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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
When I first picked up Homebodies: A Novel by Tembe Denton-Hurst, I had the expectation that it would primarily revolve around the infamous letter written by the main character, Mickey. However, to my pleasant surprise, this book goes beyond that initial premise and delves deep into Mickey's various relationships, her experiences as a black woman, her queerness, and the significant roles that all these aspects play in shaping her life.
From the very beginning, this book had me hooked. Once I started reading, I found myself completely captivated by the story, unable to tear my eyes away from the pages. In fact, I was so engrossed in Mickey's journey that I ended up finishing the entire book in just one sitting. The narrative skillfully explores the complexities of Mickey's life, drawing the reader into her world and making us feel like we are right there alongside her, experiencing every triumph and setback.
What struck me the most was how, despite not sharing many similarities with Mickey, I still found myself identifying with her on a deep level. As a reader, I couldn't help but cheer her on and root for her throughout the book. There were moments when I wanted to reach into the pages and give her a high five for her accomplishments, and there were other times when I wished I could shake some sense into her when she made questionable decisions.
The author's portrayal of Mickey's character is so vivid and authentic that it evokes a strong emotional response. I questioned her choices, pondered her motivations, and felt a genuine connection to her journey. By the time I reached the end of the book, Mickey and her life had left an indelible impact on me in ways that I never expected.
In summary, Homebodies: A Novel is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of identity, relationships, and the complexities of navigating one's own path. It is a book that will resonate with readers on multiple levels, regardless of their background or experiences. Tembe Denton-Hurst's storytelling prowess and her ability to create deeply relatable characters make this a must-read for anyone seeking a compelling and impactful literary experience.
From the very beginning, this book had me hooked. Once I started reading, I found myself completely captivated by the story, unable to tear my eyes away from the pages. In fact, I was so engrossed in Mickey's journey that I ended up finishing the entire book in just one sitting. The narrative skillfully explores the complexities of Mickey's life, drawing the reader into her world and making us feel like we are right there alongside her, experiencing every triumph and setback.
What struck me the most was how, despite not sharing many similarities with Mickey, I still found myself identifying with her on a deep level. As a reader, I couldn't help but cheer her on and root for her throughout the book. There were moments when I wanted to reach into the pages and give her a high five for her accomplishments, and there were other times when I wished I could shake some sense into her when she made questionable decisions.
The author's portrayal of Mickey's character is so vivid and authentic that it evokes a strong emotional response. I questioned her choices, pondered her motivations, and felt a genuine connection to her journey. By the time I reached the end of the book, Mickey and her life had left an indelible impact on me in ways that I never expected.
In summary, Homebodies: A Novel is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of identity, relationships, and the complexities of navigating one's own path. It is a book that will resonate with readers on multiple levels, regardless of their background or experiences. Tembe Denton-Hurst's storytelling prowess and her ability to create deeply relatable characters make this a must-read for anyone seeking a compelling and impactful literary experience.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
I can’t give this book enough praise! I felt seen in Mickey and all her strife. This may be the first book I’ve read where the connection ran this deeply. Highly recommend for all the wlw who feel the pressure to live up to an image: in their careers, relationships, family dynamics.
Amazing debut novel, looking forward to reading more from the author.
Amazing debut novel, looking forward to reading more from the author.
It’s gotten so that you can’t trust blurbs anymore, even those of some notoriety. This was the never ending book, hinged on the protagonist’s letter that ended her career, only to find when the letter was finally revealed… WHAT!? I felt nothing in the end but regret. Who are the characters, what do they look like, why do they behave, react the way they do? Why do they even like Mickey? If I had to be dragged through one more meaningless description of a TJMaxx candle for no reason at all… Lord! Much of the blame should be afforded to the editor though. This should have been half the book if they weren’t going to insist upon further rewrites. For the author, read, read, read good authors. Otherwise you’re just stinging along sentences.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed parts of this book because I'm a writer and liked reading about the main character, Mickey's, writing career and thoughts about the craft. However, I wanted to shake her. She's a realistic character; I'll give the author that. And I would've had the same reaction to her shenanigans that her two equally realistic best friend characters had (and they were the only two characters I liked, by the way).
This is a story about a young Black woman experiencing racism in the media industry, but it's also a story of self-sabotage at every angle. It'd be easy to write this story off as Black lesbians being messy because of all the excessive plot points about old lovers and family and old friends and friends' family in Mickey's hometown and Mickey's generally bad decision-making and attitude. I found all the descriptive language excessive, too, and eventually started skimming over unnecessary details. The pacing is off, and it didn't pick up until around the middle, which is when I became a little more invested.
Speaking of the pacing, there was a lot of lead-up to...what? I thought a better plot would've been after what happened at the end. Racism isn't explored to the level I thought it'd be, either, given the book's description, and it felt like the issue was just vaguely floating around the story. Since I'm also a Black woman, I could pick up what the author was putting down about the subtle but harmful racism Mickey experienced, but so much more could've been explored in this area—which I thought was supposed to be central to the story—and so many other things could've been left out. Mickey's viral manifesto—finally revealed close to the end—was excellently written, though.
I read a lot of lit fic so I'm not usually annoyed about not getting a real resolution, but with this one, I was a little peeved. The end should've been the middle. I appreciate this book for what it ended up being, and some of it was well done, but I don't believe it quite reached its full potential.
This is a story about a young Black woman experiencing racism in the media industry, but it's also a story of self-sabotage at every angle. It'd be easy to write this story off as Black lesbians being messy because of all the excessive plot points about old lovers and family and old friends and friends' family in Mickey's hometown and Mickey's generally bad decision-making and attitude. I found all the descriptive language excessive, too, and eventually started skimming over unnecessary details. The pacing is off, and it didn't pick up until around the middle, which is when I became a little more invested.
Speaking of the pacing, there was a lot of lead-up to...what? I thought a better plot would've been after what happened at the end. Racism isn't explored to the level I thought it'd be, either, given the book's description, and it felt like the issue was just vaguely floating around the story. Since I'm also a Black woman, I could pick up what the author was putting down about the subtle but harmful racism Mickey experienced, but so much more could've been explored in this area—which I thought was supposed to be central to the story—and so many other things could've been left out. Mickey's viral manifesto—finally revealed close to the end—was excellently written, though.
I read a lot of lit fic so I'm not usually annoyed about not getting a real resolution, but with this one, I was a little peeved. The end should've been the middle. I appreciate this book for what it ended up being, and some of it was well done, but I don't believe it quite reached its full potential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It reminded me a little of Britt-Marie Was Here. I wish we could have had a chapter or two from Tee’s perspective or from the Dad’s. Without it, the other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out.