perfectly witty and punchy responses. Madame Ackerman was spellbinding, and I wanted to see more of her. I wanted to know her back story! Spin-off book, perhaps?
Still, there were a few places where I struggled. There are no chapters in the book, just four section breaks. This made the book feel both too open and far to closed, all at the same time. There were clear markers where chapters could have been broken down. The four sections were different enough, but I often find it difficult to read books without chapters. If I step away for any longer period of time, it is very difficult to get back into the flow of things. If you pick this book up, be sure to give it your undivided attention, and you will be rewarded with a story that will stick in your brain for many months to come.
Though this is a beautiful, engaging book, it is also quite complicated. I totally loved the idea of the psychic attacks that Julie is subjected to and doles out. The language and writing is superior to so many other books I have read lately. Julie's voice was so pitch-perfect. I found myself looking up to her perfectly witty and punchy responses. Madame Ackerman was spellbinding, and I wanted to see more of her. I wanted to know her back story! Spin-off book, perhaps?
Still, there were a few places where I struggled. There are no chapters in the book, just four section breaks. This made the book feel both too open and far to closed, all at the same time. There were clear markers where chapters could have been broken down. The four sections were different enough, but I often find it difficult to read books without chapters. If I step away for any longer period of time, it is very difficult to get back into the flow of things. If you pick this book up, be sure to give it your undivided attention, and you will be rewarded with a story that will stick in your brain for many months to come.
CW: mention of suicide
One of my favorite jokes in the final season of the tv show 30 Rock was Liz Lemon's revelation that she did a one-person play in college of which her student newspaper reviewed as "too confusing to be offensive." Switching the word "offensive" to "appreciate" and you'd have my feelings on this book.
There's a lot to like about this one. Heidi Julavits has a healthy understanding of relationships, maternal-child bonds and how difficult they are to sunder. I appreciated the ambiguity she allows for Julia, her main character, to feel about her mom, who (maybe?) committed suicide not long after Julia was born. Julia's seeking after surrogate mothers was relatable and it made me feel deeply for her character even as I barely understood what was going on.
And perhaps that's intentional because Julavits uses Julia to delve into the world of parapsychology, never making it clear if all of this is really happening or not. It's unclear if even Julia believes it, as evidenced through her tumultuous relationship with her mentor Madame Ackermann, as well as the encounters she has with others in this weird world.
Julavits writes some interesting, well-described scenes, especially dream sequences and introspection. But the broader story is just impossible to connect with. This book was almost like reading smoke: every time I thought I had it figured out, it disappeared, only to reappear moments later. It made for an engaging but frustrating reading experience. It's not a bad book, at least I don't regret reading it. I just have no idea who I'd recommend it to.
One of my favorite jokes in the final season of the tv show 30 Rock was Liz Lemon's revelation that she did a one-person play in college of which her student newspaper reviewed as "too confusing to be offensive." Switching the word "offensive" to "appreciate" and you'd have my feelings on this book.
There's a lot to like about this one. Heidi Julavits has a healthy understanding of relationships, maternal-child bonds and how difficult they are to sunder. I appreciated the ambiguity she allows for Julia, her main character, to feel about her mom, who (maybe?) committed suicide not long after Julia was born. Julia's seeking after surrogate mothers was relatable and it made me feel deeply for her character even as I barely understood what was going on.
And perhaps that's intentional because Julavits uses Julia to delve into the world of parapsychology, never making it clear if all of this is really happening or not. It's unclear if even Julia believes it, as evidenced through her tumultuous relationship with her mentor Madame Ackermann, as well as the encounters she has with others in this weird world.
Julavits writes some interesting, well-described scenes, especially dream sequences and introspection. But the broader story is just impossible to connect with. This book was almost like reading smoke: every time I thought I had it figured out, it disappeared, only to reappear moments later. It made for an engaging but frustrating reading experience. It's not a bad book, at least I don't regret reading it. I just have no idea who I'd recommend it to.
Nope, this is too smart for me. I started reading this over the weekend and it felt like a chore. I thought I must be in a bad mood to not even want to read! Then I tried another book, and immediately got into the book. Monday morning, I opened the book again, only to struggle and think, what's the point? This is a book about a woman who has mother issues and is also a student psychic, being mentored by a psychic who looks like her mother. Everyone is very smart and academic (literally, they're all in an academic world, fighting over who is the class pet) and I feel like this might be a very good book for people who are into that. I'm not, so I'm giving myself permission to give up.