Scan barcode
erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
CW: firearm, drinking while pregnant, drunk driving, child neglect
This book was one that I picked up as it was a nominee for a book of the month in one of my book clubs. I have found it quite difficult to get my head around to write a coherent review. This may be my traumatised Autistic brain doing a Nope, or it may just be that I found the whole narrative a little incoherent.
The main character is a half-Korean(?) 18 year old, fresh out of school and newly pregnant. She is aimless and unfocused and clearly lonely. Despite having a handsome and popular partner who is driven to train up, get a good job and support her and the baby, she is .. just not feeling it. It's probably because she's way more into women than men but has never really stopped to identify what she wants from her life, and she feels pretty stuck with her options.
This emotional and messed up girl becomes obsessed with a middle aged woman who orders pizza from the place she works. Both women are clearly not quite coping with life and each seem to feel like they are rescuing the other, though it feels like they would be a lot better off if they focused on saving themselves.
As a fairly risk averse caregiver and rule-follower, I'm anxious all through this book as the main character leans hard into being her alcoholic father reborn despite having a baby on board. I can't quite wrap my head around the why of some of this woman's decisions.. or maybe they are more impulses than decisions, because there seems to be very little logic engaged with. The whole hot mess is quite unsettling. It does make me stop and think a bit about how I was when I was an odd and dysregulated teen, but I don't think I ever, even in my worst meltdowns, got quite this close to a psychotic break.
I dunno that I got anything good from this book.. but it was certainly.. something.
This book was one that I picked up as it was a nominee for a book of the month in one of my book clubs. I have found it quite difficult to get my head around to write a coherent review. This may be my traumatised Autistic brain doing a Nope, or it may just be that I found the whole narrative a little incoherent.
The main character is a half-Korean(?) 18 year old, fresh out of school and newly pregnant. She is aimless and unfocused and clearly lonely. Despite having a handsome and popular partner who is driven to train up, get a good job and support her and the baby, she is .. just not feeling it. It's probably because she's way more into women than men but has never really stopped to identify what she wants from her life, and she feels pretty stuck with her options.
This emotional and messed up girl becomes obsessed with a middle aged woman who orders pizza from the place she works. Both women are clearly not quite coping with life and each seem to feel like they are rescuing the other, though it feels like they would be a lot better off if they focused on saving themselves.
As a fairly risk averse caregiver and rule-follower, I'm anxious all through this book as the main character leans hard into being her alcoholic father reborn despite having a baby on board. I can't quite wrap my head around the why of some of this woman's decisions.. or maybe they are more impulses than decisions, because there seems to be very little logic engaged with. The whole hot mess is quite unsettling. It does make me stop and think a bit about how I was when I was an odd and dysregulated teen, but I don't think I ever, even in my worst meltdowns, got quite this close to a psychotic break.
I dunno that I got anything good from this book.. but it was certainly.. something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Blood, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
More...