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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
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
I started listening without knowing much, but it didn’t take long before I was completely caught up in it. The voices worked so well — they felt natural and matched the emotion without sounding forced. Every character came through clearly, and the way it was read made it easy to stay connected the whole way through.
The story had a lot of feeling. Some parts were hard, some genuinely sad, and others made me smile in the middle of all that. It never felt like too much. The serious parts were there, and they mattered, but the lighter moments were just as real. It didn’t try to cancel out the pain — it made space for both.
There was a rhythm to the way things unfolded that really worked in audio. It didn’t feel slow or rushed. I didn’t want to pause or skip anything. Everything felt like it was placed with care, and the tone stayed consistent even when the mood shifted.
By the time it ended, I felt like I’d spent time with something layered — not just emotional or just entertaining, but both at once. A heavy story, but told with care and energy, and full of small moments that made it easy to stay inside it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring