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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot of reviews deduct points for the lack of a purpose to the book; I think I’m learning that for some reason, I like books better for that. It’s a true slice of life, where things just happen and sometimes it doesn’t conclude in a wrapped way.
This was a beautiful story of a blended family and how the children navigate through the years. Some of them lost their way temporarily, but in the end they all find a semblance of their purpose.
This was a beautiful story of a blended family and how the children navigate through the years. Some of them lost their way temporarily, but in the end they all find a semblance of their purpose.
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. Very much.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this book. The characters were all compelling. I find blended families fascinating and this didn’t disappoint.
I love Ann Patchett prose. But this book let me down a little bit. I feel like the characters had more to offer and that we did not delve enough in their lives. But overall, it was a good ride
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A story of broken marriage of the combined children supporting each other other than drugging the youngest so he wouldn’t bother them. Surprisingly in the end they appear to functional adults but the way Frankie and Albie went about maturing was very round about
challenging
reflective
tense
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
I love an Ann Patchett book, about anything really, but especially about a wonky family relationship/dynamic. Didn’t expect parts to take place right outside Charlottesville, so that was a lovely surprise (despite that the Cousins’ family home was the setting for Tragedy). Also minor mention Theresa (pretty sure it was Theresa…) being a French Lit major at UVA, which is so close to my major of Spanish Lit. anyways, go hoos.
I love the characters she creates, how almost all the men are unredeemable, awful people, and how the child characters grow up into adults who often do get redeemed. I am in awe of Patchett’s ability to weave such an incredible story out of the loves of fairly normal children (who make fatal choices due to being totally unsupervised by poor 80s parenting styles, but normal at the start). Her style of slowly developing a story over decades, to double back and retell the story through a different characters lens, is shown incredibly well in this novel— highly recommend to my fellow Ann Patchett fans!
content warnings: death of child/sibling, neglect, affair/cheating
I love the characters she creates, how almost all the men are unredeemable, awful people, and how the child characters grow up into adults who often do get redeemed. I am in awe of Patchett’s ability to weave such an incredible story out of the loves of fairly normal children (who make fatal choices due to being totally unsupervised by poor 80s parenting styles, but normal at the start). Her style of slowly developing a story over decades, to double back and retell the story through a different characters lens, is shown incredibly well in this novel— highly recommend to my fellow Ann Patchett fans!
content warnings: death of child/sibling, neglect, affair/cheating
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Minor: Gun violence