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fullybookedwithdanielle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Terminal illness, Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide
kpg1124's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
An achingly beautiful and real story of family and heartbreak and loss and grief and love. Overall mood of the book is melancholy and purposefully reminiscent of Little Women. Very thought provoking book regarding family dynamics and life choices.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
ulviyyask's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death
foxreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When it comes down to it, Hello Beautiful is about family, separating, and finding your way home. Napolitano writes a beautiful narrative spanning decades that at once captures the ebbs and flows of daily life, and changes made over years.
While this is told from multiple POVs, and does take a little while to get into as you get to know William, Julia and Sylvie, the plot has little repetition, and allows one to know characters through difficult situations and internal conflict. You can clearly see how this is going to end, but it is no less meaningful. This one almost ended up in the freezer.
TW: Mental health, depression and suicide.
While this is told from multiple POVs, and does take a little while to get into as you get to know William, Julia and Sylvie, the plot has little repetition, and allows one to know characters through difficult situations and internal conflict. You can clearly see how this is going to end, but it is no less meaningful. This one almost ended up in the freezer.
TW: Mental health, depression and suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent
jadeneedy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A lovely book that I didn’t want to put down. Such beautiful, deep description that really made the world and characters come to life in my mind. At times, some people’s feelings and situations would be over explained instead of giving the reader space to infer and reflect.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
danidimuzio's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
This made me feel like Greta Gerwig’s Little Women made me feel. Seen. Heartbroken. Chaotically happy. Nostalgic. But for me, Little Women represents my past - my childhood with my sisters and the dreams I had for myself then. Hello, Beautiful, is more expansive than that. It’s past and present and future. And it’s not just my life that I see in this book. I see my sisters, who have both shouldered more than their fair share of heartbreak. I see my grandfather and great aunt who were the children of Italian immigrants in Cincinnati. I see my mother’s family, with memories and hurts that can’t quite heal but can sometimes be overlooked. And I do see myself as a little girl, hiding her coughs in a closet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Suicide, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
carly_pdf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hello, Beautiful is a family saga focusing on the lives of the four Padavano sisters. It was well written and the character development was excellent. William's suicide attempt was difficult to get through because of the emotion it evoked in me. I did really like the characters, I have a preference towards plot driven books. If you like depressing family sagas, or family stories, you will definitely like this book. I enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down at some parts, but there was something missing. It would have benefited from a more diverse cast and a stronger plot. Some of the timing was confusing, but overall I liked the multiple perspectives.
EDIT: 3 stars to 4 starts
I am changing this rating, because I keep thinking about Hello Beautiful. There is one line I cant get out of my head. It is the one when Julia realizes she is Jo, but only because Slyvie is Beth. It gives me chills just writing it now. It is a beautiful, full circle moment in the book that made me see the whole book all at once. I still think there was something missing, but nevertheless the book has stayed with me. It is rare to find a book that stays in your head the way this one has for me. I think it reminded me how powerful women are, especially when they love each other. There is nothing more beautiful.
EDIT: 3 stars to 4 starts
I am changing this rating, because I keep thinking about Hello Beautiful. There is one line I cant get out of my head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
astoriareader's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
SYNOPSIS:
- William grew up in a cold family, and he has never felt worthy of love. Then, he meets Julia Padavano.
- Julia has 3 sisters, and William quickly becomes a part of the Padavano family.
- The book follows the lives of the four sisters & how they intertwine with William.
MY THOUGHTS
- Clearly, I am an outlier here, as most people loved the book.
- It was really slow, and I didn’t like characters. Many of them treat each other horribly & cross unthinkable boundaries. Overall, the characters and the story fell flat to me.
- The author describes the sisters as being soooo close, so ultimately, the plot doesn’t make any sense. I can’t say more without giving away spoilers.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Outlier here. Most people loved it, but not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, and Death of parent
carmenvillaman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This is definitely a character study book of human emotions within a family - over a lifetime. At times I had to push myself through it, but I really did love the family at the end and appreciate how it all came together. I felt like this book was able to look at each character for who he or she truly was compared to how maybe others wanted them to be without judging them and letting us watch them grow as individuals. It allows us to see other people in this way without judging them but observing them on their own paths.
Tonight I watched Oprah’s interview with the author. I love how Oprah commented how we got to observe the family but also feel like we are within the family. At the end of the interview, Ann mentions that originally, the book ended with the second to last chapter. Her husband asked her to write the last chapter, which I think really helped with the conclusion of the story.p
Out of any book I’ve read, I might have had the most quotes and highlights from this book. I felt like so much of what was said was meaningful and important.
“… Rose loved Charlie. It was because she loved him that Rose had been so disappointed by her marriage and why it was essential that her girls grow up strong and educated, able to stand on their own two feet, unbowed by something as tricky and undependable as love.”
—-
There was also a fun connection to Little Women. She has said that it wasn’t what spawned her idea for the book, but when she started writing she saw these four women and William and similarities. There are fun tie-ins.
“When Julia had first read Little Women, she told her sisters about the four fictional sisters in the book, and they began to argue over which of them was which March girl.”
“The sisters were so close that, in reality, his wife never operated alone; the four Padavano girls shared their lives, celebrating and utilizing one another’s strengths, covering for each other’s weaknesses. Julia was the organizer and leader, Sylvie was the reader and measured voice, Emeline was the nurturer, and Cecelia the artist.”
—-
The way their dad greeted them with Hello Beautiful was the best thing:
“Charlie just looked at Cecelia and the baby for a long moment. Then he smiled with so much warmth it was as if a sun had risen inside him. “Hello beautiful,” he said. And with those words, Cecelia knew that she was forgiven, and she forgave him too.”
“When any of his girls—including Rose—had come into view, he’d always given them the same welcome, calling out, Hello beautiful! The greeting was nice enough to make them want to leave the room and come in all over again.”
“My uncle Ed mailed postcards to me from his home in Chicago when I was a kid, and the greeting was always the same: “Hello Beautiful.” Acknowledgements
—-
“Julia sought to collect labels like honors student, girlfriend, and wife, but Sylvie steered away from labels. She wanted to be true to herself with every word she uttered, every action she took, and every belief she held.”
“We look out the window, or into ourselves, for something more.”
“just because you never thought about someone didn’t mean they weren’t inside you.”
“Stop thinking about who you were when you were living the wrong life, William. You’re built for the life you’re living now.”
“Do you remember how young we were when we were twenty-five? If there’s something wrong, you have time to fix it.”
“we need another pair of eyes. We need the people around us.”
Tonight I watched Oprah’s interview with the author. I love how Oprah commented how we got to observe the family but also feel like we are within the family. At the end of the interview, Ann mentions that originally, the book ended with the second to last chapter. Her husband asked her to write the last chapter, which I think really helped with the conclusion of the story.p
Out of any book I’ve read, I might have had the most quotes and highlights from this book. I felt like so much of what was said was meaningful and important.
“… Rose loved Charlie. It was because she loved him that Rose had been so disappointed by her marriage and why it was essential that her girls grow up strong and educated, able to stand on their own two feet, unbowed by something as tricky and undependable as love.”
—-
There was also a fun connection to Little Women. She has said that it wasn’t what spawned her idea for the book, but when she started writing she saw these four women and William and similarities. There are fun tie-ins.
“When Julia had first read Little Women, she told her sisters about the four fictional sisters in the book, and they began to argue over which of them was which March girl.”
“The sisters were so close that, in reality, his wife never operated alone; the four Padavano girls shared their lives, celebrating and utilizing one another’s strengths, covering for each other’s weaknesses. Julia was the organizer and leader, Sylvie was the reader and measured voice, Emeline was the nurturer, and Cecelia the artist.”
—-
The way their dad greeted them with Hello Beautiful was the best thing:
“Charlie just looked at Cecelia and the baby for a long moment. Then he smiled with so much warmth it was as if a sun had risen inside him. “Hello beautiful,” he said. And with those words, Cecelia knew that she was forgiven, and she forgave him too.”
“When any of his girls—including Rose—had come into view, he’d always given them the same welcome, calling out, Hello beautiful! The greeting was nice enough to make them want to leave the room and come in all over again.”
“My uncle Ed mailed postcards to me from his home in Chicago when I was a kid, and the greeting was always the same: “Hello Beautiful.” Acknowledgements
—-
“Julia sought to collect labels like honors student, girlfriend, and wife, but Sylvie steered away from labels. She wanted to be true to herself with every word she uttered, every action she took, and every belief she held.”
“We look out the window, or into ourselves, for something more.”
“just because you never thought about someone didn’t mean they weren’t inside you.”
“Stop thinking about who you were when you were living the wrong life, William. You’re built for the life you’re living now.”
“Do you remember how young we were when we were twenty-five? If there’s something wrong, you have time to fix it.”
“we need another pair of eyes. We need the people around us.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Suicide
Moderate: Cancer and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape