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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of short stories that though different, were woven beautifully together. Jones showcases her creativity in the various stories. I was very impressed by her knowledge and her way of presenting experiences to the reader that felt very firsthand. I felt emotional reading about the heartbreak and loss of some, as well as scared and angry while reading other stories. I flew through the book!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautiful and heartfelt. The stories are all sad, as some reviews say, but that’s the point. Made me miss my mom and gave me a good cry at the end, so it deserves my 5 stars. For the first time, going to buy a book that I initially got at the library just so I can look back to it whenever I need.
emotional
reflective
sad
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"She felt homesick for him."
"But seeing the delicate and lovely way she was leaning in to him now made him feel different about the space he occupied in the world."
"'You'll never let anyone love you. You'll always keep one thing so you can say that they don't.'"
"There's a closeness that comes from starting in the same place, and that closeness felt tangible when we were all there together."
"It seemed they were brand-new to each other, like she was still nervous around him, still trying to win him in some essential way he'd not yet been won."
"Could grief remain so raw as this forever, and were we all professional mourners clawing our way from one loss to the next?"
sad
As much as I wanted to feel for these characters, the unrelenting focus on sadness without hope, joy, or pleasure made them too distant to identify with. I think just about any of the stories would be fine on its own, but as a collection, they became a single-note smudge that felt like its only purpose was to fabricate sentimental nostalgia along the lines of O. Henry. Maybe if Jones had focused on one type of desperate circumstance (death *or* chronic illness *or* depression *or* etc., etc., you get it) the collection would have felt more meaningful, but as it is, I started feeling like she was just scrolling through a list and cherry-picking new little morsels to squeeze some more tears out of.
Check the content warnings and don't put yourself through it if anything feels sensitive to you, because my guess is that you will come out feeling more objectified than seen.
My thanks to Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy of this work.
Check the content warnings and don't put yourself through it if anything feels sensitive to you, because my guess is that you will come out feeling more objectified than seen.
My thanks to Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy of this work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma