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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mixed thoughts on this. It was a different perspective since the main character, Julia, was close to her 60s and we read about her life now and then as a wife and mother and her own relationship with her mother and everything in between. I think I would’ve appreciated this book more if I were older or if I were a mother, but I really appreciate the perspective. It makes me think twice about who seems like they have their life together because truly no one knows what they’re doing most of the time even though it may look like they’re put together. We all have our hidden battles. Some good food for thought about not taking the ones we love for granted, being thankful for good mental health, and how there isn’t a “right way” to necessarily do something. Got emotional at the end there, which surprised me. P.S. Mark is such a good man. I hope everyone finds their “Mark”
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
tense
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
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault
Minor: Death
slow-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
I hated the last 5 pages.
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-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
I really loved this book. Great writing. I kept wanting to read more, even though it wasn't a propulsive plot, it was just that well-written.
I can see how the complexity of Julia's character would not appeal to all readers- not many books spend a lot of time exploring the winding web of the mind when it comes to motherhood and marriage. I liked that it showed her character struggling with loving her child, but also being miserable as a mother. This is an important perspective to have in the world, and I hope it leads to more nuanced discussions of what it really is like to be a mother and a wife. I felt the book could have been half as long... I started to skim a bit towards the end.
This story wasn’t as compelling to me as The Most Fun We Ever Had was. Plus there was a highly unlikeable main character. I’m glad I listened to the audiobook – the narration was excellent and saved me from quitting.