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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings about this book. Elizabeth does an amazing job of putting thoughts and feelings into words. It truly brought me back to lockdown in 2020 and the thoughts, feelings, fear and anxiety I felt at the time.
The book started to feel a little depressing towards the last quarter of the book, but this is also true with life. It’s not always happy endings and clean wrap-ups.
I wasn’t aware this book was part of a series based on the Lucy Barton character, so I plan to read the first Lucy Barton book.
The book started to feel a little depressing towards the last quarter of the book, but this is also true with life. It’s not always happy endings and clean wrap-ups.
I wasn’t aware this book was part of a series based on the Lucy Barton character, so I plan to read the first Lucy Barton book.
I really didn’t like this book. I read it because it was on a 2022 book list by NPR. I haven’t reads any other books by this author and I get that Lucy is a character who’s been in other books so maybe I’m missing something. To me this was the pandemic experience of a retirement aged woman who was lucky and rich enough to flee and be safe during a time many people didn’t have this option. So it feels somewhat insensitive and is from a very privileged pov. The character tries (maybe a little too hard) to be worldly and view things from outside of her own lens. The book recounts a time of very recent history that we JUST lived through. It uses the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic and all the terribleness that occurred during these times like the murder of George Floyd, the terrible past President, and the insurrection as part of the novel. A lot of it was not fiction. I have thought to myself that this book just isn’t for this time period. It seems like it was trying to be progressive, but wasn’t. I can maybe see it being more important 10 years ago when people who did not live through all of this can read it and better understand. But again, it’s written from the perspective of a wealthy, privileged woman who is not without her own problems, but overall this book was just boring and trying too hard. I also cannot stand the dramatic writing stylization with exclamation points and over use of the phrases “Oh, William!” “Oh, Chrissy!” and “Then This! If that type of writing is hoping to be unique it’s just cheesy.
I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. The cover was pretty, but my dog ended up eating it, and then my cats knocked over a glass of water onto the hard cover so I guess even my pets didn’t like it.
I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. The cover was pretty, but my dog ended up eating it, and then my cats knocked over a glass of water onto the hard cover so I guess even my pets didn’t like it.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I would not have been able to read this pandemic book a couple years ago, but I enjoyed reading it now. I also don’t generally like reading books with elderly main characters, but this book was ultimately a quiet beautiful read about relationships and family.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was my first Lucy book so my review is entirely based on this book only.
At first I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about the pandemic/lockdown but in the end it was a relaxing read and that time feels both recent and far away.
I didn't really sympathize with all the characters (and there were a lot of characters!) and their (bad) relationships), maybe I would've been more invested if I had read the other books. It wasn't really what I expected from the cover and title but it was an interesting insight in that place and time.
At first I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about the pandemic/lockdown but in the end it was a relaxing read and that time feels both recent and far away.
I didn't really sympathize with all the characters (and there were a lot of characters!) and their (bad) relationships), maybe I would've been more invested if I had read the other books. It wasn't really what I expected from the cover and title but it was an interesting insight in that place and time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic
Some unexpected wisdom and a reminder of how quickly time passes, and how perspectives change over time.