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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a charming summer read! With a theme of a girl exploring who she is around celebrities while caretaking for a wealthy couple's child, what's not to love? And oh, those celebrities are musicians? And it's the 1970s??? SIGN ME UP!! The character was far more mature than I could ever be: a great cook who clearly values her mother's instruction, even when she wants to be more than her mom represents. In other words, even when she's rebelling, she's doing so in a way that doesn't ever reject her parents so much as express a desire to expand their world, IMO. I really loved the MC and look forward to other books by this author.
3.5
this book was something
its been on my tbr for three years now, it was a nice book but some parts were WEIRD
this book was something
its been on my tbr for three years now, it was a nice book but some parts were WEIRD
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a great historical summer book. It was like stepping back in time into the 1970s in all of the positive and the negative ways. Obviously the music and the changing attitudes are part of the more free progress that was being made, but the restrictive, hypocritical, racist, bigoted, slut-shaming attitudes of the majority were on full display as well.
I enjoyed the playlist you could make from reading this and the notes at the end. The 1970s were a huge era for music and I feel like you would be inaccurate if you wrote a story that did not have people completely submerged in music, especially when there were two musicians living in the house.
The main character of Mary Jane as a 14-year-old was obviously very sheltered and had a reason to be naïve so I think taking that into account we have to give her credit for asking the questions that she does and reflecting in order to reconsider the views she’s been spoonfed by her parents. Also, she takes the time to think about the places that they always go and the things that they always do in light of the experience that she’s having with the Cone family. If you’ve ever had a moment where you heard your parents say something that made you cringe, this book will resonate with you.
Some takeaways about the other characters: Sheba and Jimmy are perfectly executed in terms of the musicians and actresses of the time, they’re a great combination of many of the famous figures. Dr. Richard Cone is an interesting character because he really seems to be trying to hold the balance of his family and be a caring Psychiatrist for his patient. He doesn’t catch everything in his own family, though. Mrs. Cone almost seemed like she wasn’t going to be as critical of a character until more than halfway through the book because it seemed like it was more about who she was not than who she was in the end, I grew to appreciate her more as a person. Mary Jane’s parents are not written to be likable, they’re written to be accurate and honest in the betrayal of a large portion of the country at the time (and sadly, today). I was a little bit surprised at something that Mary Jane’s father does towards the end, but I was also surprised in a good way at the change in relationship between Mary Jane and her mother.
The plot had the almost dreamy summer feel of the 1970s as a decade, according to stories from my parents, although it was perhaps a little more repetitive - clean, sing, cook, have a fight, repeat. As someone who has cleaned with family, I can relate to Mary Jane’s determination and persistence.
Content: This is one of those novels where you are really disturbed by the bigotry and racism of some of the major characters, but you have to keep reminding yourself that it was an extremely common part of that time and never really stopped being something that some people feel, believe, etc. I was horrified enough, as someone from one of the groups being disparaged, to gasp and put the book down a couple of times because I was very angry. However, I also had to remember that the author was not saying these things, it was the characters who were expressing what some people felt at that time. And the reaction is important because it’s the same reaction that the main character has. She questions things and she doesn’t like the way her parents talk and act around people from different races and religions than them.
I enjoyed the playlist you could make from reading this and the notes at the end. The 1970s were a huge era for music and I feel like you would be inaccurate if you wrote a story that did not have people completely submerged in music, especially when there were two musicians living in the house.
The main character of Mary Jane as a 14-year-old was obviously very sheltered and had a reason to be naïve so I think taking that into account we have to give her credit for asking the questions that she does and reflecting in order to reconsider the views she’s been spoonfed by her parents. Also, she takes the time to think about the places that they always go and the things that they always do in light of the experience that she’s having with the Cone family. If you’ve ever had a moment where you heard your parents say something that made you cringe, this book will resonate with you.
Some takeaways about the other characters: Sheba and Jimmy are perfectly executed in terms of the musicians and actresses of the time, they’re a great combination of many of the famous figures. Dr. Richard Cone is an interesting character because he really seems to be trying to hold the balance of his family and be a caring Psychiatrist for his patient. He doesn’t catch everything in his own family, though. Mrs. Cone almost seemed like she wasn’t going to be as critical of a character until more than halfway through the book because it seemed like it was more about who she was not than who she was in the end, I grew to appreciate her more as a person. Mary Jane’s parents are not written to be likable, they’re written to be accurate and honest in the betrayal of a large portion of the country at the time (and sadly, today). I was a little bit surprised at something that Mary Jane’s father does towards the end, but I was also surprised in a good way at the change in relationship between Mary Jane and her mother.
The plot had the almost dreamy summer feel of the 1970s as a decade, according to stories from my parents, although it was perhaps a little more repetitive - clean, sing, cook, have a fight, repeat. As someone who has cleaned with family, I can relate to Mary Jane’s determination and persistence.
Content: This is one of those novels where you are really disturbed by the bigotry and racism of some of the major characters, but you have to keep reminding yourself that it was an extremely common part of that time and never really stopped being something that some people feel, believe, etc. I was horrified enough, as someone from one of the groups being disparaged, to gasp and put the book down a couple of times because I was very angry. However, I also had to remember that the author was not saying these things, it was the characters who were expressing what some people felt at that time. And the reaction is important because it’s the same reaction that the main character has. She questions things and she doesn’t like the way her parents talk and act around people from different races and religions than them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry
Please note that the racism and religious bigotry is meant to represent the accuracy of some peoples attitudes at the time and is not meant to represent the authors thoughts or beliefs or feelings. I was beginning to wonder who wrote this because the stereotypes are very disturbing especially if you happen to be of the Communities described, and the author’s background is more closely tied to the people being disparaged than it is to the ones saying the negative things.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes