Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Mickey is lost. Her relationship is on shaky ground, she is fired, and retreats home. I could understand her spiraling out of control and making the bad decisions she made. I even liked how her story turned around. But throughout the entire book, it felt muted. Everything felt muted except her interactions with Tee, which I wasn't a fan of. I get it that it was part of the spiral, but I felt that the story and Mickey's emphasis on that part wasn't worth it. Overall, the book did not feel "urgent" or "propulsive."
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
This was severely underwhelming.
Mickey was insufferable. There was no growth from her at all. It was hard to resonate with her and feel the appropriate sympathy for a black woman in her position. Her 'detailed letter' was merely 6 paragraphs, and we don't even hear what it says until she reads it to Scotty at the end. When she read it, I was like that's it?!?! The discrimination and racism that black women (and men) face in the workplace are absolutely still ongoing issues in this country, but this book read as if it was written from a white person's perspective on what they think facing discrimination in the workplace would be like. I didn't feel the true anger and emotion from having your ideas shot down to having them celebrated when coming out of someone else's mouth; the anger from being told you're "too loud" and "too argumentative" when those same qualities are applauded in (white) men.
I didn't like the relationship with Lex.. Mickey always made everything about her. While Lex wasn't perfect, Mickey wasn't a great partner either. Lex was doing everything that straight women end up resenting in their straight marriages and while Mickey was deep in depression all she was worried about was that Lex didn't tell her one thing.
This just could have been so much better. The premise was so intriguing but it was not done well.
Mickey was insufferable. There was no growth from her at all. It was hard to resonate with her and feel the appropriate sympathy for a black woman in her position. Her 'detailed letter' was merely 6 paragraphs, and we don't even hear what it says until she reads it to Scotty at the end. When she read it, I was like that's it?!?! The discrimination and racism that black women (and men) face in the workplace are absolutely still ongoing issues in this country, but this book read as if it was written from a white person's perspective on what they think facing discrimination in the workplace would be like. I didn't feel the true anger and emotion from having your ideas shot down to having them celebrated when coming out of someone else's mouth; the anger from being told you're "too loud" and "too argumentative" when those same qualities are applauded in (white) men.
I didn't like the relationship with Lex.. Mickey always made everything about her. While Lex wasn't perfect, Mickey wasn't a great partner either. Lex was doing everything that straight women end up resenting in their straight marriages and while Mickey was deep in depression all she was worried about was that Lex didn't tell her one thing.
This just could have been so much better. The premise was so intriguing but it was not done well.
In premise, Homebodies seems like the perfect book for the cultural moment. But in execution, I found it lacking.
After reading the synopsis, I was expecting a novel of searing commentary and a brutal and fast past plot filled with relatability. Almost immediately after starting the audiobook, I found that I was not digging this book.
After searching through Goodreads and only seeing five-star reviews, I definitely felt like I was an outlier until the deeper I scrolled the more reviews I found from people who felt exactly like me. I felt very vindicated in my thoughts.
My main problem with this book was how much of a no-plot, just vibes book that it was. But the bad thing was that there weren't even vibes. Just whiney characters laying around all day complaining. Which in the context of what plot there is, I understand is a little problematic for me to say - but I honestly didn't have any sympathy for the main character.
Let me explain - I think that the circumstances under which the main character was fired are horrible. Firing her in order, to essentially, hire a newer shinier version of her is incredibly problematic. But I do think that Mickey kind of let it happen to herself. She didn't put up a fight when she found out there was a possibility she might get fired. She moped around and put on a woe-is-me act. After being fired she then sits around her apartment moping while making everyone around her miserable. She then moves back to her hometown and makes everyone there miserable too.
Mickey is just a very unlikeable character. It is hard to feel any sympathy for her as a character outside of the circumstances of her firing. I couldn't root for her or feel sympathy for her. And when you are reading a book that is lacking in plot, you need to at least be able to root for the characters, and I just couldn't do that.
I also was expecting to read something similar to Such a Fun Age by Kiley Rid, which I LOVED. Where there is a big exposé (video in Such a Fun Age) which is the catalyst for a lot of the plot. That was not the case. Mickey's article doesn't even really come into play until the last 20% of the book. She spends 80% of the book pouting and I just couldn't get behind it.
Unfortunately, Homebodies just wasn't the book for me.
After reading the synopsis, I was expecting a novel of searing commentary and a brutal and fast past plot filled with relatability. Almost immediately after starting the audiobook, I found that I was not digging this book.
After searching through Goodreads and only seeing five-star reviews, I definitely felt like I was an outlier until the deeper I scrolled the more reviews I found from people who felt exactly like me. I felt very vindicated in my thoughts.
My main problem with this book was how much of a no-plot, just vibes book that it was. But the bad thing was that there weren't even vibes. Just whiney characters laying around all day complaining. Which in the context of what plot there is, I understand is a little problematic for me to say - but I honestly didn't have any sympathy for the main character.
Let me explain - I think that the circumstances under which the main character was fired are horrible. Firing her in order, to essentially, hire a newer shinier version of her is incredibly problematic. But I do think that Mickey kind of let it happen to herself. She didn't put up a fight when she found out there was a possibility she might get fired. She moped around and put on a woe-is-me act. After being fired she then sits around her apartment moping while making everyone around her miserable. She then moves back to her hometown and makes everyone there miserable too.
Mickey is just a very unlikeable character. It is hard to feel any sympathy for her as a character outside of the circumstances of her firing. I couldn't root for her or feel sympathy for her. And when you are reading a book that is lacking in plot, you need to at least be able to root for the characters, and I just couldn't do that.
I also was expecting to read something similar to Such a Fun Age by Kiley Rid, which I LOVED. Where there is a big exposé (video in Such a Fun Age) which is the catalyst for a lot of the plot. That was not the case. Mickey's article doesn't even really come into play until the last 20% of the book. She spends 80% of the book pouting and I just couldn't get behind it.
Unfortunately, Homebodies just wasn't the book for me.