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adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The plot of this book had so much potential, but I'm disappointed with the actual execution. It felt like it jumped around too much and didn't resolve well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide
Minor: Homophobia
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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
This is not a fun, lighthearted beach read. The characters are unlikeable, but this is the kind of book that makes you introspective if you can relate to complex family issues.
I have been back and forth between a 3 and 4-star review because I did not love the writing, but the choppy writing, short chapters, unreliable narrators (narrator?), and unlikeable characters achieved what I believe are the book's major themes.Those themes are 1) Trauma manifests differently for different people; 2) Untreated trauma follows us into our adult life; 3) As much as we love our family, we can't change them.
This read like an adult fiction romance novel which felt weird due to the heavy themes. However, I think it fits the naivety and plainness of the characters. All of the characters are mentally stuck as a result of their undiagnosed trauma, and this is mirrored well through short chapters and unexciting storytelling. We meet the family as adults and each one of them is broken in a different way. Later, we learn of the shared trauma that resulted in these different mental health issues. In the end, the children (and even Charlotte depending on how you look at it) make progress in working through that trauma in small ways. Cord honors his inner child, Regan leaves a loveless marriage, and Lee is able to come clean about the truth of her father's death. Charlotte is finally able to name what she wants and achieves it. Additionally, the family begins to mend their fractured relationships by learning to appreciate each other as they are, which is often all we can do as family.
A lot of the reviews mention Charlotte as unlikeable. I also found her unlikeable, but I think Ward portrayed her as selfish to portray the important themes mentioned above. For example, Charlotte lived through an abusive, loveless marriage. She married as a result of shame before she had time to figure out her self-identity. Additionally, when her husband died she was the single mother to three children. In her narrative, she can never truly appreciate herself and her life until her best friend dies. How is she supposed to grow and accept others when she cannot accept herself? Sadly, this happens to a lot of people and adds to Ward's theme that untreated trauma stints self-growth and this can strain or even devastate family relationships. Through the narratives of the Perkins children, Ward does an accurate job of portraying how we love our family even when their faults seem impossible to cope with.
I have been back and forth between a 3 and 4-star review because I did not love the writing, but the choppy writing, short chapters, unreliable narrators (narrator?), and unlikeable characters achieved what I believe are the book's major themes.
This read like an adult fiction romance novel which felt weird due to the heavy themes. However, I think it fits the naivety and plainness of the characters. All of the characters are mentally stuck as a result of their undiagnosed trauma, and this is mirrored well through short chapters and unexciting storytelling. We meet the family as adults and each one of them is broken in a different way. Later, we learn of the shared trauma that resulted in these different mental health issues. In the end, the children (and even Charlotte depending on how you look at it) make progress in working through that trauma in small ways. Cord honors his inner child, Regan leaves a loveless marriage, and Lee is able to come clean about the truth of her father's death. Charlotte is finally able to name what she wants and achieves it. Additionally, the family begins to mend their fractured relationships by learning to appreciate each other as they are, which is often all we can do as family.
A lot of the reviews mention Charlotte as unlikeable. I also found her unlikeable, but I think Ward portrayed her as selfish to portray the important themes mentioned above. For example, Charlotte lived through an abusive, loveless marriage. She married as a result of shame before she had time to figure out her self-identity. Additionally, when her husband died she was the single mother to three children. In her narrative, she can never truly appreciate herself and her life until her best friend dies. How is she supposed to grow and accept others when she cannot accept herself? Sadly, this happens to a lot of people and adds to Ward's theme that untreated trauma stints self-growth and this can strain or even devastate family relationships. Through the narratives of the Perkins children, Ward does an accurate job of portraying how we love our family even when their faults seem impossible to cope with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia