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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
This is a Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide pick, and several people said they found it surprisingly good. It happened to be available at the library, so I snagged it, despite being less satisfied with Weiner’s previous book, Mrs. Everything.. But this book worked better for me. I did not realize that Part 1 was going to end so dramatically and take the book in a different direction, which worked well for moving the story along briskly. The examination of how early friendships shape one’s view of oneself, the difficulty we have in seeing people change, our blindness to our own good fortune, how money can be used as a weapon and quickly pull the rug out from under the feet of those who don’t have it, and the way that social media commodities every aspect of our being, often with our complicity, are all important parts of the books though it’s still light enough to qualify as a summer read. I’d call this one “pleasantly surprising.” I also think that it’s would make a good paired read with “Followers,” which explores many of the same themes (especially friendship, social media, and the intersection) but in a dystopian world.
Hmm what to say about this book. I liked the main character and her back story. I liked both the first and the second half, which felt very different but in the way I liked it while reading it, not hooking me or making me want to pick it up asap again. Just a fun read.
It got there eventually… took about 200 pages for things to get interesting but after that it was a great book with great meaning behind it
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is definitely a summer beach read. I was expecting just a book about friendship breakups and makeups, so the subpar murder mystery plot really surprised me. I was confused as to how these molded together into one story. Even from the get go of reading the prologue, I was confused about how it tied into the entire story, but I just had to be patient to see how it tied in. I don’t think I enjoyed the transition from the inter-friendship dynamic conflict to that of a murder mystery. It was reminiscent of “A Simple Favor,” a main character that honestly has no business solving a mystery with their occupation and situation/standpoint in the book, besides undying loyalty to (chase after) their friend. I wish we got to see more justice or repentance from Robert Cavanaugh. Of course this book is not about him, but for all the things he did, he was left off too easily. I was also thrown in for a loop when the culprit was unveiled. Yes, culprits can be the most unsuspecting, but this felt like it came out of left field. Also, why were there strong references and mentions to South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures, more specifically India and Thailand? Not just the cuisine choices, but also the characters; the author chose these ethnicities for the more ambiguous characters, and that comes off a little weird to me. Like I said in the beginning, this read is just a summer, superficial beach read. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t necessarily hate it; the latter is attributed to certain questionable details.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed the last 2/3rds of this book but the beginning just seemed to drag on. The author describes things in, at times, excruciating details which can make it hard to focus on the actual plot of the book. I also found grammatical errors which just make me disappointed, no hate to the author but sad that it wasn’t caught before it was printed. I really liked the ending and how everything turned out to connect though!
Great read. I thought it would be a typical, feel-good rom-com read, but halfway through, the story took a surprising turn. Surprisingly quick read, given how hefty the book is.
Not quite the feel good story I expected. It was good but it was a slow read.
2.5 stars. Essentially two different books—the first half was ok. Kind of eye roll-y at how the main character thought of herself as so underprivileged as a scholarship kid at a rich kid school. Seemed like she was friends with the rich popular girls though despite it all? Then the story turns into a zany whodunnit. During this section I eye rolled at the out of nowhere perfect crush (who had no personality other than being sweet to the main character). Meh but an easy read.