Reviews

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

patriciabwalker's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this story it was creatively told. I was glad I had not read up on it and could be surprised by the twist. It was a slower read for me which is why it was a 4 not a five.

jrmarr's review against another edition

4.0

This book made me feel like a reader again after having a baby a few months ago. I know some people were put off by the style and the narrator's voice, but I loved her cagey, sarcastic and cynical approach to her story. A moving and at times confronting tale.

amd2001's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Such a wild read.

teaandbooksnuggery's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

2.75

kdawn999's review against another edition

4.0

This is a good bit of storytelling. It jumps back and forth in all the right places so that you have to revise your interpretation through Fowler's revelations. At times, I found it overbearingly sentimental--but that might be my own prejudice about the novel's main twist, and it's a pretty brilliant twist.

mantissabolt's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book about when siblings get taken or lost. And when you don't fit in because of the way you were raised. I think the ending was hard to predict, in spite of the real life examples. (She does tell about parts of the ending early on).

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

snikkidee's review against another edition

2.0

I enjoyed the beginning of the book. I went into it not knowing what it was about and was considerably disappointed when I found out. I didn't enjoy the rest nearly as much.

The rest of the book is tedious. I did enjoy some of the facts scattered throughout, but mostly it was just boring.

kiran_reads_books's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

jackbl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

Extremely poignant and well written. Hopeful yet realistic and very very human.