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clo_l's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. The story of a young girl, left to fend for herself, never knowing love, companionship or security. April has lived a million lives in the span of this book. She has loved & left, over and over and over. Never feeling worthy enough to stay with the people she truly loves & who love her back. It was hard, reading about her falling into the same patterns and not allowing herself to settle down. I absolutely love the characters in this book, especially Margo & Ethan. The ending is bittersweet and hopeful, although I need MORE! I need to know what else happens, does Justin come around? What about Robert? Who does little Max grow up to be? Ughhhh I seriously need more! I’m not ready to let go of April.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Car accident, and Vomit
bexi's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Pedophilia
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Title: The People We Keep
Author: Allison Larkin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Slow • Nostalgic • Repetitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Abandoned by her mother as a child, April is living in a run-down motorhome her father won as part of a bet, and picking up shifts at the local diner. Her father who is rarely ever home, prefers to spend time with his girlfriend and her child. To make matters worse, April's failing at school and barely scraping by. Sick of it all and with dreams of pursuing her music, she steals a car and leaves Little River behind.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After seeing several glowing reviews and reading the synopsis, I was convinced The People We Keep would be a book I'd love. Unfortunately, I was wrong (it happens).
What I like:
• part one. It started out so strong. I was intrigued. I was engaged. I wanted to keep reading.
• the singer/songwriter aspect. I wish there'd have been a bigger focus on this element.
• the secondary characters. April meets some wonderful and endearing people along the way.
• the audio narration. It's Julia Whelan. Enough said.
What I didn't like:
• part two on. After starting with so much potential, it really lost it's footing as I progressed and my attention waned considerably.
• the pacing. It felt longer than it actually was. And yet, the entire story spans only four years of April's life, and I wanted felt as though it should have been longer.
• the repetitive nature of April's behaviour. The same thing happens over and over again. April's behaviour felt like a broken record, making the narrative highly predictable and giving it YA vibes. Honestly, it didn't feel like she grew all that much from start to finish.
• the sexual encounters. The story didn't need this and would likely have been better without.
• the redemptive power of motherhood. It all just felt so unrealistic and cliché.
• entering a relationship under false pretenses. Just. A. Hard. No.
In summary, The People We Keep had so many of the elements I love in a character-driven story, but it just ended up not working. I definitely understand why this book is so beloved by many readers, it was just not the right fit for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the found family trope
• readers who like character-driven narratives
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I wonder if maybe all you do is meet people and lose them and your smile fades the further you go because you have to carry the space they leave. Maybe it just all turns into old pictures on a bookshelf, engraved rings, memories of sticking stars to a ceiling, and maybe the space gets bigger and heavier every year."
"I want to believe there will still be newness in the world for me. That it's not all faded and dusty."
Author: Allison Larkin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Slow • Nostalgic • Repetitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Abandoned by her mother as a child, April is living in a run-down motorhome her father won as part of a bet, and picking up shifts at the local diner. Her father who is rarely ever home, prefers to spend time with his girlfriend and her child. To make matters worse, April's failing at school and barely scraping by. Sick of it all and with dreams of pursuing her music, she steals a car and leaves Little River behind.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After seeing several glowing reviews and reading the synopsis, I was convinced The People We Keep would be a book I'd love. Unfortunately, I was wrong (it happens).
What I like:
• part one. It started out so strong. I was intrigued. I was engaged. I wanted to keep reading.
• the singer/songwriter aspect. I wish there'd have been a bigger focus on this element.
• the secondary characters. April meets some wonderful and endearing people along the way.
• the audio narration. It's Julia Whelan. Enough said.
What I didn't like:
• part two on. After starting with so much potential, it really lost it's footing as I progressed and my attention waned considerably.
• the pacing. It felt longer than it actually was. And yet, the entire story spans only four years of April's life, and I wanted felt as though it should have been longer.
• the repetitive nature of April's behaviour. The same thing happens over and over again. April's behaviour felt like a broken record, making the narrative highly predictable and giving it YA vibes. Honestly, it didn't feel like she grew all that much from start to finish.
• the sexual encounters. The story didn't need this and would likely have been better without.
• the redemptive power of motherhood. It all just felt so unrealistic and cliché.
• entering a relationship under false pretenses. Just. A. Hard. No.
In summary, The People We Keep had so many of the elements I love in a character-driven story, but it just ended up not working. I definitely understand why this book is so beloved by many readers, it was just not the right fit for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the found family trope
• readers who like character-driven narratives
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I wonder if maybe all you do is meet people and lose them and your smile fades the further you go because you have to carry the space they leave. Maybe it just all turns into old pictures on a bookshelf, engraved rings, memories of sticking stars to a ceiling, and maybe the space gets bigger and heavier every year."
"I want to believe there will still be newness in the world for me. That it's not all faded and dusty."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Drug use, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
child neglectherthrillingreads's review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Alcoholism
kylieqrada's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Ok this book was emotional forreal forreal. Even though I forgot to mark this read and review it until now, when I finished it 4 days ago, I still have a real sense of the sadness that it conjured. A very intense book with a lot of hard-hitting, gorgeous writing and unflinching narrative choices. There were a few things that I had a mild case of the eeks about, but overall, a positive experience!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Sexual assault
sarah_22's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism
gissellereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I finished this book and I just wanted to give it a big hug! This is the kind of character driven books that I love. It is a character driven coming of age story set in the 90’s over the span of a few years. I enjoyed the character development, the plot and the themes throughout the book. You can’t help it but root for the main character April. It is a heartfelt story and one that I’ll think about for a long time.
I made the mistake of finishing it while on a plane and I cried at the end. It is a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed the ride. This is a story that is both sad but also hopeful. It is a story about the people we cross paths with and the impact they have in our lives. There are so many great characters that will stay with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
kbaxter21's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
cordeliadarkles's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A captivating story about a lost girl, forced to grow up too soon, trying to make sense of herself and her very dysfunctional life; while grasping for dreams to come reality.
The moment I read the book dedication, I knew I was all in for the entire ride.
April, our main character, is sharp, resourceful, and funny. Yet, highly impulsive, even childish at times. I can't help wonder if it would've been more appropriate for age the MC a couple of years older. I'm around April's age and felt extremely uncomfortable with much of her immature thought process.
Even though I was very sympathetic towards April, her constantly driving from place to place, her getting away from everyone who started showing affection made it complicated to connect with her.
In short, it's a book many will enjoy for the same reasons others will find it tedious.
The moment I read the book dedication, I knew I was all in for the entire ride.
April, our main character, is sharp, resourceful, and funny. Yet, highly impulsive, even childish at times. I can't help wonder if it would've been more appropriate for age the MC a couple of years older. I'm around April's age and felt extremely uncomfortable with much of her immature thought process.
Even though I was very sympathetic towards April, her constantly driving from place to place, her getting away from everyone who started showing affection made it complicated to connect with her.
In short, it's a book many will enjoy for the same reasons others will find it tedious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Violence
mochi21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
I hope this is Book of the Month Club's book of the year, it deserves it.
This is a book so good that I can't put my finger on why it was so good. A book I had to wake up from when it was over. I loved every second of it, even the parts that hurt.
Larkin's characterization was so masterful that the connection to April is instant. You're along for the ride.
I find that books like these are often misery porn. Don't get me wrong. This book is going to break you. But you'll be happy when it does.
This is a book so good that I can't put my finger on why it was so good. A book I had to wake up from when it was over. I loved every second of it, even the parts that hurt.
Larkin's characterization was so masterful that the connection to April is instant. You're along for the ride.
I find that books like these are often misery porn. Don't get me wrong. This book is going to break you. But you'll be happy when it does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug use and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual assault
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