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igood54's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
mtzbookworm64's review against another edition
4.0
Grace Porter, military brat, daughter to Colonel - who expects perfection and plans out her life, takes a detour from the “plan” when she goes to Vegas after completing her astronomy doctorate and gets married to Yuki. But - she must now find herself and her wife.
slushysands's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
galacticvampire's review
4.0
This is not a romance, and the story is better for it.
Honey Girl explores what comes after success. How to face the world after your plans end, and ultimately, fall apart. It's the story of a black queer woman trying to navigate life and academia, and overcoming perfectionism.
For all that, the book is beautiful. And also why the end isn't really satisfying. It was the ending of a romance. It's cute, but doesn't really works to wrap up a story that wasn't really about that. I'd much rather have had a scene with Grace's father, for example.
Honey Girl explores what comes after success. How to face the world after your plans end, and ultimately, fall apart. It's the story of a black queer woman trying to navigate life and academia, and overcoming perfectionism.
For all that, the book is beautiful. And also why the end isn't really satisfying. It was the ending of a romance. It's cute, but doesn't really works to wrap up a story that wasn't really about that. I'd much rather have had a scene with Grace's father, for example.
lurker_stalker's review
4.0
Going to jot down just a few things about this book.
First, I recommend a non-audio version if possible. The narrator has a lovely voice but the telling of the story was slow and plodding and sometimes difficult to figure out who was talking during conversations. I accidentally bumped it up to 1.25% on the speed and it was much better but still not great.
The writing itself was very good. Mature vocabulary, well constructed sentences, and I assume proper editing made it possible to focus completely on the story being told.
Now, about that story...
Our protagonist is 28 at the beginning of the book and 29 at the end but this really felt like a YA book. Nearly 30 isn't a young adult and that was frustrating for me. I get living a sheltered life in academia during her entire adult life would give her a skewed view of some things but it was a bit much for me and I wasn't able to have much empathy at all for Grace. I also understand what it's like to be raised by a strong, Black military veteran - but I'm a white woman who has never had to prove myself in the same way a Black woman would have to.
Which brings me to what stuck with me the most: a cast of characters not centered around or filled with white people. It was refreshing and enlightening and I loved it.
I expected a romance and initially wished there had been more relationship development with the wife instead of so much time spent on friends and work but I don't think that's what this book was really supposed to be about. It's about a youngish woman finding her place in the world on her own terms after a life led trying to live by a grand plan devised by - or in spite of - others.
First, I recommend a non-audio version if possible. The narrator has a lovely voice but the telling of the story was slow and plodding and sometimes difficult to figure out who was talking during conversations. I accidentally bumped it up to 1.25% on the speed and it was much better but still not great.
The writing itself was very good. Mature vocabulary, well constructed sentences, and I assume proper editing made it possible to focus completely on the story being told.
Now, about that story...
Our protagonist is 28 at the beginning of the book and 29 at the end but this really felt like a YA book. Nearly 30 isn't a young adult and that was frustrating for me. I get living a sheltered life in academia during her entire adult life would give her a skewed view of some things but it was a bit much for me and I wasn't able to have much empathy at all for Grace. I also understand what it's like to be raised by a strong, Black military veteran - but I'm a white woman who has never had to prove myself in the same way a Black woman would have to.
Which brings me to what stuck with me the most: a cast of characters not centered around or filled with white people. It was refreshing and enlightening and I loved it.
I expected a romance and initially wished there had been more relationship development with the wife instead of so much time spent on friends and work but I don't think that's what this book was really supposed to be about. It's about a youngish woman finding her place in the world on her own terms after a life led trying to live by a grand plan devised by - or in spite of - others.
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
Not only is “Honey Girl” the best book I’ve read this year but it’s also one of the best books I’ve read PERIOD. There is so much to love about this story, and it’s one I’m going to be reading again and again.
janagaton's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a romance, y'all. I honestly wish it had a bit more scenes with her wife, but overall, I appreciated how it was more a coming of age story of a post-grad character who feels lost. Very relatable. Loved pretty much all the characters, but my faves have to be Yuki & Agnes. Loved the zodiac references, but the astronomy phrases got to be a little much at times. Though it did bring charm to the story, I just hate repetition, and the way the author used the same or very similar phrases/similes throughout the entire book irked me. However, that factor was obviously not enough to bring my rating down any less than a 4 star. I related to Grace on such a deep level, and the responses made/advice given by those around her really resonated with me.