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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the writing, I loved the wit, I got the humour.
I didn't like the protagonist and how she expected not just life, but also love, to just happen to her. No work to be done. Not that love should be work, but... oh, come on, Sophie!
And... it's very tell-y (as opposed to showy) and it makes it cold. It makes Sophie cold.
And still I have a million bent corners and I can't stop laughing at the elephant joke. Because, don't we all actually just want the elephants.
I didn't like the protagonist and how she expected not just life, but also love, to just happen to her. No work to be done. Not that love should be work, but... oh, come on, Sophie!
And... it's very tell-y (as opposed to showy) and it makes it cold. It makes Sophie cold.
And still I have a million bent corners and I can't stop laughing at the elephant joke. Because, don't we all actually just want the elephants.
Loved Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, but this seemed like a re-tread.
Maybe more of a 2.5. This was uneven and I found myself enjoying the book less and less as it went on. Bank is a technically beautiful writer, but this story left me aggravated and wishing it lived up to its potential.
A quirky, touching and funny book that offers a very realistic protagonist in Sophie Applebaum.
For some reason I can't remember anything about The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing but I am pretty sure I enjoyed it. I had been looking forward to reading Melissa Banks' second book. My favorite English prof always raved about Melissa Banks; maybe he hasn't read this book. I found Sophie to be an exasperating character and everything about her life was so blah. The most redeeming part was when Sophie developed a relationship with her grandmother, calling and visiting her, but this was only after her grandmother's personality "changed" to something that suited Sophie. I was bored and irritated by Sophie's listlessness, selfishness, and lack of direction. Do something with your life and be a better person!
I wanted to give Melissa Bank a second chance after being underwhelmed with her debut novel, but I found her follow-up, "The Wonder Spot" to be equally underwhelming. This is not to say that the novel is without merit, as there are things that Bank does very well.
She doesn't write plot, she write slice of life and character sketches. This entire book comprised of slices of the main character, Sophie Applebaums, life. It's an examination of how a woman grows (or is stuck) as she develops relationships in her life. Again, this book doesn't have a big plot. It's almost like little short stories revolving around the same person. The lack of a forward plot or over-all arc, is a bit maddening and maybe if the character was more interesting, it would be forgivable.
Bank writes characters. She write real people. Sophie is entirely relatable, even if she isn't very likable. Unfortunately, I recognized much of myself in her character. The problem with making her so real, is it made the book a bit dull. This is not even remotely escapist literature or chick-lit. It's a character study. Sophie may feel real, but she is also not a very interesting person.
Neither are the other characters in the story. I kept getting them confused with one another, none of them made an impression. This was the major fault of the story. I can handle the lack of plot and realism, if the characters give me a reason to care. Unfortunately, I just didn't care about any of them.
I want to like Bank, as she has a way of writing that is authentic. I just desperately want her writing to be more interesting.
http://www.alwayspackedforadventure.com
She doesn't write plot, she write slice of life and character sketches. This entire book comprised of slices of the main character, Sophie Applebaums, life. It's an examination of how a woman grows (or is stuck) as she develops relationships in her life. Again, this book doesn't have a big plot. It's almost like little short stories revolving around the same person. The lack of a forward plot or over-all arc, is a bit maddening and maybe if the character was more interesting, it would be forgivable.
Bank writes characters. She write real people. Sophie is entirely relatable, even if she isn't very likable. Unfortunately, I recognized much of myself in her character. The problem with making her so real, is it made the book a bit dull. This is not even remotely escapist literature or chick-lit. It's a character study. Sophie may feel real, but she is also not a very interesting person.
Neither are the other characters in the story. I kept getting them confused with one another, none of them made an impression. This was the major fault of the story. I can handle the lack of plot and realism, if the characters give me a reason to care. Unfortunately, I just didn't care about any of them.
I want to like Bank, as she has a way of writing that is authentic. I just desperately want her writing to be more interesting.
http://www.alwayspackedforadventure.com
I enjoyed the author's writing style, but I didn't like how this was almost more like short stories rather than a novel. The main character wasn't very likable and seemed to meander through life not being happy with her various boyfriends or jobs. My main annoyance was that toward the end she mentions a past boyfriend and claims that she really did love him, but he's not mentioned elsewhere in the book. Why didn't we get that story? It seemed really odd.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes