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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I feel like this story is dragging. I just can’t get into it!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Long book but it was very good.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oof. I loved Lombardo’s debut novel but this was a depressing slog. I think it would have been more effective to establish the protagonist’s backstory much earlier in the story to make her more endearing. I don’t need to like characters but I do need to be able to spend time with them and I just couldn’t stand her most of the time. Yes, motherhood can be so hard and lonely, especially when our own mothers fell short. But come on!
Also could have cut out at least 100 pages. Still, she is a strong writer and I am hopeful her next book will improve upon this one.
Also could have cut out at least 100 pages. Still, she is a strong writer and I am hopeful her next book will improve upon this one.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the writing a lot and there was some interesting stuff here, particularly with Helen and with Julia’s relationship to her adult son. Julia was sooooo frustrating and repetitive though, and her marriage was just ridiculous at times. And I found the ending somewhat meh. Overall it was a pleasant reading experience though.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel is somehow overwritten and underdeveloped. Do not recommend.
This book was not very good. Which is strange because I usually love dysfunctional family dramas, but this just felt like a chore.
Partly because it was too long- which was reflected in some of the writing style with some insane run on sentences (one was 7 lines long!). And the structure did not help, going back-and-forth between timelines, but the characters were still making the same mistakes. The protagonist, Julia, really should have just gone to therapy and then we could have been spared reading about her poor choices for 30 years.
Some of the ideas were interesting, but I don’t think the author had the ability to translate that into a good book.
Partly because it was too long- which was reflected in some of the writing style with some insane run on sentences (one was 7 lines long!). And the structure did not help, going back-and-forth between timelines, but the characters were still making the same mistakes. The protagonist, Julia, really should have just gone to therapy and then we could have been spared reading about her poor choices for 30 years.
Spoiler
and the final chapter when there was a cut to the future, and every sentence began with ‘I remember’ was a pain to read. We didn’t need to hear about Mark’s aneurysm which added nothing to the story and made for an odd ending. The most interesting thing about this book was Julia’s relationship with Helen, which fell off in the middle, and the rest was not as interesting.Some of the ideas were interesting, but I don’t think the author had the ability to translate that into a good book.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes