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noonebuthappy's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
themothermorrigan's review against another edition
3.0
It is a nice book, I really enjoyed reading it. I like the characters and I think that although you would think people like that don't exist, they do. They might not be believable for everyone but they were for me - maybe because of the people I surround myself with. The plot is nothing that special, but it's not boring either. Good writing, it was just nothing really memorable, but I still think this book IS worth reading.
dilchh's review
2.0
Honestly, I don’t know what to make of this book. I can’t even definitively say whether this was a fast or slow paced book. It was just a very random and weird experience for me when I read it, and it’s not the nice weird like when I read Haruki Murakami’s work. I feel like the author really tries so hard in trying to make the story felt unique or different, but then I just couldn’t bring myself to connect with it. I like the theme of death and how almost everyone always tip-toed around the subject. I mean, being born and then dying is like two sides of the same coin, and yet people are only comfortable with the former than the latter. I guess, that was what kept me going with this book, but everything about this book just screams illogical to me the further I went with the story.
Should I named those illogical things? I think I should; (1) why would Millie’s mum left her in a freaking department store, if she’s going to send her relatives to come and pick Millie at home, eventually? I mean, what the actual thing? (oops, there goes a bit of a spoiler); (2) I don’t know how department store works in Australia, but are you seriously telling me that an old man and a seven year-old had been staying inside the department store for a couple of days and no one had known about it? Really? Yeah, I don’t buy that; (3) what is up with Karl the touch typist, tough? I’m not an old man and I never will be (I will, however, be an old woman), but every single thing that he does just seems awkward and just plain annoying. It’s like the author was channeling Allan Karlsson from The Hundred-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, but where Allan Karlsson is likeable, this Karl is just simply annoying and irritating! There, I said it; (4) oh don’t get me started with Agatha Pantha. I get that she is grieving in her own way, and at that point she seems like the most believable character of them all, but then the constant shouting and how the author portrayed young Agatha and how it didn’t match her old self just irks me to no end. I can’t for the life of me believe that there is someone like Agatha, although if I have to choose one out of the lot, then Agatha seems to be the only character that might be the most relatable.
Okay, that aside, the story was definitely interesting. But, are you (and by ‘you’, I meant the author) seriously telling me that all those twists and turns are possible to happen in the course of time that was represented in the book and still went somewhat smoothly? Yeah, no, I don’t buy that. Seriously, every single thing that happened in this book is just impossible! I know it’s fiction, but then again this is not some fantasy kind of fiction, so surely there has to be some possibility somewhere, right? Oh, dear, I am so close to listing all the impossible events that happened in this book, but then that would make the whole entire review a major spoiler alert, and I don’t want to do that. On that note, just take my word when I said that most, if not all, of the events are just downright impossible. Give this book a try if you’re curious.
I did mention it that I feel like the author tries a bit hard in trying to make this book seems unique, especially in the way she conduct the story-telling. The problem with that is that there is only so many that can get away with it and have the story entertaining. On her part, I swear to God, it was just downright annoying. And, get this, there are no quotation marks to mark the conversation between the characters. She uses a freaking italic font to mark the conversation. I have nothing agains italic, I liked it actually, but I liked it because it helps me put emphasise in words that I need emphasising, not to tell the readers that, “hey, here’s a conversation between my characters, but I’m not going to put a quotation mark. I’m going to use an italic styling, because I hate my reader and I want to confuse the life out of them.” (or something like that, probably.) So, yeah, I don’t find it amusing… AT ALL.
Anyway, enough of me complaining. Just to be sure, although I am mostly not happy with the book, that is not to say that the book is an awful read for me. The conversation part is definitely an awful experience I don’t want to go through again, but the theme of the book is definitely interesting, and putting all my complaints aside, I would totally recommend this book to those who are interested in the topic of death and/or are going through the death of loved ones. I don’t know if it will help ease the pain, but knowing that death is being talked about in this book very openly might help us see death in a different light. Remember, my complaints are just strictly my own and it might be because I’m just a petty reader.
Should I named those illogical things? I think I should; (1) why would Millie’s mum left her in a freaking department store, if she’s going to send her relatives to come and pick Millie at home, eventually? I mean, what the actual thing? (oops, there goes a bit of a spoiler); (2) I don’t know how department store works in Australia, but are you seriously telling me that an old man and a seven year-old had been staying inside the department store for a couple of days and no one had known about it? Really? Yeah, I don’t buy that; (3) what is up with Karl the touch typist, tough? I’m not an old man and I never will be (I will, however, be an old woman), but every single thing that he does just seems awkward and just plain annoying. It’s like the author was channeling Allan Karlsson from The Hundred-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, but where Allan Karlsson is likeable, this Karl is just simply annoying and irritating! There, I said it; (4) oh don’t get me started with Agatha Pantha. I get that she is grieving in her own way, and at that point she seems like the most believable character of them all, but then the constant shouting and how the author portrayed young Agatha and how it didn’t match her old self just irks me to no end. I can’t for the life of me believe that there is someone like Agatha, although if I have to choose one out of the lot, then Agatha seems to be the only character that might be the most relatable.
Okay, that aside, the story was definitely interesting. But, are you (and by ‘you’, I meant the author) seriously telling me that all those twists and turns are possible to happen in the course of time that was represented in the book and still went somewhat smoothly? Yeah, no, I don’t buy that. Seriously, every single thing that happened in this book is just impossible! I know it’s fiction, but then again this is not some fantasy kind of fiction, so surely there has to be some possibility somewhere, right? Oh, dear, I am so close to listing all the impossible events that happened in this book, but then that would make the whole entire review a major spoiler alert, and I don’t want to do that. On that note, just take my word when I said that most, if not all, of the events are just downright impossible. Give this book a try if you’re curious.
I did mention it that I feel like the author tries a bit hard in trying to make this book seems unique, especially in the way she conduct the story-telling. The problem with that is that there is only so many that can get away with it and have the story entertaining. On her part, I swear to God, it was just downright annoying. And, get this, there are no quotation marks to mark the conversation between the characters. She uses a freaking italic font to mark the conversation. I have nothing agains italic, I liked it actually, but I liked it because it helps me put emphasise in words that I need emphasising, not to tell the readers that, “hey, here’s a conversation between my characters, but I’m not going to put a quotation mark. I’m going to use an italic styling, because I hate my reader and I want to confuse the life out of them.” (or something like that, probably.) So, yeah, I don’t find it amusing… AT ALL.
Anyway, enough of me complaining. Just to be sure, although I am mostly not happy with the book, that is not to say that the book is an awful read for me. The conversation part is definitely an awful experience I don’t want to go through again, but the theme of the book is definitely interesting, and putting all my complaints aside, I would totally recommend this book to those who are interested in the topic of death and/or are going through the death of loved ones. I don’t know if it will help ease the pain, but knowing that death is being talked about in this book very openly might help us see death in a different light. Remember, my complaints are just strictly my own and it might be because I’m just a petty reader.
littleredd's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
smithyreads's review against another edition
5.0
So cute and charming, and also one of the few books that actually writes about old people in a real way and they’re not just unimportant side characters that only think in either good things or simple things. It was cute and charming and made you think at times and made me cry at the end. An unlikely friendship between unlikely people. All so different yet at the same time just the same. The ups and downs of life and the questions and thoughts everyone experiences, truly an amazing and fun book. - rounding my 4.5 to a 5 bc it deserves it and I either can’t or don’t know how to rate half-stars <3
nel_reader's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the story it was interesting with its eclectic characters and overall quite fun.
However I found the ending abrupt and didn't feel like it fit with the story telling, it seems the latest fad to end books similarly though I think...
However I found the ending abrupt and didn't feel like it fit with the story telling, it seems the latest fad to end books similarly though I think...
tzark's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't hate it. since parts I really did enjoy. I lines Milllie. her story was heart breaking. I liked Karl. I couldn't stand Agatha. she was just bitter and annoying. She didn't even have anything of interest to me. but overall, not a bad story.
daniela_cruz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Vou ser sincera quando comprei este livro à anos o motivo foi bastante superficial, estava num binge de One Tree Hill e uma das minhas personagens favoritas chama-se Brooke Davies, mas este livro foi uma cute little story.
Gostei da forma como este livro mostra como famílias podem desaparecer e crescer, apesar de algumas das personagens me irritarem a história em si foi interessante
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
gabmc's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book although it was slightly too quirky for me, particularly the characters of Karl and Agatha. The exploration of death and grief was done really well from 7 year old Millie's point of view though. I look forward to reading more from Brooke Davis - this is this young Aussie author's first novel.