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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
It was fine up until the "angry lesbian" trope. The whole book after that just seemed super straight especially how the characters thought and acted. Its always blaming the mother for her descisions. All that gave me the ick. The train part was not necessary and overshadowed the main plot of the "virgin birth" idea. It could have been removed and nothing would have made a difference. It was weird to even put it on the beginning, like the plot was going to be about the train and the people behind it prior to the accident. Weirdly place and it should have been its own separate story. The ending was also dumb too.
I wish I had seen more of Jean and Howard together, the ending is a bit sharp and leaves me with the feeling that the book is incomplete. I like open endings, but I'm not sure the execution was great here. Anyway, I unapologetically leave it five stars because it was a very delightful read - one of the most delightful in a while - and I liked the whole story and set up.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
(spoilers)
I think I'm usually quite forgiving for twists, or sudden dark turns in books (I thought the similar twist in Horse was powerful, for instance) - but that this book could be so different without the first page and the afterword makes this particular example hard to swallow. The relation to the train accident just felt so unearned and pointless. I guess maybe it helps seal the point that life is fleeting and we should enjoy the pleasures, small and big, as they come, but apart from the initial shock and emotion the reveal caused, it doesn't feel like it lends anything to the story.
I think Stephen King would have told her to kill her darling. It seems like the train crash was a seed for the whole book, but I think it would have been better served by dropping it when it no longer served the book it became.
Which is sad because I was enjoying this book - a cute, comfortable story with a bit more depth than I was expecting, set in a very cosy setting that felt very real and three dimensional. I enjoyed the exploration of mother-daughter relationships and the thin thread of introspection about religion weaved into the plot. The writing seemed to get better as the book went on, though there were definitely still some stilted descriptions and some emotional beats that could have been shown, rather than told.
It's sad, because I do think this book could have been great, if not for a few issues, that when compounded, would stop me recommending it to most people.
I think I'm usually quite forgiving for twists, or sudden dark turns in books (I thought the similar twist in Horse was powerful, for instance) - but that this book could be so different without the first page and the afterword makes this particular example hard to swallow. The relation to the train accident just felt so unearned and pointless. I guess maybe it helps seal the point that life is fleeting and we should enjoy the pleasures, small and big, as they come, but apart from the initial shock and emotion the reveal caused, it doesn't feel like it lends anything to the story.
I think Stephen King would have told her to kill her darling. It seems like the train crash was a seed for the whole book, but I think it would have been better served by dropping it when it no longer served the book it became.
Which is sad because I was enjoying this book - a cute, comfortable story with a bit more depth than I was expecting, set in a very cosy setting that felt very real and three dimensional. I enjoyed the exploration of mother-daughter relationships and the thin thread of introspection about religion weaved into the plot. The writing seemed to get better as the book went on, though there were definitely still some stilted descriptions and some emotional beats that could have been shown, rather than told.
It's sad, because I do think this book could have been great, if not for a few issues, that when compounded, would stop me recommending it to most people.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
No
I feel like this lost its way half way through and the ending was odd...
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The ending was a bit disappointing but otherwise really enjoyed it
4.5 ⭐️
i bought this book because the cover was pretty and the summary sounded quite interesting. fortunately, i LOVED reading it !!!! the story, the writing, the characters were well crafted and the book was very easy to read (it didnt even take me a whole day altogether). loveeddd the little inserts of newspaper columns and articles!!!!!!
the ending did take me a bit by surprise but i actually enjoyed that it is left to the reader to ponder about it further.
overall, very satisfying read !!!
i bought this book because the cover was pretty and the summary sounded quite interesting. fortunately, i LOVED reading it !!!! the story, the writing, the characters were well crafted and the book was very easy to read (it didnt even take me a whole day altogether). loveeddd the little inserts of newspaper columns and articles!!!!!!
the ending did take me a bit by surprise but i actually enjoyed that it is left to the reader to ponder about it further.
overall, very satisfying read !!!