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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Think I need to read again as I don’t think I understood what it was really about but by the end I think I really loved it
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Officially one of my favorite books! The writing is amazing, and the narrator (thus, the author) is hilarious, though I suppose not everyone will find her quite as funny. I really connected with the main character--curious, insightful, and smart in every sense of the word.
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
È un libro fantastico, la scrittura è magistrale e mi ha fatto ridere nei momenti giusti, è è estremamente realistico, ho trovato la protagonista molto simile a me e molte altre donne che hanno un opinione di sé molto bassa a causa del patriarcato.
Devo ammettere però che ad un certo punto l’ho trovato noioso (circa metà o poco prima) ma sono contenta di averlo continuato.
Devo ammettere però che ad un certo punto l’ho trovato noioso (circa metà o poco prima) ma sono contenta di averlo continuato.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not know anything about this book when I picked it up for a dollar at my favorite secondhand bookstore. I read a couple of reviews marketing it as “chick-lit,” but this was not that. It was way more than that. I’ve read my fair share of chick-lit, so I feel like I can say that this book had more depth to it than any of those other books. I picked up, wanting something light and easy after trying to recover from an extremely mentally taxing book and a relapse into past, harmful behavior, but what I found was so much better.
Is it weird to say that this is the book I never knew I needed?
It was a charming, witty, poignant, and contemporary collection of short stories following the same character (mostly), and I’d definitely place it in the genre of literary fiction, a genre I’ve just recently started to fall in love with. It bluntly addresses the basics of life through the eyes of a girl growing up and trying to find love, while also trying to figure out herself.
The book is also extremely funny, but not in a cheesy or cringy way, more of a dry, light-hearted way, which I adored, and it had me verbally laughing after many lines. In addition, the prose was beautiful. It was very “tell-it-as-it-is,” but with loads of metaphors and similes to enhance the readers’ understanding. I grew to really love Jane throughout the book, even by the middle of the first story.
Unfortunately, I still don’t feel completely competent in hunting or fishing, in both the way it’s used in the book, or in the literal sense of the word. But I guess that’s just something that everyone has to find out for themselves. And just a tip, you don’t need to listen to anything that Bonnie and Faith have to say. Just be yourself. That’s enough.
Is it weird to say that this is the book I never knew I needed?
It was a charming, witty, poignant, and contemporary collection of short stories following the same character (mostly), and I’d definitely place it in the genre of literary fiction, a genre I’ve just recently started to fall in love with. It bluntly addresses the basics of life through the eyes of a girl growing up and trying to find love, while also trying to figure out herself.
The book is also extremely funny, but not in a cheesy or cringy way, more of a dry, light-hearted way, which I adored, and it had me verbally laughing after many lines. In addition, the prose was beautiful. It was very “tell-it-as-it-is,” but with loads of metaphors and similes to enhance the readers’ understanding. I grew to really love Jane throughout the book, even by the middle of the first story.
Unfortunately, I still don’t feel completely competent in hunting or fishing, in both the way it’s used in the book, or in the literal sense of the word. But I guess that’s just something that everyone has to find out for themselves. And just a tip, you don’t need to listen to anything that Bonnie and Faith have to say. Just be yourself. That’s enough.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
I'm quite surprised to see the bad reviews. I read this as a teen (twice actually) and fell in love with the MC's wit. This book flows like a memoir and I like how it shows me that love is a journey. People come and go and we need to suck it up, life goes on. It's hearty, lovely, sassy, and rather substantial for a chick-lit. It honestly left quite an impression on me for a long time. It's not super super stellar, but still a 4 for the homeliness and nostalgia.
Update from my third read (210415):
I always love Jane. I hated Archie, at first. It's the age, sexism, and his overbearing mating call. He as a person was kinda endearing. In the end, I felt a bit bad for him but well it's great to see Jane knowing what she wanted and took control of it. I need to see that for me.
One thing I notice this time, there's quite a distance between the characters and us readers, kaya di film gitu. It's clear that Jane's very thoughtful but we only get to see the top of the iceberg, and maybe a layer under. The pieces she shared were delivered in a way that made me feel she was always present intellectually and emotionally. She was always processing and I was always curious about how she would react to situations. I like this, it's rather realistic. There's a lot going on inside a person, much more than what other people can imagine. Everyone's a whole unobservable universe for the most part. It's unrealistic for readers to know everything about the characters. No one even knows everything about themselves, let alone about other people, real or not. That distance represents that depth well. That's what I love about Jane, she's real. Not sure about the other characters tho, it's a Jane-centric world.
The chapter from the neighbor's POV was weird and random. I just skipped it this time, and maybe I will every time, if I decide to read this again (will I?). Well, I enjoy the reread. Still a 4/5. It speaks differently to me at this age. I like that it spans from her teenage days to her 30's. I might relate to other parts and notice different things again later.
Update from my third read (210415):
I always love Jane. I hated Archie, at first. It's the age, sexism, and his overbearing mating call. He as a person was kinda endearing. In the end, I felt a bit bad for him but well it's great to see Jane knowing what she wanted and took control of it. I need to see that for me.
One thing I notice this time, there's quite a distance between the characters and us readers, kaya di film gitu. It's clear that Jane's very thoughtful but we only get to see the top of the iceberg, and maybe a layer under. The pieces she shared were delivered in a way that made me feel she was always present intellectually and emotionally. She was always processing and I was always curious about how she would react to situations. I like this, it's rather realistic. There's a lot going on inside a person, much more than what other people can imagine. Everyone's a whole unobservable universe for the most part. It's unrealistic for readers to know everything about the characters. No one even knows everything about themselves, let alone about other people, real or not. That distance represents that depth well. That's what I love about Jane, she's real. Not sure about the other characters tho, it's a Jane-centric world.
The chapter from the neighbor's POV was weird and random. I just skipped it this time, and maybe I will every time, if I decide to read this again (will I?). Well, I enjoy the reread. Still a 4/5. It speaks differently to me at this age. I like that it spans from her teenage days to her 30's. I might relate to other parts and notice different things again later.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
loved loved loved.
definitely recommended for someone that wants to read something lighthearted, funny, and short. the writing is captivating and witty. definitely a story you cannot put down.
definitely recommended for someone that wants to read something lighthearted, funny, and short. the writing is captivating and witty. definitely a story you cannot put down.