Scan barcode
ixris's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The plot focuses on a woman who (to me, a person who spent nine years as a childcare aide) is the least believable depiction of a struggling poverty class worker let alone a childcare worker and how she is enamored with the MPDG of an old man who invites her to return to his Defunctland vibe private island and falling in love with his grumpy live in illustrator (Sorry she's not sunshine tho).
A lot of this was really trite to me but maybe I'm not the right audience. It was a coherent plot and structurally sound, and I quite liked the flirting scenes - our FMC and her MLI really had a good vibe overall.
You could spot this plot from space though.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Third act trauma dumpbookcheshirecat's review against another edition
3.0
“The stories write us, you see. We read something that moves us, touches us, speaks to us and it…it changes us.”
➽ My favorite part of the book was the riddles and visiting Jack Masterson's home, an island reminiscent of the book series' main setting. I wish the game had started earlier, as it takes about 40-50% of the story to get to that point. I feel like the competition could have been a bigger focus, as it initially caught my interest. The first riddle was intriguing, but afterwards, we were simply told that they'd competed in the other games without seeing any of them. The final game was honestly a letdown, as it had nothing to do with cleverness or skill.
➽ For the most part I liked Lucy, a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher's aide who hopes to adopt a little boy called Christopher. She's trying to give him a loving home but has trouble saving up the money and getting a proper apartment/car for them. I understood why the social worker was sceptical, since Lucy's still living with college-aged people and doesn't have her own apartment. However, I could also understand Lucy's frustration that the system penalized anyone who is too poor. I liked how Lucy and Christopher connected to each other via the Clock Island books, but I felt like she was too intense about him at times. I know she cares about him, but she's calling herself his mother when by this time, she's still his teacher!
➽ I wasn't a fan of how Lucy's sister was handled. She was a sick, immuno-compromised kid and therefore got more attention while Lucy was neglected. However, Lucy still blames Angie for her childhood trauma, even though it was her parents who mistreated them. She doesn't even consider Angie's perspective and only finds out how she felt much later. Sure Angie said something hurtful in the past, but it didn't justify Lucy's years-long resentment, especially as she knew how sick her sister was. Parts of this felt so ableist and it annoyed me how Lucy made everything about herself. The ending also rubbed me the wrong way.
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
clothildev's review
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment
kimberleyw12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
chronic_listener's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Miscarriage
libby_l96's review
- 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
3.75
I found the clock island themes a little corny at first, but once I got into it, the storybook element brought an added richness.
The cosy imagery made me want to snuggle up under a blanket with some cocoa (and it's 30 degrees c and humid right now!).
Minor: Death and Terminal illness
TW/ Narcissistic parentchartle's review
5.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
karina_dreamsinwords's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I think I read this story exactly when I needed it. This had me crying many times, with a constant stream of tears for the last 25%. I can’t quite explain the hope & joy Meg Shaffer weaved into this delightful little gem, but this was an absolute pleasure to read.
This gave me the feels similar to one of my favorites— The House in the Cerulean Sea, so if you also loved that book, give this one a try.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Outing
sydneylmeyer7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment