Reviews

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee

torts's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is
like what you'd get if you took Stranger Than Fiction's bumbling protagonist facing imminent death, with the existential dread and capitalist ennui of The Pale King and the surreal dystopian magic of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself and an element of the satirizing of racial and class-based displacement of They Cloned Tyrone and romantic memory-sucking of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and stitched it together with the undercurrent of deeply-unsettling-twin nightmares of Annihilation (the movie). But also
wholly its own thing.

vgk's review against another edition

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Just not for me at this time. I was finding it quite depressing and anxiety-inducing, so I stopped reading at page 54.

porbee's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Jonathan Abernathy you Are INSUFFERABLE!!! Loved this book 4.5 stars great job

eliya's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Maybe my favorite book I have read this year so far. It is worth noting that the books that call to me or especially are touching to me are the ones that follow the human experience in its rawest form. The characters are neither good nor bad (debatable to some), just plagued with choice and consequence.  

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is about the lies we tell ourselves to quiet the sting of guilt and regret. It is about the crushing weight of what we owe to those around us. Jonathan Abernathy is a well-meaning man in so much financial debt, he does what he is convinced is the “right” decision - the only way to get out of the debt he is submerged in. He is a rule follower, he actively doesn’t do things that might cause him any more pain and suffering than he already endures. Jonathan Abernathy is so afraid of making a bad decision, he makes none. So many of his circumstances happened upon him, so he appears to think that even if he does absolutely nothing, bad things will happen.  He is a spineless man and he is me at my worst. This character really resonated with me. 

The book ends so beautifully. This is such a heartbreaking story and I will remember it for so long. 
 



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treebark18's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

ztremohno's review against another edition

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The magical realism was too real and not magical enough. Too me right out. 

possibilityleft's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

kelsiecrough's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is one of my new favorites. So good, I purchased it so I could reread and annotate over and over again. It is devastating in the way that makes you rethink not only your decision but the societal structures that are put in place that cause you to make those decisions. Magical Realism at its finest. I think what worked most for the book was the magical element of the book. Jonathan Abernathy lived in a world that looked like ours but harvests our dreams, memories and fears. I think the harvesting was written in a way that suspended my disbelief for the duration of the novel. And, really, the lack of questioning of the magic system not only helped suspend my disbelief but worked within the context of the story. I think what also made the book particularly devastating in a good way was, no matter what went wrong, Abernathy remained hopeful and you could see yourself in him and you wanted a happy ending despite it all. McGhee also used situational irony subtly and to her advantage throughout the book to keep me on my toes as a reader. The omnipresent third person worked well for the narrative, being able to not just see Abernathy thoughts but others without being limited helped round out the characters and the story. Lastly, the most impressive thing about the writing of this story, is that McGhee didn't need the magic, the magic was in the writing. What I mean by that is I could conceivably imagine this story as a realist piece, with no magical elements, and still critiquing the societal structures (let's just come out and say it: capitalism) that keep the poor, poorer and how it convinces nice people to do shady things and trade in morals. The magical elements add and don't take away from the point of the story. Everyone should read this book: poignant, beautifully written and constructed, and makes you feel deeply.

flowchelle's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I overall liked this book. I thought the concept and commentary was really thought provoking and interesting. My problem with these kinds of books is my distrust of the main characters perspective. It makes me feel like I’m not understanding the real story line. The ‘mind-fuck’ of the whole book being narrated by an unreliable character is that dreams are often like this. So it just doubles down on the psyche exploration of reality and storyline and plot twist…I found it enjoyable and frustrating all at once. Again…a lot like how you wake up after a vivid dreamscape night. I think my main critique was the telling of occurrences and feelings instead of the development of showing it through the character arcs. 
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mintoo's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective sad fast-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

3.0