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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has a lot of characters, and you don’t even meet all the main players until a quarter of the way through the book. I do feel the author did a good job with the character development. Often I find myself not liking every character in a book with a lot of main characters, and that did not happen here. It has its cute moments, its funny moments, its “there’s no way that would ever happen moments” but overall a fun read.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book put me in a SLUMP. It had sweet moments but it wasn’t compelling enough to keep me engaged, and the ending was SO frustrating for all of the buildup beforehand. I just really was hoping this book would live up to more.
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
This was an absolutely lovely little book! Poeppel is an amazing character writer—all of the characters, including characters whose points of view we never saw through, were well-written and lovable. Each have their own flaws and their own strengths, which I thought were realistic and showed clear growth. They’re all incredibly human, even during the times where they are the villains in one another’s lives. No one is incapable of growth, and no one is one-sided. I also loved the book’s messages. The overall theme is that it takes a village to support not only a child, but one another—a theme we sorely need in this time of hyper-individualization and loneliness. In addition to that, though, are themes about it never being too late to change and grow into yourself; about the importance of community in healing from trauma and hurt; about finding one’s path and careers one believes in; about the importance of taking accountability and responsibility. This novel is funny and heartfelt, and I liked it so much that I may actually have to buy it to keep on my shelf instead of returning it to my library and moving on!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
WELL. Not sure why I finished this one, except that there are some appealing aspects of the story. Overall as I was reading it I thought, "Someone gamed the system here!" because I saw a lot of reviews/buzz about it being laugh out loud funny, moving, thoughtful, an insightful study of family dynamics, etc. AND IT WAS NOT. SS's success feels like an emperor's new clothes marketing scheme in which one person's friend author said it was good and then the blurbs were off and running. It's cute enough, but characters are shallow, point of view pinballs around erratically, and key lessons/insights are dropped into the plot without development or depth. What's the book saying about family? About commitment? About "mothering instinct"? Lots of interesting potential, but unfortunately, nothing clear or even decipherable.
And yet. . . I did read the whole thing.
And big shout out to Maine's Minerva interlibrary loan for letting me request the book from my beloved Ellsworth Public Library and get it three days later via the public library in Augusta!
And yet. . . I did read the whole thing.
And big shout out to Maine's Minerva interlibrary loan for letting me request the book from my beloved Ellsworth Public Library and get it three days later via the public library in Augusta!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated