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katharina90's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
This was kind of meh. Some bits were funny, others were cringey or just fell flat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Grief, and Addiction
Minor: Fatphobia and Ableism
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.25
Title: The Guncle
Author: Steven Rowley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 25, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Wise • Bittersweet • Comical
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the wake of their mother's death, Maise and Grant was sent to live with their uncle Patrick aka GUP, while their father checks into a rehabilitation facility to deal with his addiction. Patrick has always loved spending time with his niece and nephew, but soon finds himself overwhelmed and not knowing what to expect.
What few people know is that Patrick has been barely hanging on in the years since his own partner's death. What lies ahead are not only some hilarious adventures, but a summer that will have a lasting impact and healing effects each of them.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Everyone needs Guncle rules! Although, Patrick (GUP) comes across extremely pretentious in the beginning, I think that was the whole point, and as the narrative progresses it reveals more as to why he has closed himself off from living. In this way, Rowley paints a portrait of grief, which feels validating all on its own. In the aftermath of my own partner's death, I experienced firsthand the power of children in the healing process, and this aspect of the novel tugged at my heartstrings.
At times heartwarming, at other times absolutely hilarious (the baby dog food story had me laughing out loud), I absolutely loved the themes of celebrating our authentic selves, and living without prejudice. The way GUP approaches allowing the children to make their own choices and not allow society to dictate what they should be was very well done.
Steven Rowley has developed a strong cast of characters. I probably related to Patrick the most from a grief perspective, yet I absolutely adored Maisie. I found myself just wanting to live with them and experience all of their adventures. The thruple next door was also a nice bonus.
My main issue is that there were several insensitivities to addiction, which were hard to over look from a personal standpoint. Otherwise, this was a solid feel-good novel that made me laugh and made me cry, a sign of a worthwhile read. I am definitely looking forward to whatever Steven Rowley publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• grievers (not early grief)
• bookclubs
• readers who enjoyed Akin by Emma Donoghue
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones."
"'I loved him and he died.'"
"'It feels sometimes like Joe, whom I loved very much, is being erased. He's just a smudge now on a chalkboard, smeared in an effort to get rid of him to make way for something new. And I hate that. So there are times I wished it hurt more, because it would mean the details of him would still be sharp. And then there are other days out here in the desert - especially if you go way out, to Joshua Tree or beyond - when you can see the Milky Way. A whole smudge of stars across the sky. And you think, there's still so much in that smudge. So many gleaming, beautiful things that you could never erase them all.'"
Author: Steven Rowley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 25, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Wise • Bittersweet • Comical
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the wake of their mother's death, Maise and Grant was sent to live with their uncle Patrick aka GUP, while their father checks into a rehabilitation facility to deal with his addiction. Patrick has always loved spending time with his niece and nephew, but soon finds himself overwhelmed and not knowing what to expect.
What few people know is that Patrick has been barely hanging on in the years since his own partner's death. What lies ahead are not only some hilarious adventures, but a summer that will have a lasting impact and healing effects each of them.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Everyone needs Guncle rules! Although, Patrick (GUP) comes across extremely pretentious in the beginning, I think that was the whole point, and as the narrative progresses it reveals more as to why he has closed himself off from living. In this way, Rowley paints a portrait of grief, which feels validating all on its own. In the aftermath of my own partner's death, I experienced firsthand the power of children in the healing process, and this aspect of the novel tugged at my heartstrings.
At times heartwarming, at other times absolutely hilarious (the baby dog food story had me laughing out loud), I absolutely loved the themes of celebrating our authentic selves, and living without prejudice. The way GUP approaches allowing the children to make their own choices and not allow society to dictate what they should be was very well done.
Steven Rowley has developed a strong cast of characters. I probably related to Patrick the most from a grief perspective, yet I absolutely adored Maisie. I found myself just wanting to live with them and experience all of their adventures. The thruple next door was also a nice bonus.
My main issue is that there were several insensitivities to addiction, which were hard to over look from a personal standpoint. Otherwise, this was a solid feel-good novel that made me laugh and made me cry, a sign of a worthwhile read. I am definitely looking forward to whatever Steven Rowley publishes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• grievers (not early grief)
• bookclubs
• readers who enjoyed Akin by Emma Donoghue
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones."
"'I loved him and he died.'"
"'It feels sometimes like Joe, whom I loved very much, is being erased. He's just a smudge now on a chalkboard, smeared in an effort to get rid of him to make way for something new. And I hate that. So there are times I wished it hurt more, because it would mean the details of him would still be sharp. And then there are other days out here in the desert - especially if you go way out, to Joshua Tree or beyond - when you can see the Milky Way. A whole smudge of stars across the sky. And you think, there's still so much in that smudge. So many gleaming, beautiful things that you could never erase them all.'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Death, and Addiction
Moderate: Car accident, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Cancer
death of partnermlindsay27's review
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident and Body shaming
spaghettireads's review
I didn't love the way Patrick talked to the kids, and expected them to know adult things. It didn't seem believable that he was that clueless about kids, and the joke seemed very repetitive already 45 pages in. There was also too much talk about body shaming, and ableist comments regarding one of the kid's lisp. Add in a few more jokes that seemed offensive and this didn't seem like something worth continuing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Addiction, and Alcohol
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