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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The afterword of this book saying the author was trying to combine two different historical events made a lot of things in this book make sense ... It felt like two different genres, but instead of merging them, it just changed halfway through the book. I really liked the starting point of the book, and then as it turned halfway I found it much less engaging. I cared so much for these characters and honestly I think they could have gotten a better story. And the ending just felt like a convenient way to not resolve anything?? I'm still just upset this became a strange sort of romance towards the end instead of a mystery with lesbian undertones (the pairings in this book were not who I excepted, if I'm being honest) I genuinely thought Gretchen and Jean were going to end up together, and I'm upset they didn't. Also, what's about all the main men in this being too nice and the most dislikable character being one of the two lesbians? It just made the characters feel not evenly developed
medium-paced
loved the writing style in the first half. middle kinda dragged. ending made the whole thing pointless but also made it feel like a cheesy parable
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
This was an incredibly compelling piece of fiction - definitely easy to see why it is a firm favourite with bookclubs and on the bestseller lists. The plot is very involved and full of twists and turns that truly take the reader by surprise, even if one anticipates something is about to be revealed, one can never be quite sure what, and how exactly it will pull - or break apart - the threads of the rest of the story (no spoiler alerts here!). Would recommend.
Strong character development and sensitive treatment of difficult topics. Also thought it captured the particularly zany, and historically misogynistic, world of local news journalism very well.
Strong character development and sensitive treatment of difficult topics. Also thought it captured the particularly zany, and historically misogynistic, world of local news journalism very well.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I actually started and gave up on this book about a year ago, I tried again after seeing so many rave reviews. I wish I hadn't bothered. It was blatantly obvious what the outcome of the 'virgin birth' investigation would be, and even then it was rushed at the end. The twist in the last chapter felt utterly unnecessary and lacking in impact.
I hated the demonisation of the only queer relationship in this book: the portrayal of the mean, child-hating, impoverished lesbian, the transformation of her lover from beautiful demure housewife to bedraggled frightened misery, the squalor and general lack, and the desperation to return to the 'good old days' of the heterosexual marriage. Doesn't matter how many times your main character repeats that she doesn't have a problem with lesbians; if it walks like a duck...
Also hated the comment that sex is the most important part of marriage - what a horrid, limited way for a supposedly kind and devoted man to see the world.
Emotional cheating, poor handling of mental-health issues, demonisation of queer characters and the elderly, self-righteous and boring throughout.
The only part that I appreciated was the way in which Jean's struggle with monotony and duty was presented, but even that was ruined by the completely unsympathetic depiction of her mother.
I hated the demonisation of the only queer relationship in this book: the portrayal of the mean, child-hating, impoverished lesbian, the transformation of her lover from beautiful demure housewife to bedraggled frightened misery, the squalor and general lack, and the desperation to return to the 'good old days' of the heterosexual marriage. Doesn't matter how many times your main character repeats that she doesn't have a problem with lesbians; if it walks like a duck...
Also hated the comment that sex is the most important part of marriage - what a horrid, limited way for a supposedly kind and devoted man to see the world.
Emotional cheating, poor handling of mental-health issues, demonisation of queer characters and the elderly, self-righteous and boring throughout.
The only part that I appreciated was the way in which Jean's struggle with monotony and duty was presented, but even that was ruined by the completely unsympathetic depiction of her mother.