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cazmcdo's review against another edition
3.0
I was really finding this book to be a solid 4/5 right up until the end. I called what was going to happen pretty early, and then was left a little disappointed by how it eventually played out. Would have loved just a couple of extra chapters. The message from the book was still a powerful one.
This book comes with several trigger warnings: death, infant death, drowning, miscarriage, animal abuse, elder abuse.
This book comes with several trigger warnings: death, infant death, drowning, miscarriage, animal abuse, elder abuse.
txkatlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed feelings about The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes. The story hits on some dark themes, and I loved the quirky characters, but I struggled with this one for most of the book. The pacing is a little slower than I prefer and the beginning felt muddled, at least until I got further into the book and figured things out. I suppose that could have been intentional, or it could've just been me. Either way, it didn't work for me. From what I've seen, I'm certainly in the minority as this one has received some pretty high ratings, but it is what it is. I just found this book too easy to set aside for something I could immerse myself in and more difficult to pick back up than it should've been.
littlelizzieborden's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this read, but was a bit disappointed with the ending.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: May 16th 2019
"When the music ends for someone you love you don't stop dancing. You dance for them as well."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I've been meaning to try Ruth Hogan's work so I was really excited to receive a copy of The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes on my kindle. And while my reading experience turned out to be different than what I was expecting and it ended up being not exactly my cup of tea, I also understand the love for this story. The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes is by no means a bad read (quite the contrary in fact) and the three star rating reflects my personal experience with the story rather than the quality itself. Every book has its target group and while the story sadly wasn't a right fit for me, I could also really appreciate it for what it was. Let's make it clear from the start that The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes has a considerably slow pace and is mainly a character-driven story. The power behind this read is Ruth Hogan's ability to create quirky, flawed and unique characters that will most likely stay with you for quite some time. A lot of time is invested in the description and development of the different characters. While I could really appreciate that and I do love my quirky and unique characters, for me personally it slowed down the pace too much and I struggled to connect and stay invested in the story. The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes uses a dual POV and follows two 'broken' women each with their own past and problems. Sadly, I failed to connect fully to Alice and Masha, but what was even worse is that I guessed the mayor final plot twist right from the beginning. I kept hoping I was wrong... And it was quite a disappointment to discover I was right all along. I really liked Edward, Sally and Kitty though and I loved the hidden meaning behind Haizum's name (and the fact a dog plays a considerable role in the story). Masha's romance was too cliche for me, but I did enjoy seeing her character evolve over time and slowly learn how to deal with the death of her son. I'm having a feeling fans of slower and mostly character-driven contemporary dramas and those who love quirky and unique characters will have a wonderful time with The Wisdom Of Sally Red Shoes.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
pryngols's review against another edition
3.0
I can’t believe I’m reading about death and cemeteries so soon after my own father’s passing. Or maybe all literature is like that, always obsessed about life and death.
I wish I could have rated this higher, however there are too many parts that were a bit boring and long-winded in an almost confusing way. I guess the crazy writing is part of the charm, but sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn’t.
There were a lot of unfavorable comments to other people’s taste in fashion (and general personality) that I know are meant to be funny, but a lot of it felt unnecessary and even insulting. There was also a lot of extra trivia that seemed all over the place so I was distracted from the plot several times.
Masha is one of the most judgmental and cynical characters ever. I am glad to see her journey from a person drowning in grief to someone full of love and hope. I was also really hooked to the mystery of Sally and of Alice & Mattie. I was underwhelmed with the former, and satisfied that my guess turned out to be correct for the latter, but the execution was far from satisfying. I feel that I didn’t get to learn enough of the truly interesting characters, and got more of the rather minor ones. I just wish it was the other way around.
That being said, I still loved the book for its meditation on grief and death. It is definitely one of the most honest books out there. It gave me a lot to think about in terms of moving on after the loss of a family member. My favorite takeaway is this: believe that one day, the joy of being alive would be brighter than the despair of a loved one’s death.
I promise I will believe.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wish I could have rated this higher, however there are too many parts that were a bit boring and long-winded in an almost confusing way. I guess the crazy writing is part of the charm, but sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn’t.
There were a lot of unfavorable comments to other people’s taste in fashion (and general personality) that I know are meant to be funny, but a lot of it felt unnecessary and even insulting. There was also a lot of extra trivia that seemed all over the place so I was distracted from the plot several times.
Masha is one of the most judgmental and cynical characters ever. I am glad to see her journey from a person drowning in grief to someone full of love and hope. I was also really hooked to the mystery of Sally and of Alice & Mattie. I was underwhelmed with the former, and satisfied that my guess turned out to be correct for the latter, but the execution was far from satisfying. I feel that I didn’t get to learn enough of the truly interesting characters, and got more of the rather minor ones. I just wish it was the other way around.
That being said, I still loved the book for its meditation on grief and death. It is definitely one of the most honest books out there. It gave me a lot to think about in terms of moving on after the loss of a family member. My favorite takeaway is this: believe that one day, the joy of being alive would be brighter than the despair of a loved one’s death.
I promise I will believe.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
vhop's review against another edition
3.0
Tämä oli huomattavasti parempi kuin Hoganin ensimmäinen. En tosin kuvailisi tätä ”hyvän mielen teokseksi”, kuten takakannessa sanotaan; minulle jäi lopun traagisuus soimaan päällimmäisenä.
mazza57's review against another edition
4.0
First of all thank you to Netgalley for this ARC copy and then thank you to the author for giving us a novel that is well written, with a story that is a beautiful treatise on grief and love, family and friendship. The characterisation is also well done and emphasises "difference". Yes, the outcome is predictable but Hogan really captures how the mind affects everything we do. It has so much in it and yet is so difficult to explain what those things are. This is not a sad book despite its emphasis on grief it is a testament to the power of human life, love and its ability to overcome
auntblh's review against another edition
I enjoyed [b:The Keeper of Lost Things|30363088|The Keeper of Lost Things|Ruth Hogan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482919773l/30363088._SX50_.jpg|50872874] so I thought I'd try another one by the same author. The subject matter in this one was a too dark and depressing for me. There were a couple of moments when I thought it would be okay but then it was back to the darkness. And then I realized I didn't really care what happened. I might try another by this author in the future.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
3.0
This novel is really sad! I understand the author has had some experience of serious illness and cancer but that’s what made it really hard to read for me. It does have much of the trademark humour and observation that The Keeper of Lost Things had, but is so much darker overall.
The two story structure was nice - with Masha as the main focus and then the story of Alice and her son Mattie.All characters have their obsessions and problems and they feel hurt in different ways. Masha for example lost her son when he was very small and so now she spends time in the graveyard to be close to him. She looks upon the inhabitants of this cemetery as a kind of family and seems to know them all. She even has dreams of becoming a sort of tour guide and bringing them back to life by telling their stories.
That got me right there. It took me ages to read the rest as I couldn’t see through the tears. Anyone who has experienced death of a close family member will get this book and it may even help some.
The two story structure was nice - with Masha as the main focus and then the story of Alice and her son Mattie.All characters have their obsessions and problems and they feel hurt in different ways. Masha for example lost her son when he was very small and so now she spends time in the graveyard to be close to him. She looks upon the inhabitants of this cemetery as a kind of family and seems to know them all. She even has dreams of becoming a sort of tour guide and bringing them back to life by telling their stories.
That got me right there. It took me ages to read the rest as I couldn’t see through the tears. Anyone who has experienced death of a close family member will get this book and it may even help some.