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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I am a huge fan of Frankel’s. She deals with traumatic subjects, but doesn’t let trauma dominate the narrative. Instead she’s always looking for beauty and hope, not in a way that feels “Pollyanna”, but instead in a way that is ultimately redemptive.
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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:
No
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Just a little too long and ever so slightly unbelievable. But very funny and enjoyable.
3.5 ⭐️
For the most part I enjoyed this one but I wanted to like it more. Most of the reasons why would be spoilers so I’ll leave it at that. Also, I went in with high expectations since I loved the author’s previous book “This is How it Always Is”.
For the most part I enjoyed this one but I wanted to like it more. Most of the reasons why would be spoilers so I’ll leave it at that. Also, I went in with high expectations since I loved the author’s previous book “This is How it Always Is”.
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this. Even better than This is How it Always Is, which I also loved.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
The novel was okay. I appreciate that the adoption wasn’t particularly traumatic, although I have a lot of questions about how she got to adopt two children so young and the children don’t read as believable. And like, I’ve taught 11-18 year olds for a number of years now. So I do have reference points.
I think that more interesting is reading the comments. Some praise the book as being revolutionary and others feel that it does a disservice to adoptions. I don’t love when people speak for me without my consent. Or perhaps misspeak on my behalf. And like. My adoption wasn’t huge trauma from which I need to recover. In that, I agree in many ways that family is family is family. I see the point about centering the adoptive parents over the adoptee or birth mother but I think that sort of reinforces the point—there is no one narrative that needs to be upheld. Representation matters, and good representation in addition to struggles.
I usually won’t write a long review for a book I rate as “good”, which is what 3 stars signifies to me. But. I dunno. As an adoptee, my stance is different from many of my peers. It didn’t speak to their experience, clearly. I’m not sure it spoke directly to mine. But I think that’s okay. I don’t think this novel did a disservice to adoptees. I do… think there was a conversation about whiteness—on the part of the child, the birth mother, and the adoptive parents that could have, and perhaps should have, been explored.
I think that more interesting is reading the comments. Some praise the book as being revolutionary and others feel that it does a disservice to adoptions. I don’t love when people speak for me without my consent. Or perhaps misspeak on my behalf. And like. My adoption wasn’t huge trauma from which I need to recover. In that, I agree in many ways that family is family is family. I see the point about centering the adoptive parents over the adoptee or birth mother but I think that sort of reinforces the point—there is no one narrative that needs to be upheld. Representation matters, and good representation in addition to struggles.
I usually won’t write a long review for a book I rate as “good”, which is what 3 stars signifies to me. But. I dunno. As an adoptee, my stance is different from many of my peers. It didn’t speak to their experience, clearly. I’m not sure it spoke directly to mine. But I think that’s okay. I don’t think this novel did a disservice to adoptees. I do… think there was a conversation about whiteness—on the part of the child, the birth mother, and the adoptive parents that could have, and perhaps should have, been explored.