Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Mary Jane

No huge climax; just the story of a 14-year-old girl rediscovering herself while being immersed in a chaotic, liberal household that is radically different from the life she was raised in-- stern and conservative. I was rapt just by reading the first few chapters however, there are particular events on this book that I personally find awkward and disturbing. In any case, I'm proud of how Mary Jane's character developed in the end. If you're looking for a palate cleanser, coming-of-age story, this could be it.

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aqtbenz's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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krissydurant's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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jillgoober's review

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

This novel is a sweet coming-of-age novel about a fourteen-year-old girl named Mary Jane growing up in the 70s. She has very strict and cold parents but doesn't realize that anyone lives much differently until she becomes a summer nanny in the Cone household, where everything is messy and unorganized but filled with love and fun.

This book was definitely more about the atmosphere and MJ's character development than the plot. You get to see how she changes and makes new realizations about herself and the world based on what she's seeing in the Cone household. The only small issue I had with this book was that I thought the ending with her mom was a bit far-fetched (but maybe I'm just cynical).

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milesdavis's review against another edition

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2.0

So i stopped reading this book when i was about 80% of the way through because it got very weird but despite that, the book had literally no plot. I had good expectations when I started reading but there was no character development and no storyline. Kind of like a day that repeats over and over again with one or two tweaks. Anyways, I wouldn’t recommend for people who value real stories that develop and touch your heart.

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maddiet425's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

4.5

Despite the character driven plot (something that doesn’t always draw me in) this book was addictive and I read it in one day. I thought the ending lacked some conclusions, and the way one of the characters suddenly changed felt unrealistic to me. However, I fell in love with the characters and the overall theme of a girl trying to find her place in between two cultures, one of which is neat and orderly but fake, full of unconscious bias, and privileged; and the other of which is full of honesty and exploration, but is messy and unstable at times. I think it perfectly represents the phase we all go through where we begin to realize our parents ideals aren’t all we should believe. Overall, a really good coming of age story.

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