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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Wow, this was good (not great, some of the writing and plot could have been better). I love the book's perspective of a 30-something woman going through the process of figuring out if she wants to have children. As a mid-20-something woman, who is unsure about children in the future, this was a really important read. I really appreciated the ups and downs that Olive explored to both having (and not having children). Her friendships and relationships explored all of those complexities and realities that go with that decision.
This is an arc I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review is honest and spoiler-free.
I really enjoyed this book and this is a plot that I had never come across before. I think this book does justice to feminism. This book covered all kinds of women: the ones having 1 baby, the ones having 6 babies, the ones having a baby with a cheating partner, the one who can’t have any and ofcourse our lead character- the one who wants to be child-free.
It was a quick and fun read and tbh there were some parts that triggered me a little bit but hey, that’s ok because women actually face some of those. I loved how friendship was made so important in this book and it also gave a message of making amendments and standing for your own self and not depending on others. Being stubborn was very normal in this book which I felt was pretty good but somewhat I felt that the main character, Olive, was given a much more importance than she deserved. Overall I really enjoyed reading and listening to the book.
I don’t know but while listening to the book all I could think and relate to was Robin from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ because obviously they both are a lot similar but also because I felt that so much of dialogues and parts were very similar to ones in that series.
I really enjoyed this book and this is a plot that I had never come across before. I think this book does justice to feminism. This book covered all kinds of women: the ones having 1 baby, the ones having 6 babies, the ones having a baby with a cheating partner, the one who can’t have any and ofcourse our lead character- the one who wants to be child-free.
It was a quick and fun read and tbh there were some parts that triggered me a little bit but hey, that’s ok because women actually face some of those. I loved how friendship was made so important in this book and it also gave a message of making amendments and standing for your own self and not depending on others. Being stubborn was very normal in this book which I felt was pretty good but somewhat I felt that the main character, Olive, was given a much more importance than she deserved. Overall I really enjoyed reading and listening to the book.
I don’t know but while listening to the book all I could think and relate to was Robin from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ because obviously they both are a lot similar but also because I felt that so much of dialogues and parts were very similar to ones in that series.
dark
emotional
funny
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredible read. So thought provoking and I loved how it showed multiple perspectives and the ending was so... sweet and felt content; the storylines all came to a good place but they didn't just magically solve everyone's problems which I appreciated. It encapsulated female friendships in the 20's very well I thought.
I was excited when I heard about this book. I was really looking forward to it as a new, interesting take in a ‘rom-com’ category, with a woman who decides she does not want children as the central character. However, I really got off on the wrong foot with it.
The first chapter reads like some male fantasy -- I mean, was this chapter written by the sleazy Hugh Grant version of Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones?!
"I nuzzled into her big comfy bosom"
"Past boyfriends had sometimes commented on how touchy-feely my friends and I were. We'd sometimes pass out almost naked in each other's beds.
"Cec had appeared in a T-shirt and a lace thong, sucking on a straw..."
"There was no happier feeling than the four of us in the bed. Four young sweaty bodies, entangled, feeling fragile but exited for the future."
Wow, ok, weird start, but kept reading.
There were some odd writing choices:
"My body has changed and morphed, and now I'm my very own teddy bear." (What?!)
The reader is not given much to go on to feel sympathetic to Olive's character - in fact, she comes across as fairly vile. Selfish, self-centered, and lacking empathy:
When her friends have to cancel a dinner: "I know how much they all have going on, but I just can't shake the feeling the girls have let me down." Seriously?! Selfish much?
Her aversion to children seems to focus on incredibly superficial things like her annoyance at kids in a cafe or how many flights to a holiday destination you could get for the price of a box of diapers.
At her life-long friend Bea's house, the kids are mentioned as follows: "... and six year old Amelia wants to play her violin for us. No offence, Amelia, but you're not very good. Arnold, the three year old wanders in and hands me a Lord of the Rings action figure that has some sort of dried crust on it. I love you, I think, but please don't touch me with your snotty face and hands." Wow. If it was meant to be funny, it falls flat. If it was meant to be serious, that's pretty mean.
The friendship amongst the four women feels generic - we all went out and got drunk together, we all ate Domino's pizza together. A lot of the characters just seem like stereotypes, not real people, "A girl who I remember being really fun in school is now married to a boring basic banker. Another friend from university who I vaguely remember as sleeping with the entire football team has now become a nun..."
I think this topic could be done with sympathy and nuance, and there are some interesting bits in the middle, in Olive's exploration of CFBC and different experiences of motherhood in her friend group, and her brief friendship with her neighbour (though that is kind of strange as well), but overall, this book misses the mark for me.
The first chapter reads like some male fantasy -- I mean, was this chapter written by the sleazy Hugh Grant version of Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones?!
"I nuzzled into her big comfy bosom"
"Past boyfriends had sometimes commented on how touchy-feely my friends and I were. We'd sometimes pass out almost naked in each other's beds.
"Cec had appeared in a T-shirt and a lace thong, sucking on a straw..."
"There was no happier feeling than the four of us in the bed. Four young sweaty bodies, entangled, feeling fragile but exited for the future."
Wow, ok, weird start, but kept reading.
There were some odd writing choices:
"My body has changed and morphed, and now I'm my very own teddy bear." (What?!)
The reader is not given much to go on to feel sympathetic to Olive's character - in fact, she comes across as fairly vile. Selfish, self-centered, and lacking empathy:
When her friends have to cancel a dinner: "I know how much they all have going on, but I just can't shake the feeling the girls have let me down." Seriously?! Selfish much?
Her aversion to children seems to focus on incredibly superficial things like her annoyance at kids in a cafe or how many flights to a holiday destination you could get for the price of a box of diapers.
At her life-long friend Bea's house, the kids are mentioned as follows: "... and six year old Amelia wants to play her violin for us. No offence, Amelia, but you're not very good. Arnold, the three year old wanders in and hands me a Lord of the Rings action figure that has some sort of dried crust on it. I love you, I think, but please don't touch me with your snotty face and hands." Wow. If it was meant to be funny, it falls flat. If it was meant to be serious, that's pretty mean.
The friendship amongst the four women feels generic - we all went out and got drunk together, we all ate Domino's pizza together. A lot of the characters just seem like stereotypes, not real people, "A girl who I remember being really fun in school is now married to a boring basic banker. Another friend from university who I vaguely remember as sleeping with the entire football team has now become a nun..."
I think this topic could be done with sympathy and nuance, and there are some interesting bits in the middle, in Olive's exploration of CFBC and different experiences of motherhood in her friend group, and her brief friendship with her neighbour (though that is kind of strange as well), but overall, this book misses the mark for me.
challenging
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated