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crystalleighwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Alcohol and Death
Minor: Mental illness, Infertility, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Infidelity
leighannebfd3b's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcohol and Body shaming
caitlinjadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, and Mental illness
prettiestwhistles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Racism
quasinaut's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some stuff I liked: Laurie and her friendships with June and Nick and Daisy, the evolution of these relationships (as well as Laurie's understanding of her own independence), Nick's research skills and library commentary, and the nefarious discovery and resulting caper/heist.
On the other hand, the overall premise didn't feel quite right to me. I found it odd that Laurie would be left so on-her-own by her family to clean out Dot's belongings. Her brothers couldn't each come for a few days? Where are her aunts?
Also, just because something is tucked in a box doesn't mean it was intentionally hidden away and therefore special. I was surprised Laurie let the duck go over momentary embarrassment (especially since she originally wanted to keep it regardless of its value). Maybe I'm just being nitpicky! But I wanted everything to fit together a bit more cohesively than it did for me.
Moderate: Alcohol and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Fatphobia, and Infertility
purplepenning's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Things I loved:
- The friend group. Some reviewers found the dialogue and banter a *bit much* but it's what drew me in and kept me around until the mystery of the duck and deeper personal development kicked in. Yes, the dialogue is a bit more witty and polished than you might get in real life, but these are writers and librarians and long-time friends. I've been in and around such groups often, and it felt spot-on to me. Thoroughly enjoyed eavesdropping on them.
- The journey the duck takes us on. I don't care much about wooden duck decoys and couldn't really engage in the beauty or artistry of it, but of course it's not really about the duck. I enjoyed the heck out of the ride from secret relic to thrilling intrigue to sweet, complicated, empowering truths.
- The uncompromising compromises. Life and personal needs are complicated and sometimes, for the sake of the story or harmony or whatever, those complications are forced into a tidy box, or rolled over with toxicity positivity, or wallowed in for the good misery of it all. That wasn't the approach here. Yes, there was some angst, but complications are allowed to be complicated and solutions are allowed to be creative, and I appreciated it.
- The sexy librarian guy and the friends-to-lovers/second-chance-romance vibes. I'm not understanding any of the hate for the sexy librarian guy. Research is definitely one of my love languages, so Nick is prime book boyfriend material.
- The representation. The non-issue presentation of Laurie as a size 18 was refreshing. And so were the multifaceted, non-infantilizing portrayals of the over-80s characters.
- The whole Scooby gang feel to the investigative/researching/mystery aspects. And every single time Laurie thinks "This f*cking guy."
Graphic: Gaslighting and Infidelity
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Infertility, and Sexual content
Minor: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness