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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
I liked where this was going, and enjoyed a lot of the characters. There were some insightful lines about parenting, lots of "aha" moments. But there were a lot of storylines and I felt only a few were fully resolved.
The best of hangout books. It took me longer to get through than some and parts felt slow, but I’m retrospect, the pace was perfect. I loved the style of writing and felt myself rooting for each character at some moment in the book and so enjoyed that connection with each of them.
Emma Straub is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and her previous book, Modern Lovers, absolutely captivated me! All Adults Here, though not as striking as ML, continues in the tradition of escapism perfect for a beach read. The Strick family (matriarch Astrid, her three adult children, and precocious grandchild Cecelia) question how memory affects our present lives as each member struggle through their own challenges. Astrid is opening up about her love for another woman, her daughter is pregnant alone by choice, Cecelia is forced to leave NYC due to a friendship fallout. Other characters weave in and out of the narrative, each with their own set of worries and reassurances. The stakes are never particularly high, which tend to resemble the beautiful mundaneness of our lives.
I don't mean this as a critique, but Emma Straub always does a great job writing about upper-middle class liberalism, and here is no different! The characters are exceedingly familiar to those who live in wealthier suburbs, and I was drawn to the charm of Clapham, a place void of chainstores and where artisanal cheese shops are plenty. Reading this book was like being enveloped in a warm blanket. I felt comforted, though I also knew I wouldn't remember much of the plot by winter. And that's okay because, much like Straub's other novels, I'll remember the good feeling of slipping into another family for a while. I already can't wait for her next book!
I don't mean this as a critique, but Emma Straub always does a great job writing about upper-middle class liberalism, and here is no different! The characters are exceedingly familiar to those who live in wealthier suburbs, and I was drawn to the charm of Clapham, a place void of chainstores and where artisanal cheese shops are plenty. Reading this book was like being enveloped in a warm blanket. I felt comforted, though I also knew I wouldn't remember much of the plot by winter. And that's okay because, much like Straub's other novels, I'll remember the good feeling of slipping into another family for a while. I already can't wait for her next book!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
CW: infidelity. I enjoyed this book, only the second I’ve been able to get into since the pandemic. This is one of those terrific stories about a family that’s complicated in the way that most families are, with twists, from the teenagers to the grandmothers. They live in a fictional mid-Hudson valley town, and I’ve lived in two Hudson-side cities and could picture it perfectly.
It was an ok read. 2.5 but i couldn't bear to round it up. The main character (Astrid) I really did not like at all. In fact it gave me the creeps that anyone would want to get that romantic with her. And the obsession she had with Barbara was too much to bear.
But some of the other characters made it slightly better and I kinda liked that we got a story from a few of them. I liked Porter even though she kept sleeping with her married childhood sweetheart.
Anyway, somd good stories, but some of them totally irrelevant and trying way too hard. And then Astrid spoilt it for me completely. Ugh.
But some of the other characters made it slightly better and I kinda liked that we got a story from a few of them. I liked Porter even though she kept sleeping with her married childhood sweetheart.
Anyway, somd good stories, but some of them totally irrelevant and trying way too hard. And then Astrid spoilt it for me completely. Ugh.
There's quite a few negative reviews for this but I just enjoyed it as a family drama that wasn't too dark.
{DNF}
{{audiobook}}
Okay, I really wanted to love this one. In the beginning I was really drawn to the characters and the overarching theme that everyone is human, we are allowed to change and have faults and put ourselves first and deserve love, forgiveness and acceptance.
As the story went on though, there are more and more characters with more and more problems and hot button issues introduced. Social, political, sexual, emotional issues that just overwhelmed my brain and felt very ‘woke’. I found myself tuning out due to the kitchen-sink approach to the writing and ended up not finishing the book.
I will say, I will be trying more from the author but this one was just not for me.
{{audiobook}}
Okay, I really wanted to love this one. In the beginning I was really drawn to the characters and the overarching theme that everyone is human, we are allowed to change and have faults and put ourselves first and deserve love, forgiveness and acceptance.
As the story went on though, there are more and more characters with more and more problems and hot button issues introduced. Social, political, sexual, emotional issues that just overwhelmed my brain and felt very ‘woke’. I found myself tuning out due to the kitchen-sink approach to the writing and ended up not finishing the book.
I will say, I will be trying more from the author but this one was just not for me.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
It is apparently impossible for me read an Emma Straub book without saving at least two quotes to my Goodreads page. In All Adults Here, Straub encapsulates three generations of family dynamics with such astuteness that I'd be hard-pressed to find a reader who did not resonate with at least one element of the book.
I've been blessed with having recently read This Time Tomorrow, also by Straub, which I adored and therefore am cursed to compare to AAH. Unfortunately, I think AAH falls a bit short. Mainly because it doesn't really have a plot, or it does, but just lets the major elements of it fall off, like. It was easy to put this book down, but I know I will pick it back up again if I ever become a mother or grandmother and find it just as enjoyable.
I've been blessed with having recently read This Time Tomorrow, also by Straub, which I adored and therefore am cursed to compare to AAH. Unfortunately, I think AAH falls a bit short. Mainly because it doesn't really have a plot, or it does, but just lets the major elements of it fall off, like