Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Day by Michael Cunningham

4 reviews

astoriareader's review

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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.
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sharonus's review

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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. 
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b_fruits's review

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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. 
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pomoevareads's review against another edition

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reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Written on the same date, April 5, of 2019, 2020 and 2021, Day focuses is on one family in New York City and the tidbits of life on that day each year. Yes, this is a pandemic novel but it is never really mentioned specifically. The reader only knows by the dates the book takes place that virus has affected this family deeply.

Robbie is the central character in the sense that the other characters in this story move mostly in his sphere for the purpose of the story. Robbie is the brother to Isabel, and brother in law to Dan. Violet and Nathan are the children of Isabel and Dan and Robbie, who lives in the attic for the first bit of the story, plays a special role in all their lives. The author notes in the synopsis that Dan and Isabel are both a little in love with Robbie. Robbie is the glue holding this family together and once Robbie is asked to move out to accommodate one of the children growing up and needing their own space, the strings holding this mobile begin to sever. 

This is my third novel by Cunningham and I absolutely adored it. I found the short glimpses of the characters’ lives and of their inner emotions to be beautiful and affecting. 

Like Cunningham’s previous books that I have read, there is a cinematic quality where the camera pans in and out of each room and the reader is believed to be astute enough to read between the lines. Subplots of parental rights add to the complicated family story. 

I can’t speak highly enough of this stunning literary creation and hope it finds its way into many readers’ hands. Thank you to @randomhouse for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Day publishes November 14, 2023.
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