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astoriareader's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
SYNOPSIS
- Day covers the lives of one family: April 5, 2019 (morning), April 5, 2020 (afternoon), and April 5, 2021 (evening).
- Isabel & her husband Dan live in Brooklyn with their two kids, Nathan & Violet, as well as Isabel’s brother, Robbie.
- They also interact with Dan’s brother, his brother’s friend, and his brother’s son.
MY THOUGHTS
- Literary fiction.
- Character-driven.
- The writing is sooooo good. I somehow haven’t read a Michael Cunningham book before, but he is a Pulitzer Prize winner. I want to read more of his work.
- Excellent storytelling & character development. All the characters felt very real, ordinary, and relatable.
- I thoroughly enjoyed Cunningham’s writing style. He is a master of his craft. While reading, I caught myself smiling a few times at how well a thought or a feeling was written. I was rereading sentences because it was poetically captured.
- Overall, this was a wonderful read. The only criticism I have is I wish Robbie remained with the family unit, as 2019 ended up being my favorite “day” because his connections added a lot of layers to the story.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️literary fiction. masterful & impressive writing, as well as character development.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, and Pandemic/Epidemic
sharonus's review
emotional
sad
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
3.0
I thought this was a pandemic book, and it’s really not. It’s just the same date in three successive years and the thoughts and internal turmoil of each character on those days. The writing was quite lovely, but I didn’t care about the characters in the least. I also thought the relationships between each seemed forced. Like the author had developed a series of characters and then put them all together in one book. Even though this book essentially encompassed two years, there wasn’t much of a character arc for anyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Suicide attempt
Minor: Addiction and Drug use
b_fruits's review
4.75
Woof. I really didn’t expect this one to fuck me up so much. First book to make me cry in a long time. Writing a pandemic story without being cringe is tough and Day pulled it off. Didn’t expect to feel so strongly about the characters - both hating and loving them. Oof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
popsicleplease's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Addiction
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