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ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
2.0
i just couldn't get into this. i ended up not finishing the book. i was hoping it would be a good addition to my library of books that deal with postpartum depression but the depiction felt vague and lifeless somehow. it wasn't reaching me.
lsparrow's review against another edition
5.0
I love this author and how her books speak to part of where I am at. I love the simplicity and the layers in the writing.
lindseyzwilson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
smemmott's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really wanted to understand the main character, her memories and her family dynamics. Interesting and sometimes frightening look at the cycle of abuse and the strength of family ties.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Homophobia
Minor: Vomit
ginabyeg's review against another edition
1.0
I managed to get about halfway through this book, but couldn't move past that point. I found this book hard to stay meaningfully engaged. The narrative went much like this:
* First main character did this.
* Then she did this.
* She felt X as she did that thing.
* Then she talked to another character.
* Main character acts slightly odd for intrigue.
* Brief snippet of the past with a vague link to odd behaviour in the present.
* Repeat.
By halfway through, I still had no idea where the plot was moving. Or what the plot even was--the synopsis did not really match the level of intensity I was expecting in this novel.
* First main character did this.
* Then she did this.
* She felt X as she did that thing.
* Then she talked to another character.
* Main character acts slightly odd for intrigue.
* Brief snippet of the past with a vague link to odd behaviour in the present.
* Repeat.
By halfway through, I still had no idea where the plot was moving. Or what the plot even was--the synopsis did not really match the level of intensity I was expecting in this novel.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
Nothing like her first too books. Very autobiographical, and an interesting look at modern, urban motherhood. Enjoyed it overall but not the same level of great as her other books. Kind of disappointing in that sense. Also wasn't a fan of the narrative style or structure of the book, found it hard to get into the first half.
jessica_patient's review against another edition
5.0
brilliant. Fans of Dept. Of Speculation will love this.
amn028's review against another edition
2.0
Chaotic, erratic and non-linear are words I would use to the describe the style. I struggled through parts of the book with caring sufficiently about the ending to not just give it up. There were so funny parts, some dark parts and some just strangely weird parts. Adding a chapter of the fake book to the end of almost every chapter seemed unnecessary but perhaps I was missing the point of it.
The ending was a little too pat for me
Overall, it is not her strongest book.
The ending was a little too pat for me
Overall, it is not her strongest book.
lunaseassecondaccount's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of those books that I picked up for one reason or another and I can't remember how it got into my pile of books from the library. Even when I started reading it, I struggled to figure out why I had decided to hire this book out, and I was beginning to think it was a mistake and I'd picked up someone else's book by accident.
And then I kept reading it. And I kept reading it and I kept reading it, and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked and I can't figure out why. This book really isn't the type of book I normally read- maybe it's because I'm older, maybe it's because I've really gotten into this super-in-depth-look-into-everyday-life thing recently, I don't know. But I could have easily read it in a day or two if I'd allowed myself. There's been a series of not-so-good reviews on this novel, and they've all compared MacDonald's work to this one, so I think I might need to hunt them down.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book, and I'm not sure where to begin. A general feeling I had about this book is that so much is secondary- and so much is important. I really got the impression that MR and her mother's lives are so parallel. What MR is going through with Maggie is more or less what Dolly went through with her at the same age. That's what I was left with- and that maybe MR has a better support system than Dolly did, and that will help her prevent the same mistakes. There's a real sense of frustration on each page, and while her behaviour at parts isn't excusable, it's understandable.
The whole time I was reading this book, I was wondering just what had happened to MR, and this is what keeps pushing the plot forward. We all want to know- that's why we keep reading. I do want to praise MacDonald for refusing to give in and tell us, in a Hollywood-style ending (and they all live happily ever after yay), but at the same time, leaving it so murky is frustrating. Dolly kept grabbing her, Maureen dangled her over the balcony- but wait, was it her father? Who knows! Dad just seems guilty all the time, so maybe he was an active participant. Or was he just a passive member, and the guilt gnaws at him for not helping more. And how does Andy-Patrick fit into all of this? I probably would have been annoyed with a clear-cut ending, but this deliberately muddled mess of memories does irritate me, just because I want to know more.
I also would have liked to have known more about Dolly. She clearly has a lot going on in her life, and we only just get a tiny taste, that makes MR's lack of resolution just as bitter.
But I loved this so much, and now I can't stop raving about it. I just wish there had been a slightly clearer ending.
And then I kept reading it. And I kept reading it and I kept reading it, and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked and I can't figure out why. This book really isn't the type of book I normally read- maybe it's because I'm older, maybe it's because I've really gotten into this super-in-depth-look-into-everyday-life thing recently, I don't know. But I could have easily read it in a day or two if I'd allowed myself. There's been a series of not-so-good reviews on this novel, and they've all compared MacDonald's work to this one, so I think I might need to hunt them down.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book, and I'm not sure where to begin. A general feeling I had about this book is that so much is secondary- and so much is important. I really got the impression that MR and her mother's lives are so parallel. What MR is going through with Maggie is more or less what Dolly went through with her at the same age. That's what I was left with- and that maybe MR has a better support system than Dolly did, and that will help her prevent the same mistakes. There's a real sense of frustration on each page, and while her behaviour at parts isn't excusable, it's understandable.
The whole time I was reading this book, I was wondering just what had happened to MR, and this is what keeps pushing the plot forward. We all want to know- that's why we keep reading. I do want to praise MacDonald for refusing to give in and tell us, in a Hollywood-style ending (and they all live happily ever after yay), but at the same time, leaving it so murky is frustrating. Dolly kept grabbing her, Maureen dangled her over the balcony- but wait, was it her father? Who knows! Dad just seems guilty all the time, so maybe he was an active participant. Or was he just a passive member, and the guilt gnaws at him for not helping more. And how does Andy-Patrick fit into all of this? I probably would have been annoyed with a clear-cut ending, but this deliberately muddled mess of memories does irritate me, just because I want to know more.
I also would have liked to have known more about Dolly. She clearly has a lot going on in her life, and we only just get a tiny taste, that makes MR's lack of resolution just as bitter.
But I loved this so much, and now I can't stop raving about it. I just wish there had been a slightly clearer ending.