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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
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:
Yes
There are moments of this book that really captured me and resonated with me (the emotional reactions, the worrying and paranoia and pains of existence) but the ending really lost me.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
'Worry' is brilliant. Jules and Poppy's characters could be your sister, your friend, or even, you. The storyline time placement is genius. All Jules and Poppy appear to want is to move their lives forward – together and apart. But with setting this story a year before the pandemic, the reader knows it really doesn't matter what they are planning. The family dynamics is pure chaos. The struggle with mother-daughter-sister relationships felt true and unbelievable at the same time. I felt so many emotions during the interactions between Jules and Poppy, Poppy and Mom, and Jules and Mom that I'm officially on Team Poppy. Tanner's writing style is direct and doesn't linger, which felt natural and relatable the entire time. (Not recommended for readers who need a plot device to move the story forward.)
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
The story of two sisters living in Brooklyn in 2019 and constantly fighting with each other and their unwell parents. Some pages of this were physically uncomfortable to read. Not sure I would recommend this to everyone, but I enjoyed reading about their odd family dynamic.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I took a huge chance picking this novel from the library. When I first read the synopsis around a year ago, I was hooked. However, the low scores on goodread somewhat detered me from the book.
Fast-foward to now where one of my favorite booktubers—who is picky and criticial in the best way—said this book was actually wonderful and to "not listen to the reviews". So when I saw the audiobook was open at my library, I decided to take it.
I am genuinely so happy that I picked this book up.
Let's start this off by giving props to the narrator: Helen Laser. Miss Laser is literally ONE OF THE BEST narrators I have ever come across. The way she's able to give every character a district voice, land every joke, convey every emotion! This lady needs awards!
Laser's talent is exemplified through Alexandra Tanner's wonderful work!
In this book, we're following Jules and Poppy navigate the toxicity produced by their family, the world around them, and themselves. It's a hillarious satire of the world we live in and the beauty and ugly of sisterly relationships. Poppy and Jules are such district characters that you go from hating one minute to wanting them to succeed in the other.
I just cannot gush about this novel enough. It got me to laugh and really reflect on how this world is currently. As someone who would allign themselves more with how Poppy is, it lowkey made me look at the way I go about being a leftist/progressive, how I talk to others about it, and just how sometimes our rhetoric can be confusing(No Wendy, you still can't say slurs. That's not confusing)
Overally, I'd recommend this novel but also tell people to go into knowing it's satircal and dark. Also that these character are very very heavily flawed.
Final Score: 10/10
Fast-foward to now where one of my favorite booktubers—who is picky and criticial in the best way—said this book was actually wonderful and to "not listen to the reviews". So when I saw the audiobook was open at my library, I decided to take it.
I am genuinely so happy that I picked this book up.
Let's start this off by giving props to the narrator: Helen Laser. Miss Laser is literally ONE OF THE BEST narrators I have ever come across. The way she's able to give every character a district voice, land every joke, convey every emotion! This lady needs awards!
Laser's talent is exemplified through Alexandra Tanner's wonderful work!
In this book, we're following Jules and Poppy navigate the toxicity produced by their family, the world around them, and themselves. It's a hillarious satire of the world we live in and the beauty and ugly of sisterly relationships. Poppy and Jules are such district characters that you go from hating one minute to wanting them to succeed in the other.
I just cannot gush about this novel enough. It got me to laugh and really reflect on how this world is currently. As someone who would allign themselves more with how Poppy is, it lowkey made me look at the way I go about being a leftist/progressive, how I talk to others about it, and just how sometimes our rhetoric can be confusing
Overally, I'd recommend this novel but also tell people to go into knowing it's satircal and dark. Also that these character are very very heavily flawed.
Final Score: 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Racial slurs
dark
emotional
funny
sad
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:
Yes
I spent so much of my time reading going back and forth between hysterical laughter and groaning, "Noooooo why would you say that!" This book is so quotable and such an accurate depiction of the millenial experience and today's zeitgeist. But it was also hard to read how cruelly everyone spoke to each other. Especially the mom to her daughters (insisting they need filler to look pretty, using Poppy's mental illness as a reason to make herself the victim, pitting the sisters against each other), and how Jules cut down Poppy at every turn, despite knowing she'd recently overcome a suicide attempt.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience of their judgey banter, but recommending it to others would require quite a few caveats. It's cringey, irreverent, includes a lot of moments of being embarrassed for the characters, and so many of the vignettes of other people were downright disgusting. I wanted to root for Jules but she was also so self-destructive and mean. You might want to keep all that in mind going in. But it is also sharply witty and realistic and unusual, and the dialogue is so snappy and satisfying. Some of Poppy's rants were iconic and I've reread them multiple times while cackling.
The ending was abrupt, yes. But given how stuck the two sisters felt the whole book and how nothing had really happened to make them feel unstuck, it makes sense that there wouldn't be some magical solution to wrap things up at the end. It captures how it feels to be young enough to feel aimless, and old enough to be jaded and feel like you've accomplished nothing and aren't as unique as you maybe thought. Those are awful feelings but they're very relatable, especially for overthinkers.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience of their judgey banter, but recommending it to others would require quite a few caveats. It's cringey, irreverent, includes a lot of moments of being embarrassed for the characters, and so many of the vignettes of other people were downright disgusting. I wanted to root for Jules but she was also so self-destructive and mean. You might want to keep all that in mind going in. But it is also sharply witty and realistic and unusual, and the dialogue is so snappy and satisfying. Some of Poppy's rants were iconic and I've reread them multiple times while cackling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual content