Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
yeah this was a miss for me. found it so wild when the (middle class) mother was like, "i feel like my nanny is getting more attached to my child than me :(" and her friend was like "dw babe... women like us have been employing working class women for decades to look after our kids it's all good and natural x" also while that storyline played out in quite a neat way, the other protag's arc was a hot mess lol: she gets her tubes tied, she hates kids, she starts to like hanging out with her neighbour's kid, her mum is her best friend and sole companion, she doesn't want to talk to her mum, she thinks her mum is in a polycule, she sleeps with her neighbour..... literally what was going on
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
A beautifully sincere snapshot
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Couldnt put it down, read it all in one sitting. Nettel writes about many incredibly touchy subjects with such a sobering, almost calming tone. It never feels artificial or out of place. Laura and Alina feel so authentic and human, I almost felt like they were my friends talking to me.
challenging
emotional
I absolutely slorped this up. The prose is clear and refreshing; I felt submerged within the pages, hiding away to read at work, getting off the train and sitting on the platform to finish just a few more pages.
Coming at the end of a coincidental marathon of books about motherhood and babies, I was expecting to reluctantly sluice through already familiar territory for the sake of my book club. Yes, it's a book about the decision to not/have children, but this is overstated on the blurb. What's much more interesting is how the book presents caretaking and parenthood as a community project; birth and childrearing as it intersects with the marginalised experiences of class and disability. Five stars because there's really nothing to improve.
Coming at the end of a coincidental marathon of books about motherhood and babies, I was expecting to reluctantly sluice through already familiar territory for the sake of my book club. Yes, it's a book about the decision to not/have children, but this is overstated on the blurb. What's much more interesting is how the book presents caretaking and parenthood as a community project; birth and childrearing as it intersects with the marginalised experiences of class and disability. Five stars because there's really nothing to improve.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Grief
deeply moving. i don’t know how, but the author was literally able to pack so much in so few pages it’s crazy. interesting takes on motherhood. i really love how the author makes a point that we as women have the right to choose whether or not we want to be mothers—and have the right to decide when. we also have the right to change our minds. that’s the beautiful thing about choice. the author really demonstrated this with the different female characters. 10/10 recommend
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a great book about evolving friendships and relationships through personal challenges. I liked that the book was told from Laura's perspective but Alina's pregnancy and baby took up a lot of emotional energy in the book. It was interesting to see the main adult characters Laura and Alina grow as they look after children in their lives. Interesting to read about struggles with parenthood/neighbouring