Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
2.5/5
This was fine. I loved the Portland setting, but the writing felt expositional and included many super long backstory monologues disguised as conversations between characters.
This was fine. I loved the Portland setting, but the writing felt expositional and included many super long backstory monologues disguised as conversations between characters.
This book was just meh for me. It didn’t make me care about the main character (Lynette) or want to root for her. She seemed nice and kind and cared about others, but then we’re told she’s a drug-using prostitute with a habit for stealing and screwing people over? Just didn’t seem to fit.
And the author didn’t seem to take the writing advice of “show, don’t tell” when he wrote this because there were very long drawn-out monologues from multiple characters that seemed so unrealistic and just told us everything we needed to know about everything that ever happened. Even one character who Lynette hadn’t seen in 7 years just immediately starts talking about all these deep, emotional things that happened and explains their whole past to us. Who would do that when you first run into someone you used to know after 7 years of being strangers? It was too on the nose and not realistic and it caused me to never get lost in the story. And how did Lynette grow and change from the beginning of the story to the end? How did she come out on the other side of her character arc by the time the story was over? Was it just me or did she not do any of those things? This story just seemed off.
I’m not one to slam books normally and I’m not trying to slam this one, just giving my opinion of why it fell flat for me. But it’s super short and can be easily finished in a day or two, so that’s something!
And the author didn’t seem to take the writing advice of “show, don’t tell” when he wrote this because there were very long drawn-out monologues from multiple characters that seemed so unrealistic and just told us everything we needed to know about everything that ever happened. Even one character who Lynette hadn’t seen in 7 years just immediately starts talking about all these deep, emotional things that happened and explains their whole past to us. Who would do that when you first run into someone you used to know after 7 years of being strangers? It was too on the nose and not realistic and it caused me to never get lost in the story. And how did Lynette grow and change from the beginning of the story to the end? How did she come out on the other side of her character arc by the time the story was over? Was it just me or did she not do any of those things? This story just seemed off.
I’m not one to slam books normally and I’m not trying to slam this one, just giving my opinion of why it fell flat for me. But it’s super short and can be easily finished in a day or two, so that’s something!
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
A very tough read, a story about Lynette who suffers from poverty with her mother and her mentally disabled brother in a developing town somewhere in Portland. How they're trying to catch up with the rapid urbanization of the town which gets harder due to their own financial predicament. Her mother's rage against the system, struggles of being a single mother for almost 30 years that caused her to fcked up their plans on getting hold of their property which leads Lynette to do something very outrageous (and stupid) for the sake of her family's especially her brother's wellbeing.
As the story progress, her story unraveled more through other characters that we finally learn about her whole backstory, of her struggling with mental disorders in the past that ruined her relationship and how it wrecked her and the people that she loved deeply.
I personally really enjoy the audiobook and devoured the whole 6 hours+ less than a day. Really enjoy her mother's perspective on the government, on the hypocrisy of the politicians. Spot on.
As the story progress, her story unraveled more through other characters that we finally learn about her whole backstory, of her struggling with mental disorders in the past that ruined her relationship and how it wrecked her and the people that she loved deeply.
I personally really enjoy the audiobook and devoured the whole 6 hours+ less than a day. Really enjoy her mother's perspective on the government, on the hypocrisy of the politicians. Spot on.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Storyline was nice, but wish it delved more on the emotions of the characters rather than just describing what’s happening
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
My first, not last Willy Vlautin novel. Reminiscent of Steinbeck, but much more realistic. His books explore the circumstances and relationships of people near the bottom of America's social and economic spectrum, a place few authors go.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes