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angievansprang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Abandonment, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship and Death of parent
littlebells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs
sammietee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Dementia, Death of parent, Classism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Abandonment
hodanayan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Classism
zara89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Medical content, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Dementia, Bullying, Cursing, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Classism
lovelybookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There's a trans man side character and...his first appearance included a few instances of deadnaming. Cis authors, you've got to stop doing this—if you'd been listening at all, you'd know this was established *years* ago. Other than that, the rep was quite good and felt accurate for the time period. (I'd like to see what trans men who've read and reviewed the book have to say.) Best of all, he wasn't a tragic character! So that was wonderful.
This story brought up some big feelings re: my own complicated family, about being/not being seen or understood. The ending was especially moving and tears were shed. Bennett's previous novel, THE MOTHERS, has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but now that I've experienced her writing, I'm hoping to get to that book soon.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Classism, Dementia, Abandonment, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Deadnaming
satuhurme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Classism and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Dementia
bethsbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow - I loved, loved, loved this book.
Things I loved:
🪴 The writing!! The first thing that pulled me in was the writing. From the first page, I was hooked. From the first chapter, I was emotionally invested. As they say, the characters leaped off the page, and I felt like I was really living their lives with them. The writing is simple, yet rich, and has some stunning and beautiful details. I underlined so many quotes. For instance, "Now, this was comfort - a languid morning spent floating across a swimming pool, a two-story house with cabinets always filled with food, a chestful of toys for her daughter, a bookshelf that held an entire encyclopedia set. This was comfort, no longer wanting anything."
🪴 Speaking of the characters, they were vivid and dimensional and complex and somehow yet, lovable. I understood all of their reasoning and decisions; their motivations and traumas were so thorough. I loved how they all contrasted each other and complemented each other at the same time. The entire cast was so great, even the minor side characters. I could seriously read a whole series about each character.
🪴 The sisterhood relationship between Desiree and Stella. They were polar opposites, but not in a way that felt lazy or stereotypical. One was loud, one was quiet, but they changed and shifted as time moved along. Their relationship was codependent yet completely independent at the same time. They longed for each other and needed each other but also required space from one another to grow. Despite them being apart for most of the book, as a reader, you feel like you're reading about them side by side. The author so fluidly flipped between the two in a way that felt so natural yet so fitting to the story.
🪴 The exploration and portrayal of race. This book exposes both race and what it means to be a victim of it. But it also exposes colourism within the Black community and how people treat each other depending on the various skin tones. Stella and Desiree are both light-skinned Black women with the possibility to pass as white. Stella does, but Desiree doesn't. I can understand both women. One wants to escape racism and live a privileged life; the other wants to be true to herself. Both are valid, and it's racism's fault that this difficult choice exists in the first place. At the end of the day, identity is something we can control slightly, but our roots and true selves will always squeeze through the cracks our masks leave behind.
🪴 The theme of motherhood. Stella and Desiree aren't perfect mothers, but the theme of nature vs. nurture is so poignant yet subtle. I really liked taking notes on this throughout and noticing little things the author did to portray this.
I do think everyone will love something about this book. I hope you pick it up!
Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
cpj000's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs, Hate crime, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
maess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Racial slurs, Dementia, Physical abuse, Racism, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence