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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What annoyed me about this book? Let me count the ways. Way too much drama. I am not a big fan of YA novels to begin with--wasn't even when I was a YA myself. There's always way too much drama. There are exceptions, of course--A Wrinkle in Time, A Separate Peace, The Secret Garden, The Velvet Room--even the Harry Potter novels. These are some of the great books. But most are just too much drama. I'm putting the rest of the review in as a spoiler so I can point out some specific things that annoyed me. SpoilerGot REALLY tired of the narrator's self-pity--didn't abate all the way to the end. Got really tired of her sister, Greta's self-pity. The overly-obvious parallel to the girls' mother and her brother got old pretty fast too. Most likeable character in the book was Toby. Didn't really buy the idea that it would have been possible to hide the fact that two men were living in the apartment for nine years. They never cleared up the big mystery about how Toby didn't give Finn AIDS. I got a whiff of an idea that Finn gave it to Toby, but no explanation ever forthcoming. "Back then no one knew about it" was as good as it got, and that was not enough for me. Didn't really buy the idea that four different people would deface a painting worth more than a half-million dollars. Totally did not buy the idea that the restorer would leave the mother's addition--the claim that the mother was "that good" doesn't hold up because there was a very famous photograph, on the cover of Newsweek, no less, which showed the un-defaced painting. Totally did not get what Finn was going for with the title, and hence totally did not get the title of the novel. The idea that he was trying to make the point that the two girls were wolves--predatory and destructive--conflicts entirely with his supposed love of them and desire to make them happy. Mixed messages.. Would not be inclined to try another by this author.
Reread for a book group. Have to say I agree with everything I said the first time. Plus the idea that a grown man in his 30s would pursue a friendship with a 14-year-old is still just really creepy.
Reread for a book group. Have to say I agree with everything I said the first time. Plus the idea that a grown man in his 30s would pursue a friendship with a 14-year-old is still just really creepy.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a solid book that offers a good look into what it was like to have relatives with AIDS in the 70s/80s timeframe. The main character, June, was a bit frustrating, and her mother and sister were infuriating for most of the book. There are so many unhealthy habits as it regards family relationships that rubbed me the wrong way — I wanted to shout at them all to “grow up” so many times. And June’s negative self talk gets old quick. She doesn’t really learn from prior things, not fully, and it’s real but very frustrating as a reader. Finn and Toby were my favorite characters by far. Overall though, I enjoyed the read. Would not read again, but glad I read it once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Grief
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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:
Yes
Simple and it gets all the way through your heart
I think it deserves to be read, to understand why is so deep now in my heart and mind. I'm sad and heartbroken but at the same time happy.
I think it deserves to be read, to understand why is so deep now in my heart and mind. I'm sad and heartbroken but at the same time happy.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Really beautifully written. A heartwrenching story about a teen struggling with the loss of her uncle to AIDS in the 1980s. I felt so many emotions reading this - compassion, anger, frustration. But the way grief is handled by the main character was beautiful to me. There was one part of the plot (minor) I didn't love - or maybe didn't understand the purpose?