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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this but also felt like maybe it was too long. The ideas and reflection was fascinating to me and for me, at least, the coin toss gimmick worked.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars. I’ve never written down so many quotes from a book I read in my life! I only docked 1/2 star because the coin flipping got irksome (but subsided as the book went on).
“A woman must have children because she must be occupied. When I think of all the people who want to forbid abortions, it seems it can only mean one thing. Not that they want this new person in the world, but that they want that woman to be doing the work of child rearing more than they want her to be doing anything else. There is something threatening about a woman who is not occupied with children. There is something at loose ends feeling about such a woman. What is going to do she do instead? What sort of trouble will she make?”
“I resented how the world spoke of mothers. What they assumed of mothers and what they assumed of fathers.”
“For some, it cannot be debated whether they will have a child. But for those for whom it can be debated, it’s probably a fine life either way. And if it doesn’t matter to you and it doesn’t matter to the world, do what is better for the world and don’t have one. There is no inherent good in being born. The child would not otherwise miss its life. Nothing harms the earth more than another person, and nothing harms a person more than being born. If I really wanted to have a baby, it would be better to adopt. Even better would be to give the money I would have spent on raising a child to those organizations that give women who can’t afford it condoms and birth control and education and abortions and so save these women’s lives. That would be a more worthwhile contribution to this world than adding one more troubled person from my own troubled womb.”
“Nobody looks at a childless gay couple and thinks their life must be lacking meaning or depth or substance because they didn’t have kids. No one looks at a couple of guys who have been together forever, love each other, are happy in their work, have chosen not to have kids, are probably still f*cking, and pities them. Or thinks that down deep inside they must know they’re living a trivial and callow life because they’re not fathers. Nobody thinks that. The idea of it is ridiculous. Or take a lesbian couple who could have had kids if they wished to, but chose not to for whatever reason. Now they’re in their 50s or 60s, one of these glorious couples you see around, with that ease and assuredness they have, like they don’t need any favors from anybody. Who looks at them and thinks they must be nurturing this bottomless regret and longing in their souls because they’re not mothers? Nobody. It would be offensive to suggest, not to mention stupid. It’s only straight couples people have these feelings about. How empty their lives must be. No actually, it’s not even the man. People look at him like he got away with something. It’s just the woman. The woman who doesn’t have a child is looked at the same aversion and reproach as a grown man who doesn’t have a job. Like she has something to apologize for. Like she’s not entitled to pride.”
“A woman must have children because she must be occupied. When I think of all the people who want to forbid abortions, it seems it can only mean one thing. Not that they want this new person in the world, but that they want that woman to be doing the work of child rearing more than they want her to be doing anything else. There is something threatening about a woman who is not occupied with children. There is something at loose ends feeling about such a woman. What is going to do she do instead? What sort of trouble will she make?”
“I resented how the world spoke of mothers. What they assumed of mothers and what they assumed of fathers.”
“For some, it cannot be debated whether they will have a child. But for those for whom it can be debated, it’s probably a fine life either way. And if it doesn’t matter to you and it doesn’t matter to the world, do what is better for the world and don’t have one. There is no inherent good in being born. The child would not otherwise miss its life. Nothing harms the earth more than another person, and nothing harms a person more than being born. If I really wanted to have a baby, it would be better to adopt. Even better would be to give the money I would have spent on raising a child to those organizations that give women who can’t afford it condoms and birth control and education and abortions and so save these women’s lives. That would be a more worthwhile contribution to this world than adding one more troubled person from my own troubled womb.”
“Nobody looks at a childless gay couple and thinks their life must be lacking meaning or depth or substance because they didn’t have kids. No one looks at a couple of guys who have been together forever, love each other, are happy in their work, have chosen not to have kids, are probably still f*cking, and pities them. Or thinks that down deep inside they must know they’re living a trivial and callow life because they’re not fathers. Nobody thinks that. The idea of it is ridiculous. Or take a lesbian couple who could have had kids if they wished to, but chose not to for whatever reason. Now they’re in their 50s or 60s, one of these glorious couples you see around, with that ease and assuredness they have, like they don’t need any favors from anybody. Who looks at them and thinks they must be nurturing this bottomless regret and longing in their souls because they’re not mothers? Nobody. It would be offensive to suggest, not to mention stupid. It’s only straight couples people have these feelings about. How empty their lives must be. No actually, it’s not even the man. People look at him like he got away with something. It’s just the woman. The woman who doesn’t have a child is looked at the same aversion and reproach as a grown man who doesn’t have a job. Like she has something to apologize for. Like she’s not entitled to pride.”
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes