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slow-paced
Really incredible coming of age story and a true story about friendship, adolescence, and becoming adults. I’m in love with both Tully and Kate, though at times I was frustrated with their miscommunication. I wish the ending wasn’t so rushed. From the beginning you knew their friendship split at some point and hopefully it would become rekindled… but once we got to that split it lasted about a chapter or two long. I also didn’t feel satisfied with the ending of Tully’s mom’s story - what happened to her? We never got to understand why she left Tully all those times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Rape, Sexual assault
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol
relaxing
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
This is the story of an unlikely friendship between two girls. Honestly it works because one's a giver and one's a taker and yet they need each other. The book was just okay for me..... Too many bedroom scenes, too many unoriginal story lines, and what the one friend did to the other to break apart their friendship is something only a truly clueless person would do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault, War
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content
emotional
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
Title: Firefly Lane
Author: Kristin Hannah
Series: Firefly Lane, #1
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: January 6, 2009
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unsurprising • Compelling • Moving
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Kate is a quiet, reserved eighth grader with a loving, close-knit and supportive family, yet finds herself lonely and without friends. During the summer of 1974, Tully moves in next door to Kate. Tully is the complete opposite of Kate - outgoing, driven and confident but who comes from a broken home and harbors a huge secret that haunts her. That summer they promise each other to be best friends forever. Firefly Lane follows Kate and Tully over three decades in a story of friendship and family, love and loss.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favourite authors after having read The Nightingale and Winter Garden, so I was looking forward to reading this one after a dear friend recommended it to me. Firefly Lane is a beautiful portrait of friendship told in alternating perspectives between two women. What I really liked was the lengthy time span of their friendship. But at times I found the characters behaviour predictable and I had issues with how Tully treated Kate. Maybe I didn't feel the connection to Kate or Tully because I've never had such a close and enduring female friendship.
With that said, Kristin Hannah has a gift! Her writing style is so enjoyable to read and she makes me feel so much while reading, which I absolutely love. Her writing here is captivating and beautiful. It captured my attention and pulled me into the story.
Although this was not my favourite Kristin Hannah book, I enjoyed my time with Kate and Tully, and look forward to reading the sequel Fly Away and anything else she writes!
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Hannah fans
• readers who love stories about friendship
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sometimes being a good friend means saying nothing."
"All she knew was that a voice could offer light in a dark place, and light could lead you out.
Author: Kristin Hannah
Series: Firefly Lane, #1
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: January 6, 2009
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unsurprising • Compelling • Moving
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Kate is a quiet, reserved eighth grader with a loving, close-knit and supportive family, yet finds herself lonely and without friends. During the summer of 1974, Tully moves in next door to Kate. Tully is the complete opposite of Kate - outgoing, driven and confident but who comes from a broken home and harbors a huge secret that haunts her. That summer they promise each other to be best friends forever. Firefly Lane follows Kate and Tully over three decades in a story of friendship and family, love and loss.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favourite authors after having read The Nightingale and Winter Garden, so I was looking forward to reading this one after a dear friend recommended it to me. Firefly Lane is a beautiful portrait of friendship told in alternating perspectives between two women. What I really liked was the lengthy time span of their friendship. But at times I found the characters behaviour predictable and I had issues with how Tully treated Kate. Maybe I didn't feel the connection to Kate or Tully because I've never had such a close and enduring female friendship.
With that said, Kristin Hannah has a gift! Her writing style is so enjoyable to read and she makes me feel so much while reading, which I absolutely love. Her writing here is captivating and beautiful. It captured my attention and pulled me into the story.
Although this was not my favourite Kristin Hannah book, I enjoyed my time with Kate and Tully, and look forward to reading the sequel Fly Away and anything else she writes!
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Hannah fans
• readers who love stories about friendship
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sometimes being a good friend means saying nothing."
"All she knew was that a voice could offer light in a dark place, and light could lead you out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent
emotional
sad
tense
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
I read this book in 3 days because I couldn’t wait to find out more about these characters. This is a love story about a friendship. As I went on to read it the more I disliked both characters. Maybe not them, personally, but their toxic relationship. Kate was a people pleaser, her poor life was just engulfed by Tully and Tully didn’t care. Of course they loved each other and were good for each other in ways, but they were toxic together too. Tully’s horrible behavior always got a pass because of her bad childhood. It pissed me off how much these grown adults just thought “Tully being Tully”. I’m not saying she’s evil. But the fact is it was unhealthy. It’s sad to me that the only respect Kate truly got was when she was dying. Her whole life was full of anxiety, comparison, and jealousy. She died before she got sick. Her dreams were dead, her desire to live.. it was sad and frustrating. The author left us wondering if Johnny really loved her until the final pages.
This was well written. It made me want to know everything about these characters, I cared for them and got pissed at them as if they were real. I only gave this 3.5 stars because I was left feeling as if life just sucks. No matter which road you choose.
But, the author tries to not make you feel that way within the last 30 pages.. but for the first 440 pages you’re taught life just sucks. 30 pages couldn’t redeem the feeling.
This was well written. It made me want to know everything about these characters, I cared for them and got pissed at them as if they were real. I only gave this 3.5 stars because I was left feeling as if life just sucks. No matter which road you choose.
But, the author tries to not make you feel that way within the last 30 pages.. but for the first 440 pages you’re taught life just sucks. 30 pages couldn’t redeem the feeling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Rape
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic friendship
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment