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g_jefferson28's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
jhartsoe's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, Self harm, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
jouljet's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicide, and Mental illness
helen_t_reads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Sisters Amy and Zoe grow up in Oklahoma where they are homeschooled because Zoe has frequent seizures. Whilst Zoe’s childhood is dominated by medication, surgery and frequent hospital visits, Amy flourishes intellectually, and becomes an autodidact. Her flair for languages, a thirst for knowledge, and an inquisitiveness about the world offer her respite from her sister’s illness, and further distraction is provided when she develops unrequited feelings for Sasha, her Russian tutor. However, when Amy takes up a university place at only 15 her life changes drastically.
Amy’s passion is photography, and this novel is constructed like a series of snapshots or vignettes from her life: very short chapters with detailed headings reading like captions in a photo album. It is semi-autobiographical and interestingly the American edition contained a number of accompanying photos, which the English edition does not include (at the author’s request I believe?).
The length of this novel (219 pages) and its short chapters make this a very quick read.
It is a coming of age novel portraying both an intense sibling relationship, and Croft’s love of languages (she went on to forge a highly successful career as a translator). Given its title, there is also an interesting exploration of the nature and meaning of ‘homesick’ness: Zoe remains sick at home, whilst Amy goes off to University at a young age and clearly misses her home, and her sister, especially, descending into depression and self-harm.
There is an air of detachment about the narrative which dampens the possibility of a deep emotional connection, and its tone is quite childlike, but, as Amy ages, this fades. It has far more depth than its tone would initially suggest.
For me, part two, which comes quite late in the novel, was too rushed, but, overall it is a thought-provoking read - the kind that could well keep popping into your head once it is finished.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Mental illness and Self harm
shantastic_reads's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Suicide, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Medical content
mappy's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
An unconventional but exquisitely crafted exploration of love, language and mortality. This is a work about connection and the self, and the 'mathematics of sacrifice' that often balance their equation. Each vignette seemed to mirror Amy's mental constraints, as a precocious girl battling to comprehend events that can never be understood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
readersreadingnook's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Self harm, Addiction, Mental illness, and Chronic illness
Minor: Medical content
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Homesick is probably the book on the Women’s Prize longlist with the most complicated publishing history. It was first written and published in Spanish. Then rewritten - not translated - by the author and published in the US as a memoir, albeit one where none of the characters shared the author’s name. The US version included photos taken by the author. Three years later it was rejigged again, with the photos removed and possibly some rewriting, before being released in the UK as a novel and thus eligible for the Women’s Prize.
It’s the story of the two sisters, Amy and Zoe, the close bond between them, and how that is impacted by Zoe’s illness. It’s also a complicated coming of age story one that involves a crush, a suicide, early university attendance, self-harm, a breakdown and travel disasters. It’s also a story that examines expression and creativity through words and through images. It is sparse and tightly structured, unfolding via a series of short vignettes which allowed the author to hone in on pivotal events. Some of the prose was gorgeous, perfectly capturing moments and meaning. “Every picture is a portrait of Zoe because Amy’s intention as a photographer has never wavered…what she’s always wanted is to capture and fix forever the presence of her sister, to contain her, to never let her go, or break, or even change.”
Generally speaking this was an intimate and personal book, the author clearly interrogating her own interior - thoughts, memories, motivations. However, I was frustrated by what wasn’t included. Potentially important and interesting parts of the story were simply not there - How did Amy feel after her hospital stay? Why didn’t Zoe visit? Obviously an author gets to choose what to include in their book, especially one based on their own life. Yet as a reader as felt I was left hanging a little.
I can see what motivated the judges to include this on the longlist. For me it fall in the middle of the pack and, while I still have a few books to read, I’m not sure it will make my personal shortlist.
It’s the story of the two sisters, Amy and Zoe, the close bond between them, and how that is impacted by Zoe’s illness. It’s also a complicated coming of age story one that involves a crush, a suicide, early university attendance, self-harm, a breakdown and travel disasters. It’s also a story that examines expression and creativity through words and through images. It is sparse and tightly structured, unfolding via a series of short vignettes which allowed the author to hone in on pivotal events. Some of the prose was gorgeous, perfectly capturing moments and meaning. “Every picture is a portrait of Zoe because Amy’s intention as a photographer has never wavered…what she’s always wanted is to capture and fix forever the presence of her sister, to contain her, to never let her go, or break, or even change.”
Generally speaking this was an intimate and personal book, the author clearly interrogating her own interior - thoughts, memories, motivations. However, I was frustrated by what wasn’t included. Potentially important and interesting parts of the story were simply not there - How did Amy feel after her hospital stay? Why didn’t Zoe visit? Obviously an author gets to choose what to include in their book, especially one based on their own life. Yet as a reader as felt I was left hanging a little.
I can see what motivated the judges to include this on the longlist. For me it fall in the middle of the pack and, while I still have a few books to read, I’m not sure it will make my personal shortlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide
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