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baruchamanda3's review against another edition
4.0
men...are................................disgusting.....
nenaelizaa's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a while to understand the layout of the book. Think "Love, Rosie" where each scene jumps to a different event in her life. Pacing slows down and speeds up randomly, although I was never bored. I picked up this book to explore another WOC's life experience and enjoyed it because Nina and I share super different perspectives of ... well, everything. Reminds me to practice compassion and to accept opportunities because there's so much to learn from others and about the world.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
I had some mixed feelings with this book. I wanted to love it soo much but I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrative style or the way the story felt disjointed by jumping forward in time without resolving things until the very end. It was a stylistic choice I just didn't love.
Things I did love:
-The beautiful cover!
-ALL the pop culture references - Nina is able to relate most things in her life back to some 90s or early 2000s tv show (from Fraggle Rock, Dawson's Creek, Saved by the Bell, the Gilmore Girls, Pretty little liars, Being Erica, etc.)
-the diverse main character and all the South Asian culture amidst uber white Halifax
-the very relatable burnout and career dissatisfaction and her misadventures as a high school teacher
-online dating woes
Overall I did enjoy it but there were definitely places I thought the story lagged and I found myself drifting off. I wanted the underage sexual abuse to be taken more seriously but also realize that was the point. Much thanks to @Libro.fm for my ALC!
CW: sexual abuse of a minor, teenage eating disorder
Things I did love:
-The beautiful cover!
-ALL the pop culture references - Nina is able to relate most things in her life back to some 90s or early 2000s tv show (from Fraggle Rock, Dawson's Creek, Saved by the Bell, the Gilmore Girls, Pretty little liars, Being Erica, etc.)
-the diverse main character and all the South Asian culture amidst uber white Halifax
-the very relatable burnout and career dissatisfaction and her misadventures as a high school teacher
-online dating woes
Overall I did enjoy it but there were definitely places I thought the story lagged and I found myself drifting off. I wanted the underage sexual abuse to be taken more seriously but also realize that was the point. Much thanks to @Libro.fm for my ALC!
CW: sexual abuse of a minor, teenage eating disorder
moorealexa's review against another edition
3.0
"I don't tell him that what will happen to her is what happens to every girl. That her experiences will empty her."
This is a book told in vignettes spread throughout Nina's life. I really liked some stories but thought the rest were just okay. I liked Nina but didn't find the style this book was told in to be particularly compelling.
This is a book told in vignettes spread throughout Nina's life. I really liked some stories but thought the rest were just okay. I liked Nina but didn't find the style this book was told in to be particularly compelling.
mayaramakrishnan's review
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
kate_castello's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
bookishlifeofbrie's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me a bit to get into because of the narrative style, but then I was hooked and I really enjoyed this coming of age story. This is the story of Nina, a child of immigrants, and is told in her own words, and you feel like you're reading her diary. She grew up in the 90s, in Halifax so the pop culture references felt like a trip down memory lane. Early in story, Nina experiences a traumatic event and tells no one about it (this scene, while perhaps triggering to some, was written with no graphic detail) and then continues to go on living her entire life while never speaking about what happened. But not speaking up about things doesn't make them go away so it was interesting to continue reading about Nina's life and see how this one event really did guide her path in many ways. I loved her parents and their quirkiness and unconditional love for Nina. It's hard to put into words my thoughts on this book, but I'll leave you with it was a delightful surprise and if you enjoy coming of age stories, I think you'll love this one too.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy. All opinions my own.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy. All opinions my own.