Reviews

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

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kitkat175's review against another edition

2.0

I was very excited to read/listen to this book.
This book is just okay.
It seems very confusing to me in my opinion.
It is interesting to read.
I rated this book at a 2, I would give it a 2.5 but that is pushing it.
I should have actually read the back of the book instead of just glancing at it.
This book is interesting, I did listen to the audiobook for the most part and that was just okay.
It's a great story I just don't think it was told well.

spillie's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

A challenging read at points, this book highlights some dark points in recent Canadian history. Written in the style of Genevieve Graham, this well-researched story hit a nerve for me, an adoptee from this era. While I am not a fan of multiple points of view or timelines, both devices were used to good effect in this novel. Recommended with potential trigger warnings.

country_roads_reader's review

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informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

spow's review

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4.0

In the author's notes for "Looking for Jane", Heather Marshall says this book is about motherhood. Throughout the book, my thoughts were that this book was about women. Written about the polarizing topic of abortion rights, this book moves the attention from the unborn to the woman in the situation, and how the decision regarding pregnancy alters their lives. Ms. Marshall does a great job of giving the reader each viewpoint to this topic--forced pregnancy, willing adoption, abortion, and infertility--which really just highlights how important and complicated the topic is.
I really love how the author tackled such a tough subject. I thought each of the women highlighted had important stories that needed to be told. This isn't just a pro-abortion book; it's a book that really highlights why a woman having control over their choices is important in shaping their lives. Each of the women in this book were real in their attributes and flaws, and it was easy to invest in their stories.
There are two reasons that I have this book 4 stars instead of 5. First, I thought the twist at the end took away from the overall story. The whole thing was messy and unbelievable, and it really didn't do justice to the rest of the book. Second, the editing of the book was not good. Back to the twist, it feels like the author mixed up Evelyn and Margaret's story and no one seemed to catch it. Evelyn writes to her brother to help her keep her baby while Margaret mentions wanting to go to Scotland to an aunt to give the baby up for adoption, but then during the twist Margaret has the brother she wanted to adopt her baby? Also, the girls have no one to turn when they find out about the forced adoptions, but a few weeks later Margaret has zero issues going to her brother's home when she needs to run away? There were too many loose ends and inconsistencies that I'd rather stop at the twist and call it a day.
Even with those issues though, I still think this was a book worthy of my time and attention.