Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman, Laura Blackett

29 reviews

quietlex's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

Holy shit. I did not expect that ending from this book. I am truly floored and completely blown away by the twists and turns.
Ava was so frustrating to me! The book sets her up in the beginning as a very practical, punctual, and professional woman who works extremely hard and efficiently. She is blunt and short with people, and very stubborn. Yet when it came to Mat, it’s like she couldn’t help but make mistake after mistake with him. A majority of this book just seemed like a retelling of all the bad decisions one can make in a relationship, including Ava’s friendship with Jaime which was also extremely frustrating.
Ava was awful to Jaime, just a terrible terrible friend. She ditches him the second Mat is interested in her, even when they only have a once-a-week lunch. She couldn’t manage one lunch a week with someone besides her lover boy? And then to come crawling back to him after being so rude time and time again. Both of their perspectives are totally valid, Ava just trying to move on and be happy finally, and Jaime trying to keep her safe with his growing unease about Mat. At first, I really disliked Jaime’s apparent random hatred for Mat, which seemed to stem from him still clinging to the memory of Andie and her relationship with Ava. “He’s not Andie, but I think I can forgive him for that. Can you? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been with anyone?” I felt bad for the guy, clearly still grieving the loss of such a wonderful person. Andie was perfection to everyone, and Jaime was insistent on making Ava see who Mat truly was.  Too bad you can’t truly appreciate his concerns until the very end. Those last few chapters were incredible, I really did not see it coming. The way my mouth dropped and I got chills as soon as the realization set in. This could be a thriller! The panic I felt when Ava is trapped at the party at work, frantically trying to escape from Mat, all while he chases her down was very nerve wracking. I think the disposal (because what else can you call it) of Mat’s character was a little childish and fantastical, but there’s just enough shock value and humor involved, that I can overlook it. Also, justice for Emily!

I was very pleasantly surprised with this read. I found it boring at times, and couldn’t see how this tale of an engineer falling in love could be that interesting. But man, was I wrong. I was wrong! Read this book!

I leave you with one horrible word to ruminate on: Lamby. 

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grantsharpies's review

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dark funny mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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bxcvi's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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kcruzoyola's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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fluffy1st's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

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jlautry's review

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funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. I would describe this as a rom-com satire thriller. Ava works for a company that I would describe as a caricature of IKEA, Google, and Apple combined. The details in the book are so clever and I really appreciate the author’s attention to detail. Ava can be frustrating, but she is likable and I think anyone can relate to different aspects of her personality. She reminds me of a more social, slightly less awkward Eleanor Oliphant. I’m too tired to write more detail or even remember all the things I liked about it, but I definitely recommend this one! 
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mmccombs's review

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dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

I really enjoyed this one! It was a quiet kind of character study that turned into a small thriller! I loved the commentary on toxic masculinity and how it’s been kind of “rebranded” in an age of self-help and start-up culture. I guessed multiple twists from the very beginning, so it wasn’t necessarily * shocking * but I still felt like I was at the edge of my seat near the end of it. I’d recommend to folks navigating grief or a very weird corporate culture that gives you perks instead of a salary.
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deezy's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

3.5

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hollyd19's review

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I generally dislike the term “genre-bending” but trying to describe this books requires me to suspend that particular aversion. Clocking in somewhere between satire, romance, and suspense, The Very Nice Box follows Ava, a quiet furniture designer at STÄDA (read: IKEA), who is dealing with personal loss when she gets a new boss whose buoyant energy and magnetic personality shakes up her workplace and her life. 

Going in, I knew very little about this book aside from the fact that I liked the cover art. The endorsements were strong and mentioned processing grief, a topic I’ve been drawn to over the last year or so. What I didn’t expect was to be charmed and engrossed by this creative novel. I laughed often at the witty ways authors Blackett and Gleichman skewer corporate culture, and was impressed by the tender nuance they gave to Ava’s grieving process. The added bonus is that the whole book takes place in Brooklyn (Prospect Park and Red Hook, mostly) which was a fun atmospheric treat. 

Ultimately, I really enjoy this one, and found myself eager for the next chance I’d have to pick it up.

I really want to talk to someone who has read this and seen Dead to Me.
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belathora's review

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emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

The main character Ava resonated with me.
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