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3.22 AVERAGE
3.22 AVERAGE
This book takes a look at class (between white people) in a luxury apartment building. The super versus the fancy condo owners and tenants. I feel like reading it during 2021 really made me dislike it. It didn’t say anything profound about class and the adult women acted like 15 year olds.
With this look at a father and daughter in the downstairs half of an upstairs downstairs story was a quick read. I enjoyed the fathers voice far more than the daughter. It is about a single day. Perfectly servicable story but not anything special.
I listened to this book on double speed; otherwise I wouldn’t have finished it. Two stars because I enjoyed some tidbits about NYC and birding, but otherwise it was tedious. I have less and less patience for books with no likable characters, but plenty of people seem not to mind. This book also involved gratuitous, gross detail that added nothing of substance (the farting episodes, the graphic pigeon situation).
4.5, well observed and the plot drives you forward even as some chapters meander. Last couple chapters knocked my socks off. It's a bit to keen to prove its points about income inequality, which I agree with, but that's less a failing on the book's part and more how I don't like to listen to stances I agree with. Its a personal failing.
Even though I found this book very readable and well written, I absolutely HATED Ruby so much I could not enjoy it. She was so immature, entitled, whiny and just all around awful. She did so many things in just one day without considering consequences and did not ever appear to think she did anything wrong. Can anyone be so oblivious?
Read for the voice; Lee Conell has dark and witty down to a T. I found myself cringing at characters' actions, their internal monologue, but never the writing. There was only one metaphor about elevators on page 126 I found a bit indulgent, but I'll let it go since it has everything to do with the theme. Will reread for bits and references I missed. Overall, a great debut novel!
funny
hopeful
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
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
People ruminating and fretting for hundreds of pages is actually a thing I can like, but I ended up hating Ruby for the selfish, self-centered way she continually undermined her father's efforts and endangered his livelihood. I found her completely unsympathetic and didn't care about her getting a happy ending.
Ugh, plus there was pigeon abuse. Just a blip, not a major part of the story, but it bothered me as a bird lover.
Ugh, plus there was pigeon abuse. Just a blip, not a major part of the story, but it bothered me as a bird lover.