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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
This was such a cute coming-of-age story, I loved the characters and the plot so much.
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:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
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:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a warm hug for your soul. I loved it!
Mary Jane is a wonderful coming-of-age story about nothing and everything. It's about plodding along through your days, learning how to just being yourself – even when there's fear or disappointment or punishment attached to who you may be becoming. And while Mary Jane may have been the only 14-year-old in this novel, there was a whole lot of coming-of-age happening because, as we all learn, no one's ever quite done with figuring out who they are. We get to redefine ourselves over and over again, although it's never quite so exhilarating or scary as the first time... which is probably why coming-of-age can be such a wonderful time to return to in books.
Anyway, read it. Even if you don't like music. Even if you're not drawn to the '70s. Even if you're not a coming-of-age type of reader. Even if, even if. Because Mary Jane is heartwarming and loving and endearing, and it was exactly what I needed AND wanted to read.
Mary Jane is a wonderful coming-of-age story about nothing and everything. It's about plodding along through your days, learning how to just being yourself – even when there's fear or disappointment or punishment attached to who you may be becoming. And while Mary Jane may have been the only 14-year-old in this novel, there was a whole lot of coming-of-age happening because, as we all learn, no one's ever quite done with figuring out who they are. We get to redefine ourselves over and over again, although it's never quite so exhilarating or scary as the first time... which is probably why coming-of-age can be such a wonderful time to return to in books.
Anyway, read it. Even if you don't like music. Even if you're not drawn to the '70s. Even if you're not a coming-of-age type of reader. Even if, even if. Because Mary Jane is heartwarming and loving and endearing, and it was exactly what I needed AND wanted to read.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
While I really enjoyed the book for the most part, the last few chapters where the final conflict (Mary Jane’s lies are discovered) is quickly dealt with and we speed towards a rather deflated ending. We spent too long basking in the joy of Mary Jane discovering her “real” self out of the critical gaze of her mother and not enough time with her dealing with the fallout of her lying, the people her father and mother admonish, etc. Blau seemed more interested in Mary Jane being folded into this offbeat family that challenges what she thought was the standard than the actual reality of Mary Jane being 14, a caretaker for a house with a child and 4 adults and dealing with becoming a “new person”.
The book was too lighthearted with issues that required some grounded commentary and thoughtful discussion. We glossed too quickly over the racism, the antisemitism etc. Mary Jane got so close at many points but Blau seemed to skirt around it. In the end, Mary Jane didn’t really seem to care about any of these things as long as she can go off and be her new self.
I feel like Blau could have made this story much more impactful, instead there was too much focus on the whimsy and when reality came knocking for the characters, little was disrupted.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated