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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Series reread - March 2024 - audiobook, excellent narration by Eric McCormack
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My enjoyment of this series has definitely gone down as I've gotten further into it. This book doesn't do that thing that all the previous ones did where a large chunk of it is devoted to a side character that I don't care about, but it did mostly focus on a main character that I at this point strongly dislike.
I have mixed feelings about my dislike of Mary Ann. She's definitely an interesting and believable character, and on the one hand, that's enough. But on the other hand, it doesn't feel great to follow a character for six books and watch them slowly become a more and more selfish person. I've watched the Netflix show, so I knew what was going to happen, but I still really didn't like it.I don't care that she left Brian, but how could she leave Shawna? I get that she never really wanted to be a mother, but surely she feels something for her child.
As always I enjoyed Michael's part of the book. I feel the most connected to him out of all the characters, so his story lines are always engaging and moving. There's so much fear and grief underlying his life in this book, and it hurts to read. I definitely want to read more about the AIDs epidemic, both fiction and non-fiction, because it's such an important piece of queer history that I don't know enough about. But there's also so much joy and love in Michael's life, and I'm glad the book focuses on that, too.
We also get a bit of Mona in this book! I really love her, and it was fun seeing her trip to Greece. The overall tone of this book was melancholic, so it was nice to break up with some humor and adventure. I will point out, though, that I'm uncomfortable with the way the series has handled Mona's sexuality. She identifies as bi for the first few books before switching to lesbian, which for a real person is a perfectly normal and valid thing to do, but when it's the only bi character in a book series that otherwise ignores the existence of bi people, it just feels like further erasure. So I didn't like that, though I do still love Mona.
Overall, I'm not surprised by my mixed feelings about the book. It's consistent with how I've felt about the series as a whole. I will of course finish it, though, and I'm very curious to see what the later books will include.
I have mixed feelings about my dislike of Mary Ann. She's definitely an interesting and believable character, and on the one hand, that's enough. But on the other hand, it doesn't feel great to follow a character for six books and watch them slowly become a more and more selfish person. I've watched the Netflix show, so I knew what was going to happen, but I still really didn't like it.
As always I enjoyed Michael's part of the book. I feel the most connected to him out of all the characters, so his story lines are always engaging and moving. There's so much fear and grief underlying his life in this book, and it hurts to read. I definitely want to read more about the AIDs epidemic, both fiction and non-fiction, because it's such an important piece of queer history that I don't know enough about. But there's also so much joy and love in Michael's life, and I'm glad the book focuses on that, too.
We also get a bit of Mona in this book! I really love her, and it was fun seeing her trip to Greece. The overall tone of this book was melancholic, so it was nice to break up with some humor and adventure. I will point out, though, that I'm uncomfortable with the way the series has handled Mona's sexuality. She identifies as bi for the first few books before switching to lesbian, which for a real person is a perfectly normal and valid thing to do, but when it's the only bi character in a book series that otherwise ignores the existence of bi people, it just feels like further erasure. So I didn't like that, though I do still love Mona.
Overall, I'm not surprised by my mixed feelings about the book. It's consistent with how I've felt about the series as a whole. I will of course finish it, though, and I'm very curious to see what the later books will include.
I'm still really enjoying this series. I cannot explain how much I'm loving it -although I think there may be some bits that pass me by because I'm not up on 1980s (gay) San Francisco*!
I'm resisting the urge to go and buy the next one straight away - after all, for years this was the end of the series and it was All People Could Get. I'm so glad there's more of it now.
I love Michael and I think Thack is really good for him. I'm glad there was more Mrs Madrigal in this book - and thrilled to see Mona back.
Mary Ann and Brian have always been my least favourites of the regulars - and she has turned into someone I'm not sure I like anymore - but then after this book she'd be very hard to like if you hadn't read the earlier stories and lived through it with her.
This is a fabulous series - I'm so glad there's still more for me to discover.
*Although the same could be said for 1970s (gay) San Francisco - after all I had to google Jonestown a couple of books back...
I'm resisting the urge to go and buy the next one straight away - after all, for years this was the end of the series and it was All People Could Get. I'm so glad there's more of it now.
I love Michael and I think Thack is really good for him. I'm glad there was more Mrs Madrigal in this book - and thrilled to see Mona back.
Mary Ann and Brian have always been my least favourites of the regulars - and she has turned into someone I'm not sure I like anymore - but then after this book she'd be very hard to like if you hadn't read the earlier stories and lived through it with her.
This is a fabulous series - I'm so glad there's still more for me to discover.
*Although the same could be said for 1970s (gay) San Francisco - after all I had to google Jonestown a couple of books back...
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Another reviewer commented that there was a new level of maturity on display in this sixth book and I couldn’t agree more. While at times heartbreaking because I’ve come to feel attached to the characters and their relationships, their humanity (for better or worse) is very on display here and a lovely continuation to the series.
I’m one third of the way through the “seventh” book of the series now and wildly disappointed with it so far, perhaps because of how much I enjoyed this sixth (and at one point, the final) book in the series.
I’m one third of the way through the “seventh” book of the series now and wildly disappointed with it so far, perhaps because of how much I enjoyed this sixth (and at one point, the final) book in the series.
“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
"Pooh!" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”
― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner
"Pooh!" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”
― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner