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laurensabol's review
5.0
Wonderful story, could hardly put it down! I have a port wine stain, similar to what Nina has, so I could relate to her in some ways. But even with out the birthmark, her life is so interesting and relatable, I was truly upset when I finished. She is a wonderful character who has many strengths and weaknesses. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone.
schray32's review
3.0
My cousin sent me a list of books from a blog she likes and this one had the best reviews on Amazon. Good coming of age book but maybe too young for me. Ok easy read.
shrrawat's review
3.0
I must admit, I almost lost hope for this book halfway through. But I'm glad I braved my way until the end, for that's when it all became worth it.
Nina Goldman was born with a hemangioma around her eye, the result of having way too many blood vessels around the affected area. Since childhood, she has always been convinced that the only reason she isn't popular is because of her birthmark. In an attempt to fit in, and finally be accepted despite her abnormality, Nina does anything and everything to prove that she is normal.
In the beginning, I really didn't like Nina's character. Whiny and self-absorbed, it seemed all that mattered was her eye and how horrible it looked. When it came to the point that she used it to get out of things, I was ready to hurl the book away in disgust. But I kept on going, hoping it would get better.
And it did. As the book progressed, and Nina got older, I really loved the character development that was taking place in all the main characters, including Nina herself. Serious issues were being taken apart, and the novel finally took meaning. There were hints of homosexuality, of depression, and of course the complex dynamics of relationships. Now there was a theme and a message to be seen.
In other words, Every Crooked Pot does disappoint a little, with its content being almost nothing like the summary leads the reader to believe. But that doesn't mean it's not worth an afternoon's reading, provided of course, you can be tolerant and patient of the characters and plot.
Nina Goldman was born with a hemangioma around her eye, the result of having way too many blood vessels around the affected area. Since childhood, she has always been convinced that the only reason she isn't popular is because of her birthmark. In an attempt to fit in, and finally be accepted despite her abnormality, Nina does anything and everything to prove that she is normal.
In the beginning, I really didn't like Nina's character. Whiny and self-absorbed, it seemed all that mattered was her eye and how horrible it looked. When it came to the point that she used it to get out of things, I was ready to hurl the book away in disgust. But I kept on going, hoping it would get better.
And it did. As the book progressed, and Nina got older, I really loved the character development that was taking place in all the main characters, including Nina herself. Serious issues were being taken apart, and the novel finally took meaning. There were hints of homosexuality, of depression, and of course the complex dynamics of relationships. Now there was a theme and a message to be seen.
In other words, Every Crooked Pot does disappoint a little, with its content being almost nothing like the summary leads the reader to believe. But that doesn't mean it's not worth an afternoon's reading, provided of course, you can be tolerant and patient of the characters and plot.
jessrock's review
3.0
Nina has a port-wine stain on her face. It's a bad one - the skin is bumpy, the white of her eye looks red all the time from the excess blood vessels, and the whole area is swollen so much that the kids at school called her "Big Eye-Little Eye" when they were young. It doesn't cause her any physical pain, but she spends a lot of time obsessing about her birthmark and thinking that it makes her unloveable.
Nina also has an incredibly manipulative and controlling father. He's always the life of the party, always the center of attention, and Nina adores him yet can't seem to break free from his spell to become her own person. It's largely because of her father's obsession with "fixing" the birthmark that Nina becomes fixated on the birthmark as the cause of all her problems.
The premise is good, and Nina's self-obsession is easy enough to relate to, but I never felt fully sucked into the story. Nina is just a little too self-absorbed, and her father's just a little too overwhelming, and the kids at school are a little too unilaterally mean - until suddenly they stop being mean and Nina realizes she never really had things that bad anyway. Wha? The ending bugged me more than anything else; I felt like the author let Nina get too old in the last few chapters, having experiences that felt tacked-on to the rest of the story, and older Nina is suddenly able to look back on her life and realize she was Just Like Everyone Else and that Everyone's Life Sucks In One Way Or Another. These are important things to realize, but I feel like it would have been more powerful to *see* Nina realize them rather than have older Nina *tell* us about how she realized them. Oh well.
Nina also has an incredibly manipulative and controlling father. He's always the life of the party, always the center of attention, and Nina adores him yet can't seem to break free from his spell to become her own person. It's largely because of her father's obsession with "fixing" the birthmark that Nina becomes fixated on the birthmark as the cause of all her problems.
The premise is good, and Nina's self-obsession is easy enough to relate to, but I never felt fully sucked into the story. Nina is just a little too self-absorbed, and her father's just a little too overwhelming, and the kids at school are a little too unilaterally mean - until suddenly they stop being mean and Nina realizes she never really had things that bad anyway. Wha? The ending bugged me more than anything else; I felt like the author let Nina get too old in the last few chapters, having experiences that felt tacked-on to the rest of the story, and older Nina is suddenly able to look back on her life and realize she was Just Like Everyone Else and that Everyone's Life Sucks In One Way Or Another. These are important things to realize, but I feel like it would have been more powerful to *see* Nina realize them rather than have older Nina *tell* us about how she realized them. Oh well.
thestarman's review
3.0
(Adult review of YA fiction):
This entire book can be summed up from a single sentence within (paraphrased):
This entire book can be summed up from a single sentence within (paraphrased):
Spoiler
If Nina's father went into therapy, the whole family would benefit.sjtoole01's review
4.0
I thought this was a great story and I liked and rooted for Nina. Her father was loyal and loving, and despite Nina’s insecurities at school, she knew she was loved and appreciated at home. It had some funny and some poignant parts, and I have to admit that I shed some happy tears at the end.
Teens and young adults will identify with Nina’s insecurities. Everyone has had at least one physical characteristic they are insecure about and imagine that it is glaringly obvious and unattractive. Nina is likable, relatable, and a good role model for teens.
Teens and young adults will identify with Nina’s insecurities. Everyone has had at least one physical characteristic they are insecure about and imagine that it is glaringly obvious and unattractive. Nina is likable, relatable, and a good role model for teens.
3dotsforme's review
3.0
Catalogued by my library as a teen novel but in my mind, it's not. Although the book recounts the trials of Nina's youth, it is follows her into her twenties and some of the subject matter is not suitable for younger teens. Anyway, it was a believable account of a girl who feels her birthmark defines her in the eyes of all who see her. She wants to be visibly perfect and has a hard time accepting that she need not be model perfection to be worthwhile.
lowkeybooks's review
5.0
At first,I wasn't looking forward to reading the book,because I chopped it up to being a boring book. I was wrong. I loved every minute of it, and although I don't have a birthmark holding me back I still felt like I could relate to Nina's wanting to fit in. The characters are memorable and I'd recommend it to everyone.
mejenniferd's review
4.0
A good read.
Quick, easy to read, and entertaining.
A good story about how a young girl grows up dealing with a birthmark on her face.
Nothing fancy, or life-changing, just a good read.
Quick, easy to read, and entertaining.
A good story about how a young girl grows up dealing with a birthmark on her face.
Nothing fancy, or life-changing, just a good read.
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