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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
This was on my Goodreads TBR for a few years so I downloaded the audiobook.
Really enjoyed this! Olive is a very different person to me with a very different outlook and opinions than my own but I really enjoyed this novel about her and her friends and their individual experiences of relationships and motherhood.
I enjoyed listening to it on audio and thought the narrator was brilliant! Would definitely read more from the author.
Really enjoyed this! Olive is a very different person to me with a very different outlook and opinions than my own but I really enjoyed this novel about her and her friends and their individual experiences of relationships and motherhood.
I enjoyed listening to it on audio and thought the narrator was brilliant! Would definitely read more from the author.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Nearly dnf but glad I finished. Okay book and interesting premise but could have been better.
Thin characters deserved better.
Thin characters deserved better.
I read this book as a result of wishing (out loud in a forum I'm in) for more books in which strong female characters that didn't want children didn't change their minds (and SIDE NOTE: I'm not saying that women can't change their minds. They totally can. But the message that all women should want children and that changing your mind to want children is the "natural turn of events" is untrue and, frankly, kind of boring). "Olive" definitely fits that bill. I thought that this was a really well-done fiction that looked at the world of the Childfree by Choice movement. At the same time, it also explored (more generally) what it means to "grow up", mature, have friendships evolve, and have a family.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A total chick lit book, written with a very interesting perspective on what what the norm is for a 30 something female. Overall it's a quick and easy read about a group of four friends and how their dynamic changes as they get older. A good holiday read!
I didn’t really know what I was getting into with this book and was surprised to learn it was basically entirely about a woman grappling with not wanting to have children while her friends had varied experiences with motherhood. I don’t personally want to have children and am glad to have stumbled upon a book that explores the complexities of that decision.
emotional
reflective
fast-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated
I liked how this booked explored different paths and choices of women with acceptance.
There are a lot of mixed reviews for this book and I can see where people are coming from. With that said, I did like this book. I think as a whole, I could relate to Olive's feelings about not feeling like your 'normal' for wanting children. I've had these thoughts myself and the internal dialogue felt very real. I do think she was a bit of a narcissist but I also felt that was very real. There were times she annoyed the shit out of me for being so judgemental for the choices her friends made or parents in general. Though I think she might have been lashing out because it's easy to feel or think that other people's choices are a personal attack on your own choices or feelings.
I did think the lazy was ending. This is the third book about a woman who wants to be childfree that ends up with a man who has kids. Like really?
Overall I liked it if not for the fact that I could relate to the main characters' struggle with feeling stuck while everyone else is moving along without you in a society that upholds getting married, buying a house, and having kids as a marker of success.
I did think the lazy was ending. This is the third book about a woman who wants to be childfree that ends up with a man who has kids. Like really?
Overall I liked it if not for the fact that I could relate to the main characters' struggle with feeling stuck while everyone else is moving along without you in a society that upholds getting married, buying a house, and having kids as a marker of success.