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itsjustkiwi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
robyn1998's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
This was an interesting memoir but I don't really get why other reviews talk about how clever it is? Isn't it just a memoir with names changed and some photos included? Maybe listening to it as an audiobook took away some of the magic for me?
I did enjoy it, especially the relationship between the sisters, but it felt really detached at times. Reminded me a bit of The Idiot by Elif Batuman, and not in a good way.
I did enjoy it, especially the relationship between the sisters, but it felt really detached at times. Reminded me a bit of The Idiot by Elif Batuman, and not in a good way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Chronic illness, and Suicide attempt
gothicbirdhouse's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Self harm
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism
katerina_l's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
amyvl93's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Compared to other books I've read so far on the longlist, Homesick felt like a much quieter read, but I found a lot to like in here.
Homesick follows the relationship between two sisters - the older Amy and younger Zoe, the whose recurring illnesses means that the girls are home schooled. This is a novel with an interesting history, it has previously been published as a memoir of Jennifer's very real childhood - complete with photos; and has now been re-released as a novel. Having not read the memoir, I can't comment on how much has been fictionalised, but I found this look at growing up really affecting. Amy is naturally good at and interested in languages - creating a language to use to communicate with Zoe away from their parents, which Zoe is disinterested in. Through the means of ice skating, the girls become fascinated with Russia and Ukraine respectively, and their crushes on their language tutor Sasha is a turning point for their relationship.
As I said, a quieter more reflective entry on the Women's Prize longlist - I really liked this book which bought to mind previous reads like Educated. Would highlight that this book does feature self-harm and suicide which I hadn't seen mentioned elsewhere, and plays a pivotal role in the novel.
Homesick follows the relationship between two sisters - the older Amy and younger Zoe, the whose recurring illnesses means that the girls are home schooled. This is a novel with an interesting history, it has previously been published as a memoir of Jennifer's very real childhood - complete with photos; and has now been re-released as a novel. Having not read the memoir, I can't comment on how much has been fictionalised, but I found this look at growing up really affecting. Amy is naturally good at and interested in languages - creating a language to use to communicate with Zoe away from their parents, which Zoe is disinterested in. Through the means of ice skating, the girls become fascinated with Russia and Ukraine respectively, and their crushes on their language tutor Sasha is a turning point for their relationship.
As I said, a quieter more reflective entry on the Women's Prize longlist - I really liked this book which bought to mind previous reads like Educated. Would highlight that this book does feature self-harm and suicide which I hadn't seen mentioned elsewhere, and plays a pivotal role in the novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
eliodelio's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
3.75
i think i went into this book expecting it to be a hopeful, inspiring memoir about someone with a difficult childhood finding her way to language and translation and travelling (three things i care about a lot) but its more of a semi-fictional account mostly only focused on her childhood up to the age of 15. it was well written and a touching story but in the end i felt like i would have wanted to read more about what happened afterwards. i was left feeling more melancholy than hopeful.
also, throughout the book she disperses photographs along with a letter to her sister, spread out a couple sentences at a time, and it kind of bothered me because i was so focused on the main narrative that every time one of those fragments came up i couldnt remember what the previous one had been and it was just annoying to get pulled out of the story to try to figure out what she was talking about in the letter.
also, throughout the book she disperses photographs along with a letter to her sister, spread out a couple sentences at a time, and it kind of bothered me because i was so focused on the main narrative that every time one of those fragments came up i couldnt remember what the previous one had been and it was just annoying to get pulled out of the story to try to figure out what she was talking about in the letter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Cancer, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
Moderate: Rape
emilyrowanstudio's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Conceptually, this is a fascinating book. Flitting between third person prose and descriptions of photographs and meditations around language, translation and memory written in the first person.
Homesick was first published as fiction written in Spanish, then translated to English and published as a memoir including photographs. It was then rewritten and republished a third time as a novel without the photographs. The backstory is fascinating if you care to read into it.
The novel is about photographs, language, sisterhood, family, connection, translation, memory, travel, grief, and mental health. A lot of topics for a short book. I really enjoyed the blurred lines between novel and memoir, which brought a unique sense of an intimacy and tenderness.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, chronicling sisters Amy and Zoe's childhood and early adolescence, and the ending, but my interest waivered a little around the third quarter. There were certainly poignant and beautiful parts to this story, however I feel overall that the unique style and concept of the story-telling carries the actual story that was told.
Homesick was first published as fiction written in Spanish, then translated to English and published as a memoir including photographs. It was then rewritten and republished a third time as a novel without the photographs. The backstory is fascinating if you care to read into it.
The novel is about photographs, language, sisterhood, family, connection, translation, memory, travel, grief, and mental health. A lot of topics for a short book. I really enjoyed the blurred lines between novel and memoir, which brought a unique sense of an intimacy and tenderness.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, chronicling sisters Amy and Zoe's childhood and early adolescence, and the ending, but my interest waivered a little around the third quarter. There were certainly poignant and beautiful parts to this story, however I feel overall that the unique style and concept of the story-telling carries the actual story that was told.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
rochelles_reading_journal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Grief, Cancer, Medical trauma, 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
bookish_worm's review against another edition
After flicking through I saw there would be graphic self harm and suicide descriptions so I DNF for trigger reasons
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts