iaproton's review

Go to review page

hopeful informative mysterious relaxing sad

2.0

More slice of life than magical realism. Some mild to moderate life problems,husband not helping around the house and fighting about it, called into HR for being angry and treated like a doormat ,not liking one's job,being put in a different lower status job after having a child...

 Mostly relaxing audio until you get to the 3rd main character and her child that likes to scream ''no.''

Most of the book is the main characters' thoughts with some dialogue every so often.Problems are solved simply and too quickly,  it is nice to see some personal growth but it almost happened overnight.

The book has about 20 different characters which makes it quite difficult to follow occasionally.

  There are multiple narrators. The one toward the last quarter of the book has a really terrible falsetto.

Wanting to find out more about the librarian was what made interested in finishing. She isn't mentioned often and every time uneccesarily in a fatphobic way. 

I wouldn't give it a 2nd listen ,whereas DallerGut Dream Department Store I would as it has more magic and whimsy with less misery taking up 3/4 of the book.

There aren't many cats depsite the  cover.

I was hoping that the last chapter would be dedicated to the librarian solving the mysterious aspects , but there was no such chapter.Very disappointing.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

arturo_luzen's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.25

A light and reflective read that I found quite enjoyable. It leaves you with a sense of hope about everyday life. I especially appreciate how each story wasn't wrapped up absolutely perfectly at the end. There was enough there to suggest each character was on a new and more fulfilling path, but it wasn't like the author wanted everything to end exactly as predicted with no loose ends. The point is that there is space for growth at the end of each story, and I found this refreshing. Each character was unique and I felt connected to them all in different ways. Overall, a relatively quick and relaxing read. The perfect book for a time when it's tricky to follow a longer novel and you're in a headspace that can't handle anything other than lighthearted. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...