Reviews

Number Thirty-Two by Cassie Steward

frannydo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

3.0

whatzoreads's review

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

vixknitsandreads's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I don’t like to rate a book so low but I was so disappointed with this one. It was far too wordy, towards the end I was just skipping chapters of unnecessary description to get to the point which in the end was disappointing in itself. If you like stories of wronged people having a fairytale unrealistic happy ending then you’ll like this. If you like books with a bit more substance then this is not the one, pretty sure it could have been wrapped up in 200 pages not the 420 it was!

janebetteley's review

5.0

From the very first page,I knew I was going to love story and I was not disappointed. This is so cleverly written, giving insight into the lives of two families. The emotions are raw and the characters real and I was left with emotion that flitted between joy, hope, anxiety, heartbreak and everything in-between. You'll get swept along with the story, and you'll feel every up and down. It's a brilliant read that you'll not want to put down. A brilliant debut novel.

eviessreading's review

4.0

Number Thirty-Two is a contemporary family saga following the dynamics of the families of two single mothers, Anna and Maggie.

This isn’t my usual type of read but I really enjoyed this book! The characters were all so realistic and the story was completely believable. It truly felt like I was a fly on the wall in their lives, watching them as they grew. At times I was laughing and at times I was crying, this was such an emotional story of families and friendships.

I think everyone needs a friend like Maggie!

Number Thirty-Two switched between timelines of 60s, 80s and present day. I was really nervous for the multiple timelines as I haven’t read anything similar before, but Cassie made the switches completely seamless and it was so easy to read.

There were some parts of the story, around the 50% mark, that I did struggle to get through, I had to stop myself from just skimming through. But I am so glad I carried on reading because the ending wrapped everything up perfectly!

There are some sensitive topics within the book, so please check the content warnings.

laracampbell's review

5.0

finished in literally ONE DAY, this had me gripped the whole time. so many plot twists, amazing writing and character development, this book is literally insane in all the best ways 

litwithlexie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my first 5 star of this year!

I was a bit apprehensive when starting this book, but I feel in love with it. 

I like the perspective in this book as you get a mature point of view then a 3rd person point of view  on Anna's life at the start. I loved the flashbacks and the other descriptions of the families life.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy seeing the ups and downs of the families lives. But I loved the descriptions it made the story feel real and that you are following their lives and seeing how each aspect of their life affects them. This is strengthened by the reality of the conversation feeling genuine through the emotion, which makes me forget I'm reading and just observing conservation- which is so humble.

I liked the different perspectives and ages of people throughout their lives presenting everyone's struggles and different and persptions on life. 

The connection between the families are beautiful, the way they treat each other like family, even in the most difficult situations and even when the families have broken down to only Anna and Arthur.

This book shows what is important in life, which is friends and family not items, not status or perception of ourselves from others and do what you want to do in your life.

The ending I loved as it completes the circle of the story connecting the start of the families lives until the very end. 

patsy's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

This was a brilliant debut 👏🏻 I thought it wasn’t for me at first but as I got to part two I was fully invested, I’d have raced through it had life and work not gotten in the way 😩
I loved the characters, especially the relationship between Anna and Arthur 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading more from this author 

wonderland_of_ink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Where do i start with this book? Cassie took me on a of emotions!! As someone who has a complicated family history (and present) this book spoke to me personally and will stick with me forever.

Number Thirty Two follows Anna, Artur and Ella's POV as they explore their past and present. Cassie explores the ups and downs of life within a family home and the memories that get buried within every possible life hurdle you could imgine. This is a true reflection of life over time and how it impacts us and the choices we make.

Cassie, thank you for writing such a beautiful story. I am so glad that i got the opportunity to read your work.

This is MUST READ!!

chazbeanz_readz's review

5.0

This isn't my usual genre. However, I devoured this book, and the story had me gripped from start to finish. This was such a beautiful story of family, friends, found family, love, grief, and everything in between. The character development was very well done, and I fell in love with the characters and their story. Parts of this book did resonate with me, so I found parts of the story so relatable. I can't believe this is Cassies debut novel. It was absolute perfection, and I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend.