Reviews

Jane Is Trying by Isy Suttie

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siani's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Stand up comedians that turn their hand to writing novels often produce books that are thinly plotted vessels for their unused routines. Thankfully thus isn't the case here. While the writing is infused with Suttie's natural humour, it's also a good story too.

__sophiehall's review

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slow-paced

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

2.0

adamskiboy528491's review against another edition

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3.0

"Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.” - Henry David Thoreau.

[b:Jane Is Trying|56548319|Jane Is Trying|Isy Suttie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630148140l/56548319._SY75_.jpg|88291191] by [a:Isy Suttie|13610874|Isy Suttie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434623551p2/13610874.jpg] is surprisingly touching and very gripping. It's also a funny and sweet story about trying to start afresh when your past haunts you and the realities of being an independent adult.

Jane is trying. She's trying to get to grips with her (hopefully) temporary job in the bookstore. She's trying to figure out when it's too late to be living rent-free in her parents' house. She's trying to convince herself her anxiety is totally under control. She's trying to forget her cheating ex-fiancee and just how desperate she is to be a mother. And she's trying to adapt to her new circumstances and face her future head-on.

I've never seen or heard Ms Suttie's standup routine, but I sure want to after reading this. Even though some of the languages in this book can be off-putting for some, I feel that she finds joy in everyday life.

jules_writes's review against another edition

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3.0

It was ok. I wanted to like it more than I actually did - mostly because I love Isy Suttie and she did an amazing job of the audible narration. I just didn’t care for the main character and I thought parts of the story dragged a little. But, there was a lot of amusing sections thrown in and it was well written…a book you should try for yourself if the blurb grabs your attention.