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juli_khn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Cursing, Medical content, Car accident, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Sexism, Alcohol, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Medical content, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Drug use, Body shaming, and Suicidal thoughts
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The first book of this series was gifted to me by Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing in a welcome pack and I immediately fell in love with the series and instantly bought the second book. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the expectations I had after the first book.
This book still follows Don Tillman. He had never had a second date before he met Rosie. Now, living in New York City, they have survived ten months and ten days of marriage, even if Don has had to sacrifice standardized meals and embrace unscheduled sex. But then Rosie drops the mother of all bombshells. And Don must prepare for the biggest challenge of his previously ordered life – at the same time as dodging deportation, prosecution and professional disgrace. Is Don Tillman ready to become the man he always dreamed of being? Or will he revert to his old ways and risk losing Rosie for ever?
After the brilliance of The Rosie Project, I had such HIGH hopes for this book, and it just wasn’t it. If this was the first book, I don’t know if I would carry on with the series, it was such a struggle. Compared to the last book, it was so slow, I was waiting for the pace to pick up and it never happened. The miscommunication in this book drove me up the wall, it started with Rosie being elated to start a family with Don and then complete shut him out and then Don trying his best to be different and helping and Rosie just not acknowledge it or appreciate it. Don not telling Rosie his struggles with almost getting deported just didn’t help things. The events of this book drove me up the wall, and I just wanted Don and Rosie to be spending more time with each other and having fun where it seemed like I was reading a book about a couple who had been together for like fifty years instead of two years.
I liked the addition of George in this book, I thought he brought a bit of perception and growth for Don, and I just thought he was hilarious. I am hoping we can see the return of Claudia as I missed her in this book. I am hoping that the third and final book in this series is as good as the first one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, and Medical content
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Addiction, and Alcoholism
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While I didn't entirely dislike the book, I find myself agreeing with other reviewers who say THE ROSIE EFFECT is a bit contrived. The situations Don finds himself in are really serious, and the ease at which he gets out of them are improbable enough to break the suspension of disbelief. Don isn't "quirky", he's neurodivergent (assumed but never stated on the autism spectrum), and in that context, a lot of his actions make sense. It astounds me how so many of the sticky situations he gets in are a direct result of the people around him to claim to know him best failing to communicate in a considerate way.
Rosie, too, is a huge problem. She's the center of the largest conflict in the story and her behaviors are completely unprecedented. Her character - so rounded and exuberant in the first book - has got one-dimensional for the singular purpose of driving the new conflict. It's a bad look, and again, realistically, doesn't work.
If the question is as simple as "was I entertained?" then the answer is "yes, I was". But despite that, I didn't really believe the book, the behaviors of the characters, the central problem, or the original resolution.
Rosie, too, is a huge problem. She's the center of the largest conflict in the story and her behaviors are completely unprecedented. Her character - so rounded and exuberant in the first book - has got one-dimensional for the singular purpose of driving the new conflict. It's a bad look, and again, realistically, doesn't work.
If the question is as simple as "was I entertained?" then the answer is "yes, I was". But despite that, I didn't really believe the book, the behaviors of the characters, the central problem, or the original resolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Alcohol, Medical content, and Ableism
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Deportation, and Car accident
barelycompetent's review against another edition
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
What a strange, abrupt and unsatisfactory end to this book.
I find it difficult to decide what I think of this book. The character of Don is funny and endearing, the other characters are infuriating. Rosie's inability to communicate at all let alone with someone like Don is frustrating. She seems to have created this huge problem for herself and then refuses to talk about it and work it through.
The constant estimation of people's age and BMI is problematic on so many levels.
SpoilerLydia's behavior should not be allowed to be waved away by one admission of fault. That admission with an apology could make up for how she acted at the restaurant but everything else she did is unethical.
As much as I think Don is endearing I can't really look past the problematic parts of this book. Pair that with the odd structure of the book, where the chapters seem arbitrary at times and scenes aren't rounded off before moving on, I can't give this book a very good rating.
I find it difficult to decide what I think of this book. The character of Don is funny and endearing, the other characters are infuriating. Rosie's inability to communicate at all let alone with someone like Don is frustrating. She seems to have created this huge problem for herself and then refuses to talk about it and work it through.
The constant estimation of people's age and BMI is problematic on so many levels.
SpoilerLydia's behavior should not be allowed to be waved away by one admission of fault. That admission with an apology could make up for how she acted at the restaurant but everything else she did is unethical.
As much as I think Don is endearing I can't really look past the problematic parts of this book. Pair that with the odd structure of the book, where the chapters seem arbitrary at times and scenes aren't rounded off before moving on, I can't give this book a very good rating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident
isalovestheocean's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Medical content, Infertility, Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
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