Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

7 reviews

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was beautiful. I haven't read one of Kathleen's books before but now I need to read the rest. It was incredibly sad, right from the first page and the ending wasn't particularly happy but it was hopeful. This book really highlights the importance of judge not, lest we too be judged. These characters are each going through their own tragedies and just trying to keep their heads above water and survive. It brings home the importance of trying to look outside your own world for a bit and see that others are hurting too. You may not be able to fix what is happening in your own life but that doesn't mean you need to bury your head in the sand and not try to help those around you that you can help. Unfortunately, I don't think Emory really internalised this concept by the end as during this book, she was obviously focusing on her brother and her own family tragedies. But, these wonderful, imperfect people surround her through this book but I don't think she ever really asks them how they are, they occasionally offer up something about their lives but Emory never checks in or asks them how they're doing. She was going through a lot and I know how you can get lost in your own world so much so that everything around you becomes an afterthought, but, hopefully, those things will come with growth and maturity.
A specific example that comes to mind is the alluding towards Liza being sexually assaulted, maybe Emory never made the connections but it's obvious her trauma goes deeper than her parents leaving, and Emory never bothers to ask and we never really find out. I'm not upset about that though because this book was focused on Emory and Joey.
I liked that Kathleen chose to write this story from the perspective of Emory instead of Joey, it was very real. I connected with some of Emory's experiences and feelings, and it is important to hear how someone's mental health struggles and addiction can affect those around us. We don't delve too deeply into the other characters, even Joey, we hear bits and pieces but we never really get to understand him on a deeper level and I guess that is quite a good reflection on the world. You may know pieces of a person, but everyone has their own stories and all we can do is try to walk through this world with a little bit more grace and compassion in our hearts and actions.

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calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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_han_na_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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thiasgomez's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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romajstorovic's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I finished this book I cried for nearly twenty minutes. I’d already been crying for a long time before that. This book hits incredibly close to home and managed to smack you right in the face with such incredible realism and emotion. Almost everything Joey and Emmy said and thought - throughout the book, yes, but particularly right at the very end - struck such a note with me. I fell in love with Joey almost instantly because he was like me. He was messed up and unsure of how to help himself, and this was shown in such a real and honest way that I couldn’t help but love him. Emmy, too; the way she’s desperate to help her brother despite the fact that there’s really nothing she can do is so raw and painful. Absolutely incredible, and a book I will be pushing onto as many people as I physically can.

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tanishah's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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addidason's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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