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challe232's review
3.0
What We Both Know was a pretty interesting novel about a daughter finding out her father's true past.
I really liked the parts in her head, when memory gets muddled and unclear through time and perspectives. I also liked how a famous writer to everyone else was really just an old man with not much left redeeming. However, the writing style was really hard to get into - it took me a few months to get past the first chapter. I also wish the ending had a bit more finality, but it did end up being better than I thought.
I really liked the parts in her head, when memory gets muddled and unclear through time and perspectives. I also liked how a famous writer to everyone else was really just an old man with not much left redeeming. However, the writing style was really hard to get into - it took me a few months to get past the first chapter. I also wish the ending had a bit more finality, but it did end up being better than I thought.
sanctionization's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
Always waiting for something to happen
strawb3rr1's review
3.0
The plot description sounded promising, but the novel itself is way less structured and plot-heavy than the summary implies. It’s mostly the main character contemplating certain things from her past/her relationships while describing her mundane day to day life. The ending resolves nothing and kind of just quietly trails off.
Also I don’t get how half the reviews are so confused about the dad being called Baby when it’s clearly explained in the beginning. Furthermore, it’s obviously not just her personal nickname for the dad because literally every single character calls him that. How could your takeaway from this book be that “Baby” is a weird infantilizing/creepy nickname the main character made up???
Also I don’t get how half the reviews are so confused about the dad being called Baby when it’s clearly explained in the beginning. Furthermore, it’s obviously not just her personal nickname for the dad because literally every single character calls him that. How could your takeaway from this book be that “Baby” is a weird infantilizing/creepy nickname the main character made up???
lindsrobking's review
5.0
4.5
I started What We Both Know adoring it and telling everyone I knew that it was giving me hope for contemporary fiction. That's not so far from the truth after reaching the end, but the middle-end section became repetitive in the rumination and there were some choices that the jury is still out on, such as the narrator choking a wounded dog out of its misery. Was this parallel to her ushering her father into oblivion? Or, was this just... there? Anyway, we all make *choices*. The strongest bits of WWBK is its characters' odd n' knotty relationship dynamics, and its unique questions about navigating literary overlords and bad dads post #metoo.
I started What We Both Know adoring it and telling everyone I knew that it was giving me hope for contemporary fiction. That's not so far from the truth after reaching the end, but the middle-end section became repetitive in the rumination and there were some choices that the jury is still out on, such as the narrator choking a wounded dog out of its misery. Was this parallel to her ushering her father into oblivion? Or, was this just... there? Anyway, we all make *choices*. The strongest bits of WWBK is its characters' odd n' knotty relationship dynamics, and its unique questions about navigating literary overlords and bad dads post #metoo.
sophiabooks's review
3.0
it was like eh the premise sounded more interesting than it was written in my opinion. not bad but didn’t love it
avisreadsandreads's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Dementia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
njw13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
taywls's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jouljet's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Animal death, Child abuse, Suicide, and Pedophilia