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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Minor: Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A charming novel that while focused on a parental relationship, highlights how complicated it is to accept being a parent. A nice departure from books that seem to push “be a parent” down your throat, however, the fact that it still centers the idea of parenthood is what keeps it from being excellent.
a solid read, but i wanted a teensy bit more of an ending. when this book first came out and was hitting lots of bestseller/popular read lists, i didn't understand the hype. a couple of kids just.. catch on fire? too fantastical for me, no thanks. BUT - there's a regular ol' story here and lillian's voice and narration are the real gem here. i was afraid it was just going to fizzle out (around the 200 page mark) and then there was ~a twist~ and then i had hope again for a big resolution/character development, but that was a smidge too ambitious, i guess, so -- 3 stars.
I was in the mood for a lighthearted read, and this fit the bill. Such a silly premise but fun & touching at the same time. This could be a story where you think “is is totally unrealistic”, but the author did a great job with character development so the story & character’s reactions & motivations made perfect sense. The audiobook is great! The reader is wonderful.
Quirky, and really fun. A story about acceptance, and the importance of love and stability.
Probably not for everyone, but this books is funny through the truth and seriousness/honesty of the narrator. Lots of swearing, which worked for the main character, but was a little over the top sometimes. This narrator had the same feel as the narrator of Writers and Lovers. Excellent.
Format: audio book
This was odd conceptually but ended up being surprisingly good. The audio version is really good, I can see why it won an audie.
My personal rating system:
1 - I didn’t like the book and I’m not really sure why anyone else likes the book
2 - I didn’t like the book but I can understand why other people like the book
3 - I liked the book but not enough that I would recommend it when someone asks me for book recs
4 - I really liked the book and would recommend it when someone asks me for book recs within the genre
5 - I loved the book and would recommend to anyone regardless of their preferred genre
This is a story of abandonment, parental trauma, what rich people can get away with, who is allowed to be weird, and who is a true parent. The fact the children can accidentally set themselves ablaze is the whipped cream and cherry on top of the book. I guess it could be a metaphor for a visible developmental disability, but that’s not how I read the book.