Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
This book was tricky to rate, as I mostly enjoyed reading it, but then felt kind of let down by it. It didn't go the direction I thought it would, and felt like it wasn't as good as it could have been. Yes, this book had a lot of characters to keep track of, but they were all their own person and part of the charm of this complex family, so it wasn't too hard to keep track of everyone. (However, there were some half-siblings mentioned but nothing ever became of them, so they weren't entirely necessary, in my opinion.) The bits of humor between the two main characters and how they were sharing one job were my favorite parts of the book. I enjoyed Quinn and her spiritual, hippie vibe. I also enjoyed the subplot of Mattie flirting with the handsome farmer. It just felt like nothing was really resolved though. The big blow up between the parents finally happens, but it's quick and everyone retreats rather than really digging in. There's a big climax, and then, it's just over. If you're looking for another Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this isn't it.
I REALLY wanted to like this book. I very much enjoyed The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, as I'm sure most of you did as well, and I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I think it's important to have various types of family structures depicted in literature, and I do think that is one thing this book does well. I am in no way saying that this is an example of a functional, healthy family unit. I'm just saying it's a representation of a type of family unit that isn't seen often in fiction.
There are a lot of POVs going on in this story, and it can be a bit hard to keep track of who is who and who is related to whom. There is, thankfully, a family tree to reference at the beginning of the book, but it can be a bit distracting when you're constantly having to refer back to it as your trying to get your bearings in the story.
It is evident that Brashares is trying to include some diverse representation in this book. I want to make it clear that I do not consider myself to be qualified to say what is good diversity representation in litearature and what is not. I was just a little surprised at the constant references to skin color. It seemed excessive and not in a way that really hammered home the idea that racism is bad so much as that it exists. If an author is going to include an important social issue in their book, then I do think it is vital for them to make their stance on that issue evident in the text, and I just didn't see that here.
While I do understand that Sasha and Ray are not blood relatives, their relationship still just made me a little bit uncomfortable, and because of that, I just could not get behind the romance.
I am a fan of Brashares's writing, particularly when she is writing books that center around female empowerment. This particular story was just not a good fit for me.
There are a lot of POVs going on in this story, and it can be a bit hard to keep track of who is who and who is related to whom. There is, thankfully, a family tree to reference at the beginning of the book, but it can be a bit distracting when you're constantly having to refer back to it as your trying to get your bearings in the story.
It is evident that Brashares is trying to include some diverse representation in this book. I want to make it clear that I do not consider myself to be qualified to say what is good diversity representation in litearature and what is not. I was just a little surprised at the constant references to skin color. It seemed excessive and not in a way that really hammered home the idea that racism is bad so much as that it exists. If an author is going to include an important social issue in their book, then I do think it is vital for them to make their stance on that issue evident in the text, and I just didn't see that here.
While I do understand that Sasha and Ray are not blood relatives, their relationship still just made me a little bit uncomfortable, and because of that, I just could not get behind the romance.
I am a fan of Brashares's writing, particularly when she is writing books that center around female empowerment. This particular story was just not a good fit for me.
Boeken op 't zicht meepakken uit de bib. Bad idea!
Thanks NetGalley for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
In all honesty the book was weird. There's this whole thing where two people who share siblings are into each other which made me extremely uncomfortable. The story lines are quite flat and you spend the majority of the book waiting for something to happen which occurs with 20 pages left. There are too many short story lines that don't impact you and you're just always so confused. It's quite boring and the only time I actually was invested was in the last 20 pages where I could feel the emotions.
In all honesty the book was weird. There's this whole thing where two people who share siblings are into each other which made me extremely uncomfortable. The story lines are quite flat and you spend the majority of the book waiting for something to happen which occurs with 20 pages left. There are too many short story lines that don't impact you and you're just always so confused. It's quite boring and the only time I actually was invested was in the last 20 pages where I could feel the emotions.
Excuse me while I go cry myself into oblivion at the perfection of this book.
Okay, so I know that Brashares has written more things than JUST The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but I honestly haven’t read anything else by her. I remembered really like that series though, so I decided to give this one a shot since it had a really intriguing premise to me. Right away, I really enjoyed the writing. The narration and dialogue all flowed together really well and the writing made the book very easy to read. The plot wasn’t super predictable, but there also wasn’t much that happened that was super surprising. This book is more about the characters anyway.
Family dynamics are very interesting. I’m going to say that it’s impossible for a family to be completely drama-free and the family in this book is definitely not an exception. The narration rotates between the five kids: the original three sisters (Emma, Quinn, and Mattie) and the new kids (Ray and Sasha). That, at times, got confusing for me. I was reading a digital ARC and sometimes there wasn’t a clear indicator that the book was changing narrators–I hope that’s something that is fixed or different in the physical book. That being said, if the narrators had very different tones or voices, this wouldn’t have been so confusing. Unfortunately, all of the narrators pretty much sound alike. It was very difficult to tell them apart just from the language. The only signals we get are from context.
The good thing about having so many narrators, though, is that I really felt like I got to know each of the siblings on a pretty deep level. If there had just been one or two narrators, we would have only gotten to know the other characters on a superficial level from our narrator’s perspective. I enjoyed getting to know how characters were perceived but then also having the internal viewpoint for each of them. I expected to not like at least one of the siblings, but I honestly really came to care for each of them in separate ways. Obviously they each had some less desirable traits, but I was willing to overlook them because I felt like I knew each of them on a deeper level so those things didn’t matter.
The only kind of negative thing that really stood out to me was that Jaime’s family seemed a little random. They had a ton of drama as well, but then they’re not really explored at all. I would have either liked more exploration there, or less description of it.
After reading (and pretty much loving) this book, I was surprised to see that there were many negative reviews for this book on Goodreads. One reviewer in particular (who admits to being a straight, white, female) thought that this book displayed “blatant sexism, body-shaming of all sorts, stereotyping, and some racism”. While I could see her points, I just wanted to give my two cents on some of those things. I’m also straight and female, but I’m only a quarter white so I might have a slightly different perspective.
“Blatant Sexism”. The reviewer points out a section of the book where one of our main characters, Ray, is looking at another character’s body–specifically her chest. The reviewer’s response: “This is a direct example of the ‘boys will be boys’ attitude that results in the normalization of rape and sexual assault. What could Ray do? Well I’ll tell you–he could have not looked down at Sasha’s dress, and kept his eyes to himself…” I see her point and I’m not at all trivializing the normalization of rape and sexual assault that is happening. However, I was listening to an interesting podcast the other day. It was a rerun for This American Life (great podcast if you’re not already a subscriber). It was an episode completely about testosterone (listen here). In one of the sections the reporter was interviewing a transgender man about his transition. As part of the transition, he had to be injected with a very high dosage of testosterone. It was really interesting to hear him talk about how he thought about women pre-transition (and testosterone) versus post. There was a stark difference. Obviously, we all have agency and can make our own choices, right? However, as a woman, I felt that my eyes were opened to this chemical thing that happens in boys that doesn’t happen in girls that I really had no idea about. It seems apparent to me that it’s not just a moral or ethical thing, but that natural chemicals and hormones are coming into play as well. I guess what my point is, is that even though I agree that Ray shouldn’t have been looking at Sasha’s chest, I don’t feel that this interaction was necessarily out of place. I was uncomfortable when I read it too, but I’m not necessarily angry at Brashares for including it–I feel like I get it.
“Some Racism”. The reviewer describes her frustration that an Indian American man (actually he was raised in Canada) is stereotypically a “tech genius”. Just as an aside here, I thought he was in finance, but I could have gotten that wrong. Another reviewer criticized the fact that this same character, Robert, was really trying to downplay the fact that he was Indian and wanted nothing more than to be just like all the white men out there. I can see why that’s bothersome, but I feel like we need to look at the overall context here. He was adopted by white parents and it sounded like he was raised in a white community. So from that perspective, it makes sense that he might not identify as being Indian–he wasn’t raised that way. In addition, it can be frustrating for people to make assumptions about you based on your physical appearance (I speak from personal experience here). I can understand why Robert would want to be “as white as possible” (for lack of a better term) since that’s more or less what he identifies as.
Those are just some of my thoughts about the negative comments that have been made about this book. I think a lot of the problems that people have with this book just need to be viewed in the appropriate context instead of being taken out and examined under a microscope. I, personally, was not offended by the book as a woman or as a person of color–in fact, I actually really enjoyed it! I’ll allow you to judge for yourself, but I don’t think these negative reviews should be enough to keep you from reading it if you would have picked it up otherwise.
Overall Rating: 5
Language: Heavy
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate (some drinking and some underage smoking)
Sexual Content: Moderate (nothing explicit).
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Family dynamics are very interesting. I’m going to say that it’s impossible for a family to be completely drama-free and the family in this book is definitely not an exception. The narration rotates between the five kids: the original three sisters (Emma, Quinn, and Mattie) and the new kids (Ray and Sasha). That, at times, got confusing for me. I was reading a digital ARC and sometimes there wasn’t a clear indicator that the book was changing narrators–I hope that’s something that is fixed or different in the physical book. That being said, if the narrators had very different tones or voices, this wouldn’t have been so confusing. Unfortunately, all of the narrators pretty much sound alike. It was very difficult to tell them apart just from the language. The only signals we get are from context.
The good thing about having so many narrators, though, is that I really felt like I got to know each of the siblings on a pretty deep level. If there had just been one or two narrators, we would have only gotten to know the other characters on a superficial level from our narrator’s perspective. I enjoyed getting to know how characters were perceived but then also having the internal viewpoint for each of them. I expected to not like at least one of the siblings, but I honestly really came to care for each of them in separate ways. Obviously they each had some less desirable traits, but I was willing to overlook them because I felt like I knew each of them on a deeper level so those things didn’t matter.
The only kind of negative thing that really stood out to me was that Jaime’s family seemed a little random. They had a ton of drama as well, but then they’re not really explored at all. I would have either liked more exploration there, or less description of it.
After reading (and pretty much loving) this book, I was surprised to see that there were many negative reviews for this book on Goodreads. One reviewer in particular (who admits to being a straight, white, female) thought that this book displayed “blatant sexism, body-shaming of all sorts, stereotyping, and some racism”. While I could see her points, I just wanted to give my two cents on some of those things. I’m also straight and female, but I’m only a quarter white so I might have a slightly different perspective.
“Blatant Sexism”. The reviewer points out a section of the book where one of our main characters, Ray, is looking at another character’s body–specifically her chest. The reviewer’s response: “This is a direct example of the ‘boys will be boys’ attitude that results in the normalization of rape and sexual assault. What could Ray do? Well I’ll tell you–he could have not looked down at Sasha’s dress, and kept his eyes to himself…” I see her point and I’m not at all trivializing the normalization of rape and sexual assault that is happening. However, I was listening to an interesting podcast the other day. It was a rerun for This American Life (great podcast if you’re not already a subscriber). It was an episode completely about testosterone (listen here). In one of the sections the reporter was interviewing a transgender man about his transition. As part of the transition, he had to be injected with a very high dosage of testosterone. It was really interesting to hear him talk about how he thought about women pre-transition (and testosterone) versus post. There was a stark difference. Obviously, we all have agency and can make our own choices, right? However, as a woman, I felt that my eyes were opened to this chemical thing that happens in boys that doesn’t happen in girls that I really had no idea about. It seems apparent to me that it’s not just a moral or ethical thing, but that natural chemicals and hormones are coming into play as well. I guess what my point is, is that even though I agree that Ray shouldn’t have been looking at Sasha’s chest, I don’t feel that this interaction was necessarily out of place. I was uncomfortable when I read it too, but I’m not necessarily angry at Brashares for including it–I feel like I get it.
“Some Racism”. The reviewer describes her frustration that an Indian American man (actually he was raised in Canada) is stereotypically a “tech genius”. Just as an aside here, I thought he was in finance, but I could have gotten that wrong. Another reviewer criticized the fact that this same character, Robert, was really trying to downplay the fact that he was Indian and wanted nothing more than to be just like all the white men out there. I can see why that’s bothersome, but I feel like we need to look at the overall context here. He was adopted by white parents and it sounded like he was raised in a white community. So from that perspective, it makes sense that he might not identify as being Indian–he wasn’t raised that way. In addition, it can be frustrating for people to make assumptions about you based on your physical appearance (I speak from personal experience here). I can understand why Robert would want to be “as white as possible” (for lack of a better term) since that’s more or less what he identifies as.
Those are just some of my thoughts about the negative comments that have been made about this book. I think a lot of the problems that people have with this book just need to be viewed in the appropriate context instead of being taken out and examined under a microscope. I, personally, was not offended by the book as a woman or as a person of color–in fact, I actually really enjoyed it! I’ll allow you to judge for yourself, but I don’t think these negative reviews should be enough to keep you from reading it if you would have picked it up otherwise.
Overall Rating: 5
Language: Heavy
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate (some drinking and some underage smoking)
Sexual Content: Moderate (nothing explicit).
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There were things I enjoyed about this book, but there were also a few flaws that caught my attention. However I have to say I was hoping for something that I would love as much at The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and unfortunately I don't think this novel was as strong.
Pros:
There was a POC.
The novel was a quick and easy read.
The idea and the family tree was interesting.
Cons:
The change between characters was VERY confusing and when you finally got it the book was over.
I felt like the ending was too abrupt.
There was the idea of "boys will be boys".
I was intrigued by the families and how they got around each other. Ray acted like an average guy, but at times it was just inappropriate? Ray and Sasha may not be related and at time they were definitely cute, but other times it felt somewhat incestuous?? I actually supported them for the majority of the time, until the end of the book where there relationship, family-wise, was much too close for them to like each other anymore.
This novel was definitely an intriguing read that I'm glad I picked up to experience its interesting setting. Although it was not the ultimate novel and it can be slightly unfair to compare this back to the classic The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it did fall a bit short of my expectations, though I would still recommend others to give this book a try!
Pros:
There was a POC.
The novel was a quick and easy read.
The idea and the family tree was interesting.
Cons:
The change between characters was VERY confusing and when you finally got it the book was over.
I felt like the ending was too abrupt.
There was the idea of "boys will be boys".
I was intrigued by the families and how they got around each other. Ray acted like an average guy, but at times it was just inappropriate? Ray and Sasha may not be related and at time they were definitely cute, but other times it felt somewhat incestuous?? I actually supported them for the majority of the time, until the end of the book where there relationship, family-wise, was much too close for them to like each other anymore.
This novel was definitely an intriguing read that I'm glad I picked up to experience its interesting setting. Although it was not the ultimate novel and it can be slightly unfair to compare this back to the classic The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it did fall a bit short of my expectations, though I would still recommend others to give this book a try!
This was shit.
Also super confusing. I didn't figure out the family tree until about halfway through. And then they kept adding more to it.
I hate these parents so much.
Also that one scene at end. Wtf. Like no.
Also super confusing. I didn't figure out the family tree until about halfway through. And then they kept adding more to it.
I hate these parents so much.
Also that one scene at end. Wtf. Like no.
I am not sure why many people DNF'd this book, I can say in so many words this book is a pageturner and it will keep you guessing towards the end. I definitely fell in love with both Sasha and Ray, I loved their teasing and banter at one another even though for a long time they never met. I was also curious to see how the relationship between Ray, Mattie, Emma, and Quinn worked out along with the relationship between Sasha, Mattie, Emma and Quinn worked out. I was a bit stunned at the end towards what happened with Quinn, I truly wanted to know more about the family and wished for a second book to be written. The book still leaves me wondering with questions and I wonder if my questions will be answered with my own imagination.