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joanaacevedor's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The characters were not particularly lovable, but I was still invested in their stories. This book really made me reflect about different things like death, love, relationships, etc.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Infidelity
tashtasher's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
caseythereader's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content
sleeson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Death of parent
youshouldreadthisif's review
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.5
Am I glad I read this? Yes. While there are POVs from other members of the family that provide insight into family dynamics through their eyes, this book is as good as it is because of how well Ramisetti constructed Dava's character. She's "unlikeable" and sometimes difficult to sympathize with; she's deeply ambitious to the point of fixation, dismissive of her children, bordering on narcissistic, obsessed with her legacy, controlling, incredibly demanding, and, frankly, unrepentant about all of that. (Though this begs the question of whether we'd call this character unlikeable if she were instead a he, doesn't it?) And that's exactly why I like her character so much. My favorite part was Dava's POV about Tom Buck - she makes, and keeps making, an incredibly selfish and potentially devastating decision. And while my romantic heart hated it, I also understood it. So don't read this book for the juicy secrets revealed; one of them's not all that shocking, anyway. Instead, read it for the incredibly complicated family matriarch and the insight into her choices and how they affected her family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity
mishale1's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I generally rate a book with a star rating based on my own enjoyment level and not necessarily how well the book is written. Their my reviews after all. So, does this book deserve better than a 3 star rating? Probably to many people it does.
It don’t like sad books very often. I really don’t like books that are sad most of the time. And I also enjoy a book less when I don’t like the lead character.
Why did I read this book then? I didn’t realize how sad it would be. It sounded like an amusing concept.
Dava knows she’s dying. She’s incredibly famous and incredibly wealthy. She’s done a lot of good for the world. She has her death leaked to the press early so she can see what is said about her.
Dava seems to be expecting that everything said about her will be good, she’s most famous for her charitable work after all. She is completely blindsided with two huge secrets from her past also come out and threaten to overtake the good things written about her.
She thinks it’s unfair that people would focus on scandalous gossip when she’s done so much good. She thinks it’s sexist.
But let me tell you a bit about Dava.
She leaked the news of her death to the press before telling her own children she was dying. They didn’t even know she was sick.
Now the whole family has found out, despite her trying to hide it by secluding everyone in a cabin without technological devices.
She’s also planning to have a doctor do an assisted suicide procedure for her.
The secrets that come out about her in the press?
Her kids didn’t know them either.
Now the whole family is together, they just find out their mom will die before they leave the cabin, they’ve got their children there with them, and they have to deal with the big secrets their mom kept while also processing that she’s dying.
I made it through this book but it was really just incredibly sad the whole way through. It was well written but it wasn’t for me.
It don’t like sad books very often. I really don’t like books that are sad most of the time. And I also enjoy a book less when I don’t like the lead character.
Why did I read this book then? I didn’t realize how sad it would be. It sounded like an amusing concept.
Dava knows she’s dying. She’s incredibly famous and incredibly wealthy. She’s done a lot of good for the world. She has her death leaked to the press early so she can see what is said about her.
Dava seems to be expecting that everything said about her will be good, she’s most famous for her charitable work after all. She is completely blindsided with two huge secrets from her past also come out and threaten to overtake the good things written about her.
She thinks it’s unfair that people would focus on scandalous gossip when she’s done so much good. She thinks it’s sexist.
But let me tell you a bit about Dava.
She leaked the news of her death to the press before telling her own children she was dying. They didn’t even know she was sick.
Now the whole family has found out, despite her trying to hide it by secluding everyone in a cabin without technological devices.
She’s also planning to have a doctor do an assisted suicide procedure for her.
The secrets that come out about her in the press?
Her kids didn’t know them either.
Now the whole family is together, they just find out their mom will die before they leave the cabin, they’ve got their children there with them, and they have to deal with the big secrets their mom kept while also processing that she’s dying.
I made it through this book but it was really just incredibly sad the whole way through. It was well written but it wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
leahrosiee's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy
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