Reviews

Can You Feel This? by Julie Orringer

bookph1le's review against another edition

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3.0

There is a lot I like about this story. I think we need more honest depictions of pregnancy and childbirth, and I definitely appreciated this aspect. I also found the mother/daughter story compelling.

However, the lack of quotation marks is so irritating to me. Why does literary fiction do this? When did punctuation become the enemy? I find this such an affectation, and what's worse, I think it deters from the narrative because it introduces so much confusion, since it sometimes isn't obvious what parts of a paragraph are dialog and what parts aren't. If I never again see literary authors skipping the quotation marks, it'll be too soon.

thealexarachelle's review

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4.0

Very quick, anxiety-fueling read. It was real and raw. I Enjoyed it.

laurendwyer31's review

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

debthebee's review

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5.0

The experience of giving birth

CW: mental illness, suicide.

Plot: We are brought along to witness a difficult birth and the fist days of motherhood with the burden of sadness and fears from mental illness, and suicide trauma.

Likes: I haven't given birth, but the description of being stripped of your humanity and disassociating from it seems quite real. I didn't expect any story to bring me so close to the experiences of giving birth and early motherhood.

Dislikes: None

Audience: Maybe those who are interested in how mental illness affacts a person and their family? It's difficult to tell who could be interested in these kind of storied, even though they'd be an educational read for just about anyone.

Rating: 5/5 stars, I loved it and I wouldn't change anything about it.

bouncy_knight_reads's review

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Reasons numbers i^2 i will not be pregnant in this lifetime

sarah_seelbaugh's review

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4.0

I felt this more than u know. I had a C-section with both my kids. It hit home.

kat5zing's review against another edition

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4.0

Definitely doesn’t inspire me to ever give birth... though is probably one of the most honest portrayals of childbirth from what I’ve been told by true friends.

libertyclaydon's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

mnboyer's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Placenta previa -- my mother went through this with me, so the fact that it appeared in this story was interesting to me, and definitely made me more interested in this soon-to-be-mother's agony. Motherhood is tough. But there are secrets here (one in particular) that is going to eat away at this mom. 

I was so tense when the baby was having trouble nursing that I couldn't even get comfortable! Phew. Again, motherhood is tough!! 

tsquare345's review

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4.0

Grief is a weird monster; sometimes it slumbers or perhaps it's hibernating, and then it comes crashing through your carefully crafted world.
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