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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
This was a teeny bit fun, but also quite problematic. Which is sad, because I enjoyed some parts of this book, and the premise was pretty interesting. But I just don't think that I could give this book a higher rating, because there were some things in here which weren't really things I would expect to find in a novel published in 2017. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, but it looked really summery, and I wanted to read a light contemporary. After starting it, I checked out the not so great reviews for this book, and to be honest, I have to agree with a lot of them.
T H O U G H T S
- OK, well let's start with some of the things I actually liked. I really enjoyed the premise. There is this super super complicated family, and two of its members have never met, despite "sharing" a room for most of their lives. It was pretty interesting (and no they aren't actually related) and I did really like the idea of exploring this complicated family throughout the novel. Some parts of this were interesting, and were actually done well. But others? It was...not.
- The characters were pretty flat and one dimensional, which is not really great when the entire plot line is about this whole family. This book could have been really good and emotional and deep had the characters been properly developed. I can see it in my mind - how awesome this could have been. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and although I didn't mind the many POVs we got (because I do actually like that), the characters were not great, which meant that the sad ending felt rushed and over dramatic. And also - they got together way too quickly and they had literally had like 20 pages max where they were actually interacting.
- Down to the problematic elements. I do not even begin to assume that I am the person to tell you what you should think about this book, but this is what I, personally, felt whilst reading this. I felt that there were a lot of cases of unaddressed racism, which made my reading experience unpleasant. There was also a ton of slut shaming, which is sad. And none of it was really addressed as problematic - and some of the characters were pretty problematic in themselves. A lot of them would praise the "modest" girls, who didn't wear "miniskirts" and hid their bodies, or criticised some of the characters who wore revealing clothes, which was just really sad? Girls can wear what they want! Anyone can wear what they want.
This could have been better? I find it sad that some of the problems in here were not addressed, and I am quite disappointed in the way that this was not really that summery? The premise was interesting, but not well executed, which is always a let down. I'm not sure I recommend this one, because there isn't really much that is redeemable about it. I mean, if you want to... But I just felt that the author was writing about stuff she didn't really understand, and that it was pretty flat and unemotional.
T H O U G H T S
- OK, well let's start with some of the things I actually liked. I really enjoyed the premise. There is this super super complicated family, and two of its members have never met, despite "sharing" a room for most of their lives. It was pretty interesting (and no they aren't actually related) and I did really like the idea of exploring this complicated family throughout the novel. Some parts of this were interesting, and were actually done well. But others? It was...not.
- The characters were pretty flat and one dimensional, which is not really great when the entire plot line is about this whole family. This book could have been really good and emotional and deep had the characters been properly developed. I can see it in my mind - how awesome this could have been. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and although I didn't mind the many POVs we got (because I do actually like that), the characters were not great, which meant that the sad ending felt rushed and over dramatic. And also -
- Down to the problematic elements. I do not even begin to assume that I am the person to tell you what you should think about this book, but this is what I, personally, felt whilst reading this. I felt that there were a lot of cases of unaddressed racism, which made my reading experience unpleasant. There was also a ton of slut shaming, which is sad. And none of it was really addressed as problematic - and some of the characters were pretty problematic in themselves. A lot of them would praise the "modest" girls, who didn't wear "miniskirts" and hid their bodies, or criticised some of the characters who wore revealing clothes, which was just really sad? Girls can wear what they want! Anyone can wear what they want.
This could have been better? I find it sad that some of the problems in here were not addressed, and I am quite disappointed in the way that this was not really that summery? The premise was interesting, but not well executed, which is always a let down. I'm not sure I recommend this one, because there isn't really much that is redeemable about it. I mean, if you want to... But I just felt that the author was writing about stuff she didn't really understand, and that it was pretty flat and unemotional.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Review also here: https://forloversofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/the-whole-thing-together-by-ann-brashares/
Okay folks, get ready, because I am about to discuss a book I absolutely H-A-T-E-D. I was a bit reluctant to use this word (hate) at first, but then I thought – who fucking cares? I didn’t like this book and I am going to talk about it.
So, let us begin with a bit of the family’s history. Lila and Robert used to be married. Together they had three daughters, Emma, Quinn and Mattie. After their divorce they both re-married and they each had another child; Lila had Ray and Robert had Sasha. Confused? ME TOO! It took me about half the book to be able to tell the characters apart and remember who is who and, if I’m being completely honest, even by the end of the book I couldn’t tell the three older sisters apart. That’s exactly how indistinguishable their voices were. ( Keep in mind that I have read the A Song of Ice and Fire series numerous times and was never confused about who the narrator was.) So here’s my first problem with the book; its characters are so flat and common, so boring that I couldn’t even tell them apart; how was I supposed to care about them?
Moving on to the story after Lila and Robert’s divorce, the two are unable to decide who gets the beach house, which leads to them splitting their time there so they wouldn’t have to face one another. As a result, Sasha and Ray end up “sharing” a bed, toys, books, collections and family members without having met one another. And here comes the second problem: from the very first time we meet Ray, his thoughts while laying in the bed he “shares” with Sasha are way too sexual. He practically fantasizes about a girl who is almost his sister; it made me so uncomfortable I was ready to DNF it. I was curious, however, to see how the author handled this obsession Ray had with Sasha. Surely, she’d be creeped out by it, if she ever found out, right? WRONG! Because Sasha is also almost creepily obsessed with him. The two can’t stop thinking about each other, which leads to a very creepy, uncomfortable-to-read-about relationship between the two.
Moving on to the next issue: poor characterization. In the book synopsis there’s one word to describe each sister: Emma is the perfectionist, Mattie is the beauty, and Quinn is the favourite. And that’s all these three girls are. I’m being literate here. They possess no other personality trait, other than the one given to them by the book’s synopsis. Ray and Sasha, their parents, and step-parents are equally one-dimensional, pure caricatures and walking stereotypes. You think that’s all? I haven’t even touched this book’s racism and sexism and slut-shaming yet.
Robert is Bangladeshi. So, props to Brashares for including diverse characters in her book! Hm, maybe not so fast. Robert may be Bangladeshi, but he was adopted by a white couple and wants nothing to do with his culture and history. Now, I am not trying to say that this wouldn’t be an important story or a story worth-telling. But, coming from a white author, it feels a bit like the easy way out. You get the praise for including a character of color (and his biracial kids), without having to do any in-depth research on the region and the culture. Mattie ( I think) even refers to her father’s descent as a “check in the diversity box” which exactly how his descent is treated by the author. It is even specifically mentioned that Lila married him to piss off her parents. Not to mention, an extremely disrespectful and inconsiderate mention of the burqa. I really am wondering, how on Earth did this book even get published?
As for the aforementioned sexism and slut-shaming: Emma constantly judges her sisters’ clothes, either deeming them too revealing or too slutty (the burqa comment fits somewhere in here, since it was made during a shopping spree). Ray even considers himself to be deep and special because he noticed Sasha’s beauty instead of her friend’s. Congratulations boy! Do you want a cookie? Brashares is proudly promoting stereotypes like “she is not like other girls” and the idea that “modest” girls are far more beautiful than girls in revealing clothes. Can we ever take a breath? Mattie is extremely jealous and antagonistic towards Sasha – her own fucking sister– because she thinks she may be more beautiful? What kind of nonsense is this??
Anyway, you get my point. I absolutely loathe this book and I’m mourning the time I wasted reading this.
** An ARCopy was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review**
Okay folks, get ready, because I am about to discuss a book I absolutely H-A-T-E-D. I was a bit reluctant to use this word (hate) at first, but then I thought – who fucking cares? I didn’t like this book and I am going to talk about it.
So, let us begin with a bit of the family’s history. Lila and Robert used to be married. Together they had three daughters, Emma, Quinn and Mattie. After their divorce they both re-married and they each had another child; Lila had Ray and Robert had Sasha. Confused? ME TOO! It took me about half the book to be able to tell the characters apart and remember who is who and, if I’m being completely honest, even by the end of the book I couldn’t tell the three older sisters apart. That’s exactly how indistinguishable their voices were. ( Keep in mind that I have read the A Song of Ice and Fire series numerous times and was never confused about who the narrator was.) So here’s my first problem with the book; its characters are so flat and common, so boring that I couldn’t even tell them apart; how was I supposed to care about them?
Moving on to the story after Lila and Robert’s divorce, the two are unable to decide who gets the beach house, which leads to them splitting their time there so they wouldn’t have to face one another. As a result, Sasha and Ray end up “sharing” a bed, toys, books, collections and family members without having met one another. And here comes the second problem: from the very first time we meet Ray, his thoughts while laying in the bed he “shares” with Sasha are way too sexual. He practically fantasizes about a girl who is almost his sister; it made me so uncomfortable I was ready to DNF it. I was curious, however, to see how the author handled this obsession Ray had with Sasha. Surely, she’d be creeped out by it, if she ever found out, right? WRONG! Because Sasha is also almost creepily obsessed with him. The two can’t stop thinking about each other, which leads to a very creepy, uncomfortable-to-read-about relationship between the two.
Moving on to the next issue: poor characterization. In the book synopsis there’s one word to describe each sister: Emma is the perfectionist, Mattie is the beauty, and Quinn is the favourite. And that’s all these three girls are. I’m being literate here. They possess no other personality trait, other than the one given to them by the book’s synopsis. Ray and Sasha, their parents, and step-parents are equally one-dimensional, pure caricatures and walking stereotypes. You think that’s all? I haven’t even touched this book’s racism and sexism and slut-shaming yet.
Robert is Bangladeshi. So, props to Brashares for including diverse characters in her book! Hm, maybe not so fast. Robert may be Bangladeshi, but he was adopted by a white couple and wants nothing to do with his culture and history. Now, I am not trying to say that this wouldn’t be an important story or a story worth-telling. But, coming from a white author, it feels a bit like the easy way out. You get the praise for including a character of color (and his biracial kids), without having to do any in-depth research on the region and the culture. Mattie ( I think) even refers to her father’s descent as a “check in the diversity box” which exactly how his descent is treated by the author. It is even specifically mentioned that Lila married him to piss off her parents. Not to mention, an extremely disrespectful and inconsiderate mention of the burqa. I really am wondering, how on Earth did this book even get published?
As for the aforementioned sexism and slut-shaming: Emma constantly judges her sisters’ clothes, either deeming them too revealing or too slutty (the burqa comment fits somewhere in here, since it was made during a shopping spree). Ray even considers himself to be deep and special because he noticed Sasha’s beauty instead of her friend’s. Congratulations boy! Do you want a cookie? Brashares is proudly promoting stereotypes like “she is not like other girls” and the idea that “modest” girls are far more beautiful than girls in revealing clothes. Can we ever take a breath? Mattie is extremely jealous and antagonistic towards Sasha – her own fucking sister– because she thinks she may be more beautiful? What kind of nonsense is this??
Anyway, you get my point. I absolutely loathe this book and I’m mourning the time I wasted reading this.
** An ARCopy was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review**
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I only requested this arc because Ann Brashares is the author of the famous The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I never read the book, only watched the movie over 8 years ago back when I used to think every movie/tv show with teens was awesome. I remember that it was fun. Now I know I'm not reading it.
Excuse me if my review is all over the place. I had so many issues with The Whole Thing Together that I don't even know where to start from. The summary alone was confusing and I don't think it's worth wasting my time to try to explain it, the family relationships are very complicated.. I won't even write a detailed review, it's tiring to even think about it.
This book is a mess. In any novel, having multiple POVs is not an easy job for the author. It can be confusing, annoying, useless, and so much more. Especially, in contemporary. This book was not an exception. Everything that can go wrong while using multiple POVs was found here. I think I need to explain. You see, at first, I thought Ray and Sasha are the main characters. I was wrong, we read from their sisters pov too. 5 people! And I didn't care about any. I was confused who was telling the story each time especially with the 1st person usage and in the same chapter, we can find multiple POVs...
The characters were so richly annoying. Let's start with the sisters. The author tried to make them 3-dimentional but terribly failed. Quinn was oh my so perfect, sotoo good and loving. I hated Mattie, she was the worse of the 3. Emma was boring. I didn't care about them. The book was like fillers from page 1 until the end. I forced myself to finish it. It earned many eye rolls.
We all know Ray and Sasha will end up together but God, the cringe. So these two fellows practically fell in love with each other because they shared a room and stuff (never at the same time) and before they ever met. Well, the author never said it, but it was pretty obvious. I didn't root for them. Maybe it's because the story didn't only focus on them but also about the sisters' lives. Maybe because of the cringe-worthy letters. But in any case, I was indifferent. I think introducing the sisters was kinda necessary since their story wasn't worth a book, anyway...
The Asian rich father (of course, he works with techs. That's what all Asians do) and the irritating mother were so childish.I hated that the author used this cheap way to bring them together, killing the girl with no romance interest . Sasha didn't appreciate her mother and she even knew it but it didn't help, I still hated her for it, her mother was nice.
I even had a headache while reading this book. I never have headaches. okay rarely but saying it rarely doesn't ring well. I even made it to the end only to hate it even more. Even though I liked how it ended for Mattie, the rest was stupid.
If you still want to read this book, go for it. Sometimes "it's me not you" kind of book but this one is definitely the book's problem.
***ARC provided via NetGalley***
Excuse me if my review is all over the place. I had so many issues with The Whole Thing Together that I don't even know where to start from. The summary alone was confusing and I don't think it's worth wasting my time to try to explain it, the family relationships are very complicated.. I won't even write a detailed review, it's tiring to even think about it.
This book is a mess. In any novel, having multiple POVs is not an easy job for the author. It can be confusing, annoying, useless, and so much more. Especially, in contemporary. This book was not an exception. Everything that can go wrong while using multiple POVs was found here. I think I need to explain. You see, at first, I thought Ray and Sasha are the main characters. I was wrong, we read from their sisters pov too. 5 people! And I didn't care about any. I was confused who was telling the story each time especially with the 1st person usage and in the same chapter, we can find multiple POVs...
The characters were so richly annoying. Let's start with the sisters. The author tried to make them 3-dimentional but terribly failed. Quinn was oh my so perfect, so
We all know Ray and Sasha will end up together but God, the cringe. So these two fellows practically fell in love with each other because they shared a room and stuff (never at the same time) and before they ever met. Well, the author never said it, but it was pretty obvious. I didn't root for them. Maybe it's because the story didn't only focus on them but also about the sisters' lives. Maybe because of the cringe-worthy letters. But in any case, I was indifferent. I think introducing the sisters was kinda necessary since their story wasn't worth a book, anyway...
The Asian rich father (of course, he works with techs. That's what all Asians do) and the irritating mother were so childish.
I even had a headache while reading this book. I never have headaches.
If you still want to read this book, go for it. Sometimes "it's me not you" kind of book but this one is definitely the book's problem.
***ARC provided via NetGalley***
a bit cheesy but I loved it. It was a cathartic read and cry for me.
The writing really echoed a lot of the same themes from her other books. Which I what I expected.
I didn't expect to cry so hard.
The writing really echoed a lot of the same themes from her other books. Which I what I expected.
I didn't expect to cry so hard.
I love Ann Brashares but was a little disappointed in this book.
This book had flaws, but the comfort of refamilarizing myself with Anne Brashare's writing style made up for it all. Reading a new book of hers is like catching up with an old friend. It's exciting and comforting. The story kept me hooked, and as usual she threw in twists along the way.
Wow. This book was awful. There are books that I abandoned that I enjoyed more than this book, but I typically love Ann Brashares so I really, really, really wanted it to get better. If my will for it to get better could make it better, it would have been one of the best books I read this year. But that's not how it works.
This book was all over the place. Even though there was an intention for there to be a common thread / plot / theme, the effort failed. Oh man, just don't. Just don't do it. Unless you like reading however many pages without ever actually advancing the storyline of a novel. The characters were generally unlikable. No one made me WANT to continue reading. The conclusion was poor. It was like Brashares took all the notes she ever had for several separate future novels and just wrote them all into one book.
I honestly cannot think of a single person I would recommend this book too. That being said, I loved the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series--including Sisterhood Everlasting--and I liked The Last Summer (of You & Me), though not as much as the Sisterhood.
This book was all over the place. Even though there was an intention for there to be a common thread / plot / theme, the effort failed. Oh man, just don't. Just don't do it. Unless you like reading however many pages without ever actually advancing the storyline of a novel. The characters were generally unlikable. No one made me WANT to continue reading. The conclusion was poor. It was like Brashares took all the notes she ever had for several separate future novels and just wrote them all into one book.
I honestly cannot think of a single person I would recommend this book too. That being said, I loved the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series--including Sisterhood Everlasting--and I liked The Last Summer (of You & Me), though not as much as the Sisterhood.