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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this main character. She was beautifully flawed, and beautifully human, but a strong, loving woman who stuck to her convictions.
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4 stars
I really wanted this book to be 5 stars it really had all the elements for me. It's a story about literal family but also found family and what adoption can mean for people and how it's not always born out of pain - it can be a loving and willing choice.
I was captured right away by young India as a teenager and watching her grow in the flashbacks while contrasting what was going on in present day. I thought the alternating timelines worked better later in the story but was not bothered by the execution of it. Early on in the book I was quite frustrated by the unlikeliness of the plot, but I don't think that this novel was meant to be a realistic view of many adoption stories, but rather a skewed case to showcase the different variations / make a point. At which point I really loved the book.
However, my main complaint for this novel comes at the last 20% or so. I think up until that point the book is unearthing the different ways family can exist and all of the intricacies of it, as well as the pushback that society has towards certain types of families. I think the book did a good job of showcasing that. However, in an attempt to end this book and "resolve" this unanswerable issues about adoption and family, it didn't really face the issue head on and kind of slapped a pretty bow on it saying that "found family makes it all better, don't even worry about it." I don't think that the point made at the end is necessarily invalid, I just think it overwrites the notion that adoption is at least partially a traumatic event and though found family helps you get over it, there are still challenges. In essence, I thought it was resolved way too easily and quickly after explaining the complex lives and decisions that the people involved had to make to get to that point.
I really wanted this book to be 5 stars it really had all the elements for me. It's a story about literal family but also found family and what adoption can mean for people and how it's not always born out of pain - it can be a loving and willing choice.
I was captured right away by young India as a teenager and watching her grow in the flashbacks while contrasting what was going on in present day. I thought the alternating timelines worked better later in the story but was not bothered by the execution of it. Early on in the book I was quite frustrated by the unlikeliness of the plot, but I don't think that this novel was meant to be a realistic view of many adoption stories, but rather a skewed case to showcase the different variations / make a point. At which point I really loved the book.
However, my main complaint for this novel comes at the last 20% or so. I think up until that point the book is unearthing the different ways family can exist and all of the intricacies of it, as well as the pushback that society has towards certain types of families. I think the book did a good job of showcasing that. However, in an attempt to end this book and "resolve" this unanswerable issues about adoption and family, it didn't really face the issue head on and kind of slapped a pretty bow on it saying that "found family makes it all better, don't even worry about it." I don't think that the point made at the end is necessarily invalid, I just think it overwrites the notion that adoption is at least partially a traumatic event and though found family helps you get over it, there are still challenges. In essence, I thought it was resolved way too easily and quickly after explaining the complex lives and decisions that the people involved had to make to get to that point.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
really enjoyed this! as someone with no direct relation to adoption i can’t add perspective—but it was in a positive light and nicely done, while rebutting weirdo (imo) opinions about adoptions