You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I loved This Is How It Always Is, so I was so excited to come across another Laurie Frankel book. And I was so pleasantly surprised! I didn't think that this book was anything like the other one, but that made it even better to me. Mab, Monday and Mirabel are absolutely amazing characters and make this book such a wonderful read. Frankel does a phenomenal job of developing their POVs and really making you feel like you're seeing the world from their eyes. A fantastic read!!!
2022 PopSugar Challenge - a book with a protagonist that uses a mobility aid
So I read a lot of murder mystery/thriller/suspense type books. Sometimes I need something with less murder and mayhem. It is such a treat to find a book that is so *different* from what I usually read.
I suspect there aren't too many books out there like this one. I really enjoyed it, even if it took me a second to figure out the chaptering... Chapter One. Two. One again?? Three now? Oh. Ok. Got it.
I have read one previous book by this author but halfway through this book I put the rest on my TBR list and am happy to say the synopses all look very *different* again.
So I read a lot of murder mystery/thriller/suspense type books. Sometimes I need something with less murder and mayhem. It is such a treat to find a book that is so *different* from what I usually read.
I suspect there aren't too many books out there like this one. I really enjoyed it, even if it took me a second to figure out the chaptering... Chapter One. Two. One again?? Three now? Oh. Ok. Got it.
I have read one previous book by this author but halfway through this book I put the rest on my TBR list and am happy to say the synopses all look very *different* again.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reading this book felt like Erin Brockovich but from the viewpoint of the affected community. To call it sobering is an understatement. The effects of the pollution of the river from which the town drew from was so devastating, ranging from cancer to congenital malformations in both humans and animals alike. Reading about it made me so upset. How is it that it can the legal system expects the affected community to prove that they have been poisoned by unscrupulous companies? On a cerebral level, I get the whole innocent till proven guilty thing, but it was so heartbreaking to see Nora on her crusade while the town settled for their lot and the rest of the world moved on. Injustice, guys.
Welcome to One Two Three by Laurie Frankel where the atmospheric writing draws one in, immersing one in the towns’ resignation before gathering momentum with the new family shifting in and hurtling toward the denouement. I loved the first half of the book where Frankel focuses on building the world and it’s tone. The second part with the shifting winds was delicious as well though there was a lot of groaning on my part watching Mab lose her head. What can I say, I’m that party pooper who just wants teenage girls to keep their eyes on the prize (studies before guys!). The ending though, was really rushed in my opinion. I would have loved exploring the sisters’ new dynamic and seeing how the town started on regrowth, somewhat like the descending limb of a curve rather than a roller coaster of narrative pacing shooting up into the air and ending there.
I’ve left the best for the last. My favourite thing about this book is the representation. We don’t just have one narrator with special needs, we have two. TWO. And they were rather nicely fleshed out, what with each of them having their own personalities and inner worlds. I especially like how Mirabel was written (I can’t be the only person who starts singing “My family’s amazing (Mirabel!)” in my head each time I read the character’s name, right). They’re so beautifully reflective that I couldn’t help taking note of some quotes. I could have done without quite so many big words because genius doesn’t always mean sesquipedalian vocabulary (and now half of us will have to go look up that word, see how annoying it is?). Anyway, it was lovely to have each sister have equal weight and equal importance in the book. People with special needs aren’t there for variety. They are real and whole and deserve their own character arcs in books too. So kudos to Frankel for giving us the kind of protagonists we deserve!
Diversity meter:
People with special needs
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
A great story but I personally struggled to get into it. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the characters and the inclusivity of children that have disabilities. Mab and River’s romance was not that interesting to me and I would have liked it better as a friendship. There was this feeling that Mab was the only “healthy” sister and that’s why her and River worked, which I didn’t find comfortable. The book was also slow/dry at parts. The plot was definitely interesting though. “Are we more angry or more desperate?”
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced