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aserra's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Picked this up because "Every Last One" rocked my world. "Black and Blue" is definitely a product of its time, which shows in the language, the few slurs used, the viewpoints on a small myriad of topics. Whereas Bobby's racism testifies to his character, the inclusion of light homophobia doesn't really do anything for the book, for establishing important character traits, etc.--which is why I critique its inclusion.
It's a very introspective book, and solidly written, as Quindlen is a very consistent, skilled writer. The ending will leave you thinking and perhaps despairing, but not in a bad way. It's a pragmatic ending that Quindlen handles well, I think.
I think this book could've mainly benefitted from just a little more action, as the ending pages almost gave me whiplash from the sudden turnover of events. Even a chapter added between the last and second to last would've been apt.
Additionally, Fran's/Beth's attitude toward the police makes sense, but her explicit belief that every other citizen in the US feels a sense of safety from the police is not only privileged and myopic, it's just not right for the time period and place (NYC). Even in the 90s, BIPOC and queer folks didn't feel a sense of safety from the police, and made that known. The authorial overlooking of that ruined some of my suspension of disbelief (i.e. I was very aware that I was suspended in a fictitious version of reality as I read).
I wonder how this book could be improved upon if rewritten today. I think what was likely a revolutionary book in the 90s could still be that if thoughtfully rewritten today. There's a lot of potential in a hypothetical rewrite, but that's, unfortunately, unlikely to happen.
OVERALL, a decent read with some noticeable flaws. If you aren't a big Quindlen fan and/or specifically seeking out text about DV/DA, you can probably skip it.
It's a very introspective book, and solidly written, as Quindlen is a very consistent, skilled writer. The ending will leave you thinking and perhaps despairing, but not in a bad way. It's a pragmatic ending that Quindlen handles well, I think.
I think this book could've mainly benefitted from just a little more action, as the ending pages almost gave me whiplash from the sudden turnover of events. Even a chapter added between the last and second to last would've been apt.
Additionally, Fran's/Beth's attitude toward the police makes sense, but her explicit belief that every other citizen in the US feels a sense of safety from the police is not only privileged and myopic, it's just not right for the time period and place (NYC). Even in the 90s, BIPOC and queer folks didn't feel a sense of safety from the police, and made that known. The authorial overlooking of that ruined some of my suspension of disbelief (i.e. I was very aware that I was suspended in a fictitious version of reality as I read).
I wonder how this book could be improved upon if rewritten today. I think what was likely a revolutionary book in the 90s could still be that if thoughtfully rewritten today. There's a lot of potential in a hypothetical rewrite, but that's, unfortunately, unlikely to happen.
OVERALL, a decent read with some noticeable flaws. If you aren't a big Quindlen fan and/or specifically seeking out text about DV/DA, you can probably skip it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Abortion, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Surprise ending This is FICTION, not nonfiction
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