Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Bit weird
emotional
mysterious
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
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I fear I like the sappiest of stories… dickwad narrator, and I think I will take a break from Gabrielle Zevin for a while because there is only so much space for brain cancer, letters to daughters because they will grow up fatherless due to the aforementioned brain cancer, one specifically Jewish character who shows up once, and of course, a manic pixie dream girl… but I still loved it, I’m a sap I suppose. And at least the manic pixie dream girl and lesbian sister get to contain multitudes. Maybe not all cliches and repeated concepts are bad. And I liked the narrative style and possibly true story.
Maybe because I read her works chronologically backwards (starting with her most recent, and just now reading this one), it is clear that this is one of the first books Zevin wrote. There are definite glimpses of the kinds of insights into life and love that I found in later works, but in a more muddled way. The fantastical aspects of this compared to the more realistic, grounded later works made it a bit harder to get into. I see the exercise, the reason to explore the subject matter in the particular way she did -- and it is rather unique and refreshing for trying something different -- but overall, the frame and method of getting there gets in the way more than it helps, in my opinion. The characters are interesting, though slightly less fleshed out than I'm used to for Zevin...but that might be again due to the method of delivery for the text. I kind of wished I would have seen more of the Margarettown interactions, more play with the different versions of Margaret and the narrator father. That part felt rushed and there was much more that could have been done there, I think. Still, the prose here is really well done and the style is one I recognize from her other works -- easily accessible, quick and enticing, and holding so much within its ostensibly simple sentences. I basically read this in one sitting, urged on by the great pacing and intrigue to know what's next that I've realize Zevin is a master at. Not her best, but worth reading if you enjoyed her other works.
This book gave me the heebie jeebies, and I had to take breaks to get away from its madness. When I did read it, I would plow through quickly, afraid to linger too long on the words. Now that I'm finished, what I've taken away is fine enough. A woman is many women, leaving a bit of her behind every few years as she morphs into someone new. Would I enjoy my Margarettown? Perhaps. I'm not sure yet.
REALLY interesting concept, and I was engaged throughout the story, wanting to know what happened next. Stylistically very cool, there were some breathtaking moments. But I never felt like I connected with the characters very strongly. I wanted to care more about them as individuals. Instead of being caught up in their lives, I was more impressed with the language and style and cleverness of the book. This was probably intentional - but it made it less appealing to me overall.
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated