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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I love the concept of this book, even though I have children I think this is a really important conversation that should be spoken about more widely and normalise this choice.
It was just executed poorly unfortunately and I was desperate for the last 150 pages or so to fly by so I could just finish it.
Every now and then it felt like the characters were going to be developed and rounded and then the scenario or speech was just not believable and spoiled it.
I felt for olive that her friends were disinterested in her break up and this important life choice but then cringey unbelievable things like becoming her boyfriend’s teenage daughter’s confidant after three meetings just irritated me - or at least build the world and scene set so it is believable to your reader!
It was just executed poorly unfortunately and I was desperate for the last 150 pages or so to fly by so I could just finish it.
Every now and then it felt like the characters were going to be developed and rounded and then the scenario or speech was just not believable and spoiled it.
I felt for olive that her friends were disinterested in her break up and this important life choice but then cringey unbelievable things like becoming her boyfriend’s teenage daughter’s confidant after three meetings just irritated me - or at least build the world and scene set so it is believable to your reader!
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was drawn to the book by the subject matter - as a 30-something woman wrestling with the question of kids I was such an easy mark, as there are so few stories that deal with this topic.
However, it was dreadfully written and I can't recommend it on any score.
The treatment of the subject matter was superficial and yet clearly the only thread of an idea holding the tedious "plot" (for want of a better word) together.
The entire novel felt amateurish and in need of a good edit. There are numerous sentences where the same word is used twice in a jarring manner, there are random mistakes and weird time jumps, as well as absolutely pointless scenes (e.g. there's a conversation with a random taxi driver about Good Morning Britain. Why? Who knows. At this point I was assuming the author needed to up the word count with padding). Nothing of any worth or interest happened in this book, there's just endless text messages, drinking G&Ts, and pontificating on babies and how great Olive's friendship group used to be and how she should totally whatapp her so-called friends who are struggling with really terrible challenges but wait, why haven't they whatsapped her first? Ugh.
This friend group had no distinguishing features or character to speak of. Each one was just supposed to play the part of a woman's relationship with motherhood: the happy mother whose home and life is full of warmth and chaos, the new mum obsessed with her baby, the infertile woman desperate to conceive. That would have made a great starting point in the hands of a competent author, but none of these characters had any personality whatsoever and their conversations and drama were cringeworthily bland.
The main character, Olive, is supposed to be this cool, together woman but instead she's every selfish, lazy, unkind, stupid stereotype of a childfree woman you've ever heard of. I'm not sure if the author meant her to seem as painful as she was, but I suspect not which is somehow worse. Oh, and then, after all that faffing about and endless angst about not wanting kids, etc, because this entire novel was pointless and had literally nothing to say on a really difficult and nuanced topic.
However, it was dreadfully written and I can't recommend it on any score.
The treatment of the subject matter was superficial and yet clearly the only thread of an idea holding the tedious "plot" (for want of a better word) together.
The entire novel felt amateurish and in need of a good edit. There are numerous sentences where the same word is used twice in a jarring manner, there are random mistakes and weird time jumps, as well as absolutely pointless scenes (e.g. there's a conversation with a random taxi driver about Good Morning Britain. Why? Who knows. At this point I was assuming the author needed to up the word count with padding). Nothing of any worth or interest happened in this book, there's just endless text messages, drinking G&Ts, and pontificating on babies and how great Olive's friendship group used to be and how she should totally whatapp her so-called friends who are struggling with really terrible challenges
Spoiler
infertility & IVF failure, postpartum depression with a newborn, a cheating husband with 3 young kids at homeThis friend group had no distinguishing features or character to speak of. Each one was just supposed to play the part of a woman's relationship with motherhood: the happy mother whose home and life is full of warmth and chaos, the new mum obsessed with her baby, the infertile woman desperate to conceive. That would have made a great starting point in the hands of a competent author, but none of these characters had any personality whatsoever and their conversations and drama were cringeworthily bland.
The main character, Olive, is supposed to be this cool, together woman but instead she's every selfish, lazy, unkind, stupid stereotype of a childfree woman you've ever heard of. I'm not sure if the author meant her to seem as painful as she was, but I suspect not which is somehow worse. Oh, and then, after all that faffing about and endless angst about not wanting kids, etc,
Spoiler
Olive finds a man with daughters in the end and immediately takes on a mothering role with them without compunction or even brief thought about the responsibility
emotional
funny
reflective
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
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
Two things can always be true at once.
i think i really needed this book, it's come at a good time for me. i really relate to olive, and sometimes it was embarrassing how much i do relate lol! i understand olive's frustrations, and it really highlights to me how everyone is so self-absorbed, either intentionally or unintentionally, and not mindful of others. we all lack accountability, self-reflection and introspection (although i guess the latter two are the same thing).
it's also very easy to presume everyone else must be fine and never ask them, rather than thinking, "oh god, i feel shit. i wonder if anyone else does, let me ask", and to give people more opportunities to speak up or get things off their chest.
the ending is a bit naff, with olive and her
also i got really angry at this bit:
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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