Scan barcode
jazhandz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Realizing that Emily Nemens primarily writes short stories made this book click for me. It straddles the line between novel and anthology, and approaching it as connected short stories rather than a single cohesive plot helped. I liked this book a lot - I keep trying to come up with a way to elaborate on that, but really, I just liked it. I didn’t think the connective tissue between stories was terribly effective or necessary; I just enjoyed the look at a strange year of spring training.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, Homophobia, Sexism, and Addiction
Gambling problem/addiction The sexism/homophobia are recurring throughout the book. The colonization is a casual discussion of the history of native peoples in Arizona, entirely in the interstitial sections. Alcohol is most notably in Second (the Tami chapter) and addiction is entirely in Fifth (the Greg chapter).
More...