Reviews

I’ve always thought that there is a certain narcissism to victimhood. That people who feel they have been wronged (and in many cases have been wronged) can sometimes lose their ability to truly think outside themselves and their pain, especially if justice is absent or deferred. I’ve also long agreed with the adage that one should never attribute to malice what can easily be chalked up to ignorance or stupidity. This book highlights both of these concepts for me, through a narrator who managed to escape her oppressive family (father, specifically) only to assume that they’ve villainized her and therefore allow herself to villainize them, to render them as ideas set out specifically to hurt her rather than as fallible human beings.

hannahlenaw's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lisa00's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sabinagruden's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is so good. It talks about estranged relationship between mother and daughter and it's told from the daughter's perspectove who is an artist around her 60's. The style is amazing, story dives deep into child-mother relationship, generational trauma, victim complex, suppressed hardship, denying oneself, healing traumas... it's very reflective and psychoanalytical. Although it deals with heavy subject and is heartbreaking, it reads very quickly and nice. It may be triggering for some people. But I highly recommend it.

delpoop's review against another edition

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4.0

I did enjoy this book, however it was not quite what I thought I was getting into. The topics were quite deeper than I was expecting, I myself did not know that I would be left pondering my relationship with my mother, but here we are. All in all, it is a very good, deep, and thoughtful read. The repetitiveness of the unstable narrator made the reader question what was really happening. It really keeps you on your toes and holding your breathe, unsure of what will be happening next.

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