Reviews

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell

campbelltoner's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

emmavelasco's review

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mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Mixed emotions about this one. The characters made me care so much about them but the book itself was so slow

lpraus's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

seph_schindler's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.5

mtomchek's review

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3.0

“Why is it that twenty-four hours in the company of your family is capable of reducing you to a teenager?”

“Odd that your life can contain such significant tripwires to your future and, even while you wander through them, you have no idea.”

Really admire Maggie O'Farrell and her skills for such writing different and complex stories. We follow an Irish family, as they discover the disappearance of their patriarch. Each family member has their own struggles, identity crises, and gripes with their family. We have our families, and we may have our differences, but the love is there. Some may not be able to show this love, others may be able to peel away the layers of judgement, harshness, and darkness to find the brightness.

erikareads18's review

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emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

4.75

awellreadlady's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mollyhyland's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

meb1916's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The end of this book really brought it home for me. The similarities of me and my siblings were a bit too close at times, and really made me sympathize with all of them. The last scene with Monica and Aoife... 😭

jemosely's review

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informative mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Too me a while to finish