Scan barcode
cheaploaf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Medical content, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Minor: Pregnancy
ladynavalon'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Abandonment, and Death of parent
kelly93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Child death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse, Cursing, and Medical content
kaylanoellesims'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cancer, Lesbophobia, Classism, Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Medical content
lillieb130's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Alcoholism
Minor: Infertility, Car accident, Terminal illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Body shaming
kelsielovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
thewellreadmrs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I appreciated especially the authors note that detailed the research that went into this book from how one would obtain a PhD in history all the way to researching the town and the likely street the sisters would have lived on during that time.
A worthwhile read for any literary fiction reader.
Moderate: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Minor: Lesbophobia
makinzimyers'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Infertility, Cancer, Child death, Addiction, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
roget's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Hello Beautiful follows the lives of the Padavano family--especially Julia, Sylvie, William Waters, and a girl named Alice. Loosely Little Women inspired, this story focuses on the mundane and the deeper emotional revelations that come from living through change, loss, grief, and healing.
I spent most of this book wanting to throttle one or more people for their choices. And yet.
As a family epic, this is profoundly moving. Napolitano is a master of character work, and the voice has a way of calmly relaying both brokenness and strength. Did I like the plot? No. I wanted them to
So many books bring a vague ideal to the table, and this slams you into a chair, shows you the ugly and the beautiful, and you are left blasted with love too big to wrap your arms around. You're left wondering about the nature of how we handle conflict or mistakes or forgiveness. You're left considering human mistakes and just...humanity in general, really, which is usually a sign that you've read something important. The family here isn't idealized--it's messy and real (though I admit there were some parts where people were a bit more charitable or less charitable than expected, but maybe that's because I'd respond differently in some of those situations).
Still can't decide if I deeply resent William or if I love him. I have no idea what to think.
But Alice--Alice is beautiful to me. I don't know. This book was a lot. Clearly, this is going to be one of the major literary works of 2023. I likely will have more thoughts in the days to come, and may return to this review after a time to add them.
*My thanks to Random House, The Dial Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. My thanks to my husband, who sat through a forty-five minute long summary of this novel so I could process it.*
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Grief, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
Moderate: Medical content, Body shaming, Child death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Medical trauma, and Child abuse
Minor: Addiction and Infertility