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sarahbrad's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
mrsn's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.5
✨️ARC REVIEW✨️ Number Thirty-Two by Cassie Steward
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I started this book this morning, and I've finished it this evening.
I loved so much about this book, the story, the characters, the writing style. I couldn't put it down. The story has a gravitational pull, and you just want to keep reading.
There are several main characters in the book, but all of them different, all with their own stories and personalities. Adults and children alike.
There is so much going on in the story, family drama, d3ath, pregnancy, and illness, but although it's sad, it is also truly eye-opening.
It's the little things in life that matter, and that life is not infinite. We have to make the most of our time with memories, love and laughter, and happiness... but the harder times also create memories, and sometimes we forget that. It can make us stronger people because of it.
A truly fantastic read of friendship, family, love and all that comes with that.
Love with all your heart, laugh as much as you can and surround yourself with peace and good friends 🧡
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I started this book this morning, and I've finished it this evening.
I loved so much about this book, the story, the characters, the writing style. I couldn't put it down. The story has a gravitational pull, and you just want to keep reading.
There are several main characters in the book, but all of them different, all with their own stories and personalities. Adults and children alike.
There is so much going on in the story, family drama, d3ath, pregnancy, and illness, but although it's sad, it is also truly eye-opening.
It's the little things in life that matter, and that life is not infinite. We have to make the most of our time with memories, love and laughter, and happiness... but the harder times also create memories, and sometimes we forget that. It can make us stronger people because of it.
A truly fantastic read of friendship, family, love and all that comes with that.
Love with all your heart, laugh as much as you can and surround yourself with peace and good friends 🧡
marthareadsacouplebooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is the first book I've read of this vibe and at first it was just really confusing and I never really engaged with it and got close to dnfing. But as I read on I did start to enjoy what I was reading. I liked how I was reading about the life of a family as their lives progress while living in the house, both the joys as well as the quite depressing parts and the struggles that they went through. I also felt for the characters as their stories played out and was glad to read the pretty satisfying ending that this book has.
yourbookishgamermom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
I don't even know where to begin! This is not my go-to genre wise but I was immediately captivated by the story and it was a joy to read this story.
This book is Beautifully written and had me invested from the first page! I laughed, cried, raged and struggled alongside these characters and felt like I was right there with them through it all. An absolutely beautifully tragic story of love, loss, life, death and the grief that comes with it.
This book was un-putdownable for me and I was beyond invested and found myself anxious for answers right alongside the characters.
Just…beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
This book is Beautifully written and had me invested from the first page! I laughed, cried, raged and struggled alongside these characters and felt like I was right there with them through it all. An absolutely beautifully tragic story of love, loss, life, death and the grief that comes with it.
This book was un-putdownable for me and I was beyond invested and found myself anxious for answers right alongside the characters.
Just…beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Abortion, and Death of parent
myyykk's review
4.0
This book was a joy to read. The characters were likeable and I found myself invested in the story from very early on. I think if I had read this book at a different stage in my life I would not have enjoyed it as much as I did. There were times this book made me so angry and at others it broke my heart. Some of the themes of this book resonated with me in a meaningful way. The twists and turns it took were unexpected. I would definitely recommend this book!
shaunt88's review
5.0
Wow. Where do I start.
Firstly I am mainly a thriller reader but I’ve seen this book on so many TikTok lives and gave into curiosity and had to purchase it.
The blurb had me intrigued and this book took me to places emotionally that I never thought a book could. Some parts of this book are extremely heartbreaking but on some occasions we relied on Maggie to make a funny comment and it lightened the mood all over again. I really loved the character Grayson. Even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, his principles and characteristics really had me invested.
I’m so glad I stepped away from my usual read to pick this up as it will leave a long lasting impression on me and I will be looking forward to more books from Cassie
Firstly I am mainly a thriller reader but I’ve seen this book on so many TikTok lives and gave into curiosity and had to purchase it.
The blurb had me intrigued and this book took me to places emotionally that I never thought a book could. Some parts of this book are extremely heartbreaking but on some occasions we relied on Maggie to make a funny comment and it lightened the mood all over again. I really loved the character Grayson. Even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, his principles and characteristics really had me invested.
I’m so glad I stepped away from my usual read to pick this up as it will leave a long lasting impression on me and I will be looking forward to more books from Cassie
ashkat2631's review against another edition
4.75
Oh. My. Goodness.
I’m not sure how to put into words what this book was or how it made me feel. But I’ll try…
This book is about two families who lived next door to each other and how their lives were all interwoven together. It dealt with so many things like family, grief and loss, addiction, and love. It was incredibly beautiful.
☆ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 1966, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
The writing style took me a sec to get used to because it switches POV all throughout even during a single chapter. The way the author crafted this story and revealed tiny bits as it went on was perfection. The writing style is what made this book amazing. You truly felt engrossed in the story because of it. You get to know each person in these two families and learn their dynamic in the group. All the characters were so different too which I think is another testament to the author’s writing.
There’s different timelines all throughout as you learn what happened in the past and why things are the way they are in the present. It was so interesting and heartbreaking at times.
☆ 𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦.𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.
It’s honestly hard to say too much because it’s something you just have to read to understand how beautiful it truly was but I loved it. So much. The way each character was seen in a different light in each others POVs. The way they all dealt with loss. The way they all made mistakes and either learned from them or didn’t. The way they changed over time and the way life turned out for them… it was incredible.
10/10 recommend if you love a character driven contemporary fiction novel. At different times it is heartbreaking, funny, and/or hopeful. I loved it! I’m so happy I received an arc for this 🫶🏻
readintowonderland's review
3.75
I love how Anna at first is such a crotchety old narrator. It was just the thing I was in the mood for at the time and kept the book from getting too heavy early on.
The complicated family dynamics are really the only set plot. It follows the lives of the residents and people relevant to number thirty-two but they are not quite in the form of a set narrative as you may expect. I would call it a slice-of-life book where all of the characters make questionable at best decisions that propel the plot. Absolutely every character is morally grey if not morally black.
There were definitely a few drama moments that made me distressed. So please keep in mind there is a part in the book with intimate acts between a 15-year-old and a young adult. There is also an unknown step-sibling romance plot so the trigger warnings are very important for this book.
The one part of this book that irked me was how inconsistently vulgar the author was. Characters would be cursing left and right, describing intimate moments with some detail, then not specify at all what a big bad drug was by name. It was frustrating how the author wouldn't just commit to being totally vulgar, but would then randomly be quite vulgar. At times the vulgarity would've helped so much in understanding the severity of various moments.
By the midpoint in the book, I was pretty invested in the lives of all of the characters. When one of them died (you'll have to read it to find out who), I was crying big ugly tears.
My favorite part of the book was how it gave a satisfying conclusion that didn't leave a ton of unanswered questions and left this book as a proper standalone.
There is a ton of British slang in the book, most of which went over my head. With that in mind, an American audience does not get as much from the book as a British audience would.
Overall, this book is good for those who want to experience a book that dives deep into the lives of a group of characters with deeply interconnected stories. The book has enough drama that a cup of tea isn't enough, you'd need the whole kettle. Seeing things from different perspectives added a lot of value to each of their stories. Please do look at trigger warnings in-depth before reading as there are a ton of intensely heavy topics.
I received this book as an arc through Book Babes PR. My review is honest and voluntary
The complicated family dynamics are really the only set plot. It follows the lives of the residents and people relevant to number thirty-two but they are not quite in the form of a set narrative as you may expect. I would call it a slice-of-life book where all of the characters make questionable at best decisions that propel the plot. Absolutely every character is morally grey if not morally black.
There were definitely a few drama moments that made me distressed. So please keep in mind there is a part in the book with intimate acts between a 15-year-old and a young adult. There is also an unknown step-sibling romance plot so the trigger warnings are very important for this book.
The one part of this book that irked me was how inconsistently vulgar the author was. Characters would be cursing left and right, describing intimate moments with some detail, then not specify at all what a big bad drug was by name. It was frustrating how the author wouldn't just commit to being totally vulgar, but would then randomly be quite vulgar. At times the vulgarity would've helped so much in understanding the severity of various moments.
By the midpoint in the book, I was pretty invested in the lives of all of the characters. When one of them died (you'll have to read it to find out who), I was crying big ugly tears.
My favorite part of the book was how it gave a satisfying conclusion that didn't leave a ton of unanswered questions and left this book as a proper standalone.
There is a ton of British slang in the book, most of which went over my head. With that in mind, an American audience does not get as much from the book as a British audience would.
Overall, this book is good for those who want to experience a book that dives deep into the lives of a group of characters with deeply interconnected stories. The book has enough drama that a cup of tea isn't enough, you'd need the whole kettle. Seeing things from different perspectives added a lot of value to each of their stories. Please do look at trigger warnings in-depth before reading as there are a ton of intensely heavy topics.
I received this book as an arc through Book Babes PR. My review is honest and voluntary
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying and Abortion
Minor: Car accident
pagesand_pieces's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What an emotional, multi-generational story this is! I have been wrapped up in this book for the past two days, needing to know what happened to this family.
Anna is a young, single mother who does the best she can for her son. Louie is a smart, popular boy who lets it go to his head, which leads him down the wrong path. And, Ella is the unnoticed girl, always living in her brothers shadow.
I have laughed and cried so much through this book. It is written so beautifully that I felt like I was part of the family, experiencing all of the ups and downs with them.
Anna is a young, single mother who does the best she can for her son. Louie is a smart, popular boy who lets it go to his head, which leads him down the wrong path. And, Ella is the unnoticed girl, always living in her brothers shadow.
I have laughed and cried so much through this book. It is written so beautifully that I felt like I was part of the family, experiencing all of the ups and downs with them.
ann1e_r3ads's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-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
This book kept breaking my heart over and over again. There were multiple times where I cried my eyes out… so it took me some time to read this book… but I am so glad I did read it! Such a beautiful story!
Anna went through many challenges in her years and one of them was giving birth to her second child, Ella. Her firstborn, Louie, was always perfect, no matter what he did and Ella was mostly invisible.. well, not to her dad Grayson of course.
As the years went by there were many other obstacles in Anna’s life and believe me, they were so heartbreaking… I couldn’t believe how many plot twists and unfortunate events appeared in this book.
I am so glad that Ella’s part of the book had redemption in it and also it uncovered the secrets from the past and people were able to act on it.
Ella’s part of the book was definitely my favourite.
I am looking forward to Cassie’s next book!
💛💛💛💛💛💛
Anna went through many challenges in her years and one of them was giving birth to her second child, Ella. Her firstborn, Louie, was always perfect, no matter what he did and Ella was mostly invisible.. well, not to her dad Grayson of course.
As the years went by there were many other obstacles in Anna’s life and believe me, they were so heartbreaking… I couldn’t believe how many plot twists and unfortunate events appeared in this book.
I am so glad that Ella’s part of the book had redemption in it and also it uncovered the secrets from the past and people were able to act on it.
Ella’s part of the book was definitely my favourite.
I am looking forward to Cassie’s next book!
💛💛💛💛💛💛