Reviews

Five-Part Invention by Andrea J. Buchanan

Only show reviews with written explanations

lisawhelpley's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I want more more more of these characters’ stories! Such a good book.

whimsofmin's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

"No one chooses to fall in love with a madman, they fall in love with a man, and ignore the signs of what he is sure to become."

Ease of Reading: 4✨
Characters: 5✨
Plot: 5✨
Writing: 5✨
Overall: 5✨

Format: Audiobook
Month Read: Aug 22
Recommend: 100%

This is 100% amazing. The book explores five generations of female experience, through deeply emotional narrative, the women and their relationships with themselves, their mothers and the men in their lives.

From a women being admitted to a mental asylum by her husband for outshining him, to her great great granddaughter coming out as a trans woman and being accepted by her family and friends, and the complex lives of the generations in between, this book is a beautiful exploration of how far women have come and how far we still have left to go.

kristennel's review against another edition

Go to review page

inspiring medium-paced

4.0

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

Five-Part Invention was a rich, cleverly structured novel, following five generations of women - Liese, Pauline, Anna, Hope and Zoe. Liese’s story, from promising piano student to wife to an abusive, controlling man whose actions drove her to the brink of insanity, forms the core of the novel, while those of the other four circle around it. Music and art are common threads and musicians will doubtless appreciate the title and structure on a deeper level than I was able to. Sadly, abuse, trauma and their legacies are also common threads running through the lives of these women, but so too is love and hope. Each woman struggles to shuck off the burdens from her past and to do better for herself and her daughters. Although there are threads linking each woman’ story they are all very distinct. Each unfolds in a different way -Liese writes to her daughter Anna trying to explain why she was the mother she was, Pauline’s story is intensely focussed on a very short period of time, while we learn a lot about Zoey via her college admission essays. This is a hard read in places but is beautifully told. The trans storyline unfolded gently, with love, compassion and understanding which made it a pleasure to read. The audio was fabulous with a different narrator for each character and some short musical interludes which enhanced the experience.

Content Warnings

mklein319's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

Content Warnings

brookb812's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Absolutely incredible. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year. A stunning book about generational trauma told through the lives of 5 women, a lineage of abuse. The writing is lyrical and like a waltz, an ode to the musical nature of Lise and the piano. Though each girl is given only a 5th of the book, you so quickly come to love and feel for these characters. It hurt to witness the abuses they each suffered and how their relationships formed based on that abuse. The ending had me crying, it was beautiful and a perfect bittersweet ending to a hard but necessary book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

sam_click's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

4.5

Content Warnings

jonnyereid's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I really wanted to like this story that is framed around generational trauma… Another reviewer put it perfectly - “I found this to be a frustrating, repetitive, and overly long read, even on audio. I was intrigued by the description of generational trauma, but found that it felt like essentially the same story repeated again and again-bad men and their victims. I don't mean to oversimplify, but that's why I got frustrated with the lack of nuance to these stories when it seemed like just repeating the same thing over and over. I also really didn't like the writing or narration of Lise's sections, as they felt like long, overly dramatic monologues. Though I appreciate what this book set out to do, it's not a book I'd recommend.”

Tried to finish it - DNFd about 85% of the way through.

gcampagna's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

brennasherrill's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

I found this to be a frustrating, repetitive, and overly long read, even on audio. I was intrigued by the description of generational trauma, but found that it felt like essentially the same story repeated again and again—bad men and their victims. I don’t mean to oversimplify, but that’s why I got frustrated with the lack of nuance to these stories when it seemed like just repeating the same thing over and over. I also really didn’t like the writing or narration of Lise’s sections, as they felt like long, overly dramatic monologues. Though I appreciate what this book set out to do, it’s not a book I’d recommend.

More...