Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Weather

I was disappointed in this book. There is so much about it to like...grappling with climate change, dealing with a troubled brother, raising a child, relating to a friend who decides to retreat from the world in the face of the impending disaster...
But she doesn't penetrate any of these issues with any depth. She seems averse to creating a whole sentence, in fact (well maybe they're sentences but barely...okay, I've been reading Middlemarch alongside so maybe this isn't fair but honestly she doesn't stay with a thought for five minutes.). I wanted to know...the grit of, what happens with the brother? How does the niece's hair smell? (The baby seems like just a prop, never grazes real.). How do you as a human who cares, bear the weight of your loved ones' sorrows?
If Offill never hit a true note, I would dismiss this book as just unimportant, but I felt that she had something, she just didn't stay with it. I have a friend who is retreating from the world...I wanted to learn something, I wanted to relate... obviously Offill writes because she cares about these things, but then why doesn't she give anything? It's all a big sardonic joke. You survive by glossing the surfaces? I don't believe it. The way she writes suggests to me that she has lots to say, she just doesn't go there.
I wanted her to go there.

Content Warnings

bea_becker's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Heavy themes around climate change and doomsday-esque which isn't necessarily for everyone so be prepared.

Content Warnings

yananed's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

ivorynovature's review against another edition

Go to review page

it was terrible. the style of it meant that I couldn’t imagine any of the scenes and the characters weren’t the slightest bit interesting. I literally didn’t feel anything towards any of them. part of me doesn’t even want to give this back to the charity shop so maybe I’ll just use it as a doorstop.

Content Warnings

eligru's review

Go to review page

dark funny informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is quite a strange book. At times it’s funny, clever and very relatable, but other times it feels like there’s no plot at all and too many random facts and quotes jumbled together. It’s a little about marriage, family life and addiction; and a lot about climate anxiety and a woman’s daily life, thoughts and acquaintances. Definitely an interesting read, but I always had to convince myself to pick it back up.

Content Warnings