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purplepenning's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Pregnancy
ninjamuse's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Medical content
Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!**
Wow! I really enjoyed this!
First starting out this book, I wasn't entirely sure where it would go... I was really excited about the idea of a book being centered around a bookstore and the people who ran it, were affected by, etc. And this didn't disappoint!
The beginning was a bit of a slow start for me, but I quickly became intrigued by the premise and the characters. I think that is the best part of this book - the characters. They are so real! They do things that you want to yell at them about, that you completely understand, that you want to cry or laugh with them over. Seeing all of the different types of relationships - friends, sisters, children, partners, spouse - and how these characters interact with each other, these relationships change due to things happening in their world. It was wonderful to read about.
And the bookstore? I want this bookstore to exist! Can someone please point me to something like this store!? The recommendations and stories alone make the store enticing, but when you read what it looks like, even better!
As you may have noticed from the gushing above, I really did enjoy this book. It deals with some heavy topics, but it never feels so heavy or dark that you need to put it down. It deals with them in a real way, but with a touch of hope tinting the reality. The plot propels the character growth, and the character growth makes you love the characters even more. There is creativity and realness to the scenes - yes, even the one where a full grown drunk adult pees their pants (I laughed so hard at this entire scene!!!)!
I will admit there was one thing that didn't work for me in the story, but it is kind of a spoiler - read on in the spoiler section at your own risk! There are moments in between chapters where Elliot - a character we don't actually meet since he has passed away before this story - pops in to give insight or additional information. I found this strange and it constantly pulled me out of the story... This was a character we got to hear stories about, who was gone before this story itself starts, and it didn't seem to add anything integral to the story but only pulls the reader out for these constant "commercial breaks..." I did like the insertions of the Book Haters newsletter though!
If you want a story that centers around books, relationships, and working your way through the hard moments, this is the book for you! There is so much wealth and hope from this story - and even a tiny bit of romance side plot ;)
Wow! I really enjoyed this!
First starting out this book, I wasn't entirely sure where it would go... I was really excited about the idea of a book being centered around a bookstore and the people who ran it, were affected by, etc. And this didn't disappoint!
The beginning was a bit of a slow start for me, but I quickly became intrigued by the premise and the characters. I think that is the best part of this book - the characters. They are so real! They do things that you want to yell at them about, that you completely understand, that you want to cry or laugh with them over. Seeing all of the different types of relationships - friends, sisters, children, partners, spouse - and how these characters interact with each other, these relationships change due to things happening in their world. It was wonderful to read about.
And the bookstore? I want this bookstore to exist! Can someone please point me to something like this store!? The recommendations and stories alone make the store enticing, but when you read what it looks like, even better!
As you may have noticed from the gushing above, I really did enjoy this book. It deals with some heavy topics, but it never feels so heavy or dark that you need to put it down. It deals with them in a real way, but with a touch of hope tinting the reality. The plot propels the character growth, and the character growth makes you love the characters even more. There is creativity and realness to the scenes - yes, even the one where a full grown drunk adult pees their pants (I laughed so hard at this entire scene!!!)!
I will admit there was one thing that didn't work for me in the story, but it is kind of a spoiler - read on in the spoiler section at your own risk!
If you want a story that centers around books, relationships, and working your way through the hard moments, this is the book for you! There is so much wealth and hope from this story - and even a tiny bit of romance side plot ;)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death, Alcohol, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Infertility
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