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ell_eden's review against another edition
5.0
This was a joy to read, emotional, witty and engaging.
lilabard63251's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
rosebache's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
erica_cb's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emily_0294's review
funny
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
3.75
lethalballet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first two thirds were great but then this stopped going anywhere. Several threads were a bit randomly interwoven and half abandoned.
nicnewbould's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.0
05hamiltonk's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved this book!!!! It made me laugh and cry in equal measure. All the characters felt so authentic and believable and the same for the relationships.
The story also touches on so many different issues and does them all justice. It never felt forced.
I felt the tying up at the end felt slightly rushed but it didn't impact the story negatively for me.
Can't wait to read more from this author!!
The story also touches on so many different issues and does them all justice. It never felt forced.
I felt the tying up at the end felt slightly rushed but it didn't impact the story negatively for me.
Can't wait to read more from this author!!
neenor's review against another edition
3.0
Several things excited me about this book, the two main ones being:
a) the cover art is the best depiction of my hair I have ever seen AND IT LOOKS SO GOOD
b) obviously my name is Nina and not Nenna, but my grandad pronounced my name as Nenna so when I saw this and the hair and a mother called Jo living in Manchester, I had to get it!
The Private Joys of Nenna Maloney is the kind of novel I wish I’d had access to as a teenager. As someone who is mixed race and knows less about her black heritage than her white, I understood Nenna’s confusion and the urge she felt to “prove” her blackness. Growing up in an environment where you stick out like a sore thumb is difficult, especially when you are experiencing so many other changes like puberty, relationships, moving away from home, etc. Not knowing who you are and where you come from - things that many people take for granted - can be devastating. I could definitely sympathise with her character, and I feel like you would be able to empathise even if you haven’t been in a similar situation because Nenna’s character was written very well.
Joanie was also written well, although I thought her story - which is pivotal to the entire plot - wasn’t. It started out strong, and then suddenly we were rushing through her relationship with Maurice at breakneck speed and then end. I didn’t actually realise there was a plot twist because it was so anti-climatic - it was only when I had finished the novel and thought “huh, weird that we were never given an answer to the question that drives the plot” that I realised we had! I just hadn’t noticed because it was so bland! And that’s a big reason as to why this is a three star review rather than a five, alongside the side plots of Jonathan and Amit, Danny and Sam, which added nothing. I think that the words would have been better used to explore Joanie and Maurice’s relationship - instead, their stories felt like page fillers.
I realise this review seems largely negative, so I want to end this review by reiterating that I did enjoy this novel, and that I want to see more stories like this being published! I would also read the heck out of a sequel to this, because there is more that I want to know about Nenna Maloney. So if you’re reading this, I would definitely recommend this book - it’s not a work of art, but there is something special about it, and I am dying to see more.
a) the cover art is the best depiction of my hair I have ever seen AND IT LOOKS SO GOOD
b) obviously my name is Nina and not Nenna, but my grandad pronounced my name as Nenna so when I saw this and the hair and a mother called Jo living in Manchester, I had to get it!
The Private Joys of Nenna Maloney is the kind of novel I wish I’d had access to as a teenager. As someone who is mixed race and knows less about her black heritage than her white, I understood Nenna’s confusion and the urge she felt to “prove” her blackness. Growing up in an environment where you stick out like a sore thumb is difficult, especially when you are experiencing so many other changes like puberty, relationships, moving away from home, etc. Not knowing who you are and where you come from - things that many people take for granted - can be devastating. I could definitely sympathise with her character, and I feel like you would be able to empathise even if you haven’t been in a similar situation because Nenna’s character was written very well.
Joanie was also written well, although I thought her story - which is pivotal to the entire plot - wasn’t. It started out strong, and then suddenly we were rushing through her relationship with Maurice at breakneck speed and then end. I didn’t actually realise there was a plot twist because it was so anti-climatic - it was only when I had finished the novel and thought “huh, weird that we were never given an answer to the question that drives the plot” that I realised we had! I just hadn’t noticed because it was so bland! And that’s a big reason as to why this is a three star review rather than a five, alongside the side plots of Jonathan and Amit, Danny and Sam, which added nothing. I think that the words would have been better used to explore Joanie and Maurice’s relationship - instead, their stories felt like page fillers.
I realise this review seems largely negative, so I want to end this review by reiterating that I did enjoy this novel, and that I want to see more stories like this being published! I would also read the heck out of a sequel to this, because there is more that I want to know about Nenna Maloney. So if you’re reading this, I would definitely recommend this book - it’s not a work of art, but there is something special about it, and I am dying to see more.