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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Story sucked me in quickly and was a fast read. TW: infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. The story was born out of the author’s struggles with her own infertility which she addresses in the authors note.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. Not many surprises, but it was a decent read. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters.
I'm so over love triangles, and I'm so over love triangles where two of the three are siblings.
Every character in this book was awful. Okay Lindsay wasn't bad, but other than that, all of them sucked.
The ways Olivia talked about pregnant women or moms in general was so cringe; She literally keyed a woman's car because she was pregnant. She was mad at Park for donating sperm, but they weren't even together when he did it. She was so hypocritical and I don't understand how every character in this book was in love with her.
Park was just as awful, just in ways I can't really remember. I can't recall any specific things he did, but I remember rolling my eyes at everything he said.
I finished this book this morning and I can't remember the name of the daughter and the mother. Darby, Darcy? I can't remember the girl's name, embarrassing but says a lot about the book.
I also hated the ending. Of COURSE
Every character in this book was awful. Okay Lindsay wasn't bad, but other than that, all of them sucked.
The ways Olivia talked about pregnant women or moms in general was so cringe; She literally keyed a woman's car because she was pregnant. She was mad at Park for donating sperm, but they weren't even together when he did it. She was so hypocritical and I don't understand how every character in this book was in love with her.
Park was just as awful, just in ways I can't really remember. I can't recall any specific things he did, but I remember rolling my eyes at everything he said.
I finished this book this morning and I can't remember the name of the daughter and the mother. Darby, Darcy? I can't remember the girl's name, embarrassing but says a lot about the book.
I also hated the ending. Of COURSE
Spoiler
Olivia ends up pregnant after all the miscarriages. So predictable and annoying. Don't even get me started on Park and Darc/by ending up together. Vomit.
Oh wow. This is my first J.T. Ellison book and I honestly just gravitated towards it because of the cover. I was not expecting the story inside. It wasn't quite a 5 star read, but Ellison definitely kept me intrigued. CW: infertility, miscarriage
It's One of Us follows the relationship dynamics between Olivia and Park who have been attempting to have a child for an extended period of time. Olivia wants to be a mother, but fertility treatments continue to fail. Things take a very interesting turn when the police visit their home insinuating that they have a DNA match to Park from a local murder investigation. Surprisingly, the DNA doesn't directly belong to Park, but his biological son. Surprised since the couple doesn't have any children, Park and Olivia are convinced that the police have made a mistake. What follows is a world wind of a story of lies, betrayal, murder, and heartbreak.
What Worked: This is a fast pace and engaging read. It took me a while to read it because I decided to make my way through a physical copy. Apparently, I'm a fan of messy characters and J.T. Ellison knows how to craft a messy character and a messy situation. What surprised me the most was how much I appreciated the social commentary that Ellison incorporated into the text. It is worth reading the author's note to get a better grasp on why she made the decision to explore this specific topic. While there isn't much that I can discuss about this book because of spoilers, I can say that if you are sensitive to complex feelings and relationships that develop as a result of infertility and fertility treatments, I would enter this book cautiously. Ellison doesn't shy away from it's impact on the characters. There are moments when Olivia's pain and frustration simply just ooze off the page. I wasn't expecting that and I appreciated that Ellison made me confront the experiences of so many individuals across the world. I also loved that the story was told from multiple perspectives. It really gave me better insight to each character and the complexity of their connections.
What Didn't Work: There wasn't necessarily much that didn't work for me with this one. There were a few characters that I didn't necessarily care for and I will say that the revelation of the murderer is a little on the predictable side. It's clear from one specific perspective and moment. I know that some people won't necessarily enjoy that element. However, it's interesting how Ellison uses the revelation to connect it back to the beginning of the book.
Overall, this was a good read! I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to checking out more of Ellison's work.
It's One of Us follows the relationship dynamics between Olivia and Park who have been attempting to have a child for an extended period of time. Olivia wants to be a mother, but fertility treatments continue to fail. Things take a very interesting turn when the police visit their home insinuating that they have a DNA match to Park from a local murder investigation. Surprisingly, the DNA doesn't directly belong to Park, but his biological son. Surprised since the couple doesn't have any children, Park and Olivia are convinced that the police have made a mistake. What follows is a world wind of a story of lies, betrayal, murder, and heartbreak.
What Worked: This is a fast pace and engaging read. It took me a while to read it because I decided to make my way through a physical copy. Apparently, I'm a fan of messy characters and J.T. Ellison knows how to craft a messy character and a messy situation. What surprised me the most was how much I appreciated the social commentary that Ellison incorporated into the text. It is worth reading the author's note to get a better grasp on why she made the decision to explore this specific topic. While there isn't much that I can discuss about this book because of spoilers, I can say that if you are sensitive to complex feelings and relationships that develop as a result of infertility and fertility treatments, I would enter this book cautiously. Ellison doesn't shy away from it's impact on the characters. There are moments when Olivia's pain and frustration simply just ooze off the page. I wasn't expecting that and I appreciated that Ellison made me confront the experiences of so many individuals across the world. I also loved that the story was told from multiple perspectives. It really gave me better insight to each character and the complexity of their connections.
What Didn't Work: There wasn't necessarily much that didn't work for me with this one. There were a few characters that I didn't necessarily care for and I will say that the revelation of the murderer is a little on the predictable side. It's clear from one specific perspective and moment. I know that some people won't necessarily enjoy that element. However, it's interesting how Ellison uses the revelation to connect it back to the beginning of the book.
Overall, this was a good read! I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to checking out more of Ellison's work.
This book grabbed me right from the beginning. It starts out taking about miscarriage. A knock on the door from the police sends the family into quite a spin. The twists and turns in this book kept me guessing and the shocking revelation at the end. One of my favorite reads this year
This is my first Ellison novel, and I am pleased that I picked this one up. It was well-written, if not heartrending. I saw in the author's afterword that she struggled with infertility, and that is why Olivia's pain seems so real.... because it is. I will be looking for more from this author.