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irine_elle's review
1.0
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm gonna start with saying that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone 'cause it was a not so entertaining waste of time. Just read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
I'mma try to point the mistakes I found in order and there will also be a spoiler section.
1.Eastern European/Romanian Debacle
First I picked this book up specifically because the main character was Romanian. The book doesn't mention it but her last name is 100% Romanian. I would never, even in a foreign, country refer to myself as an Eastern European when asked where I'm from. Europe is not a country. Also, it seemed like she was from Mars. How can you say you don't know the concept of a walk-in closet? Along with any other difficulty she encountered. Oh in my country we don't have/do this. I only have 3 channels at home. It's in the '90s after the revolution so no. It's not accurate. Ordering food is such an unfamiliar term? Her saying the US is safer and then immediately finding a stashed gun was the highlight of this entire thing. What did you think dumbass? Somehow she is unaware of racism??? Not knowing the language what's she gonna do? 'Super Easy Barely and inconvenience" When we're still on the Romanian rant. The name of the Romanian people Zachary? Tobi? No way. Maximilian and Silvia fit. Except for the parts where her name is inexplicably spelled Sylvia.
2.r/MenWritingWomen
"Hearing in a mental monologue that's like "I love standing right in front of the mirror and spending quality time there" must be the lamest excuse to accentuate the character's body mainly her breasts. Who just wakes up and goes to the mirror to look at the titties? Happens constantly in this book.
Also, the narrator brings up a friend who told her "She lost weight because she became as obsessive as her". *confusion*
"I guess girls need attention from boys all the time. They can't be without it's like a fish can't be without water. I think it's in the female DNA" o_o
Still on that page while she looks in the mirror she has this brilliant thought "Here is this girly girl, and I'm torturing her. I'm asking her feminine mind and body to be a fearless, brave man. My body and real personality were feminine, fragile delicate, with a quiet, good-tempered manner. But I could also force myself to be masculine-fearless, brave and tough". Word for word what it says in the book.
This goes on for about 2 pages and is a constant thing in the book along with her breasts.
Every woman in this book is somehow related to a man (except Silvia), she did this but it's scared her husband will see, she fought with the husband ran with the kids, can't hire you husband will be mad. These are just from the background characters. Also, the sexual assault was excused 'cause he was drunk...
3.Spoilers but this book is awful so don't read it
The way this book ended you might as well just read The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It's basically the same thing except Maximilian is a lesbian. In Evelyn Hugo you actually understand the way the characters are thinking but in this one it's basically just a long list of awful decisions. She married a 47-year-old at 23, because she LOVES him, definitely not a sugar daddy guys, I mean they're in love. Except from the nights he has a gay lover that she accepts 100% without even skipping a beat. Also when a dude says his job is business you run girl cause he's in the mafia. After all this at the end she gets back together with her highschool boyfriend who is married and has a child and his wife is the one who got them back together?
I'm gonna start with saying that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone 'cause it was a not so entertaining waste of time. Just read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
I'mma try to point the mistakes I found in order and there will also be a spoiler section.
1.Eastern European/Romanian Debacle
First I picked this book up specifically because the main character was Romanian. The book doesn't mention it but her last name is 100% Romanian. I would never, even in a foreign, country refer to myself as an Eastern European when asked where I'm from. Europe is not a country. Also, it seemed like she was from Mars. How can you say you don't know the concept of a walk-in closet? Along with any other difficulty she encountered. Oh in my country we don't have/do this. I only have 3 channels at home. It's in the '90s after the revolution so no. It's not accurate. Ordering food is such an unfamiliar term? Her saying the US is safer and then immediately finding a stashed gun was the highlight of this entire thing. What did you think dumbass? Somehow she is unaware of racism??? Not knowing the language what's she gonna do? 'Super Easy Barely and inconvenience" When we're still on the Romanian rant. The name of the Romanian people Zachary? Tobi? No way. Maximilian and Silvia fit. Except for the parts where her name is inexplicably spelled Sylvia.
2.r/MenWritingWomen
"Hearing in a mental monologue that's like "I love standing right in front of the mirror and spending quality time there" must be the lamest excuse to accentuate the character's body mainly her breasts. Who just wakes up and goes to the mirror to look at the titties? Happens constantly in this book.
Also, the narrator brings up a friend who told her "She lost weight because she became as obsessive as her". *confusion*
"I guess girls need attention from boys all the time. They can't be without it's like a fish can't be without water. I think it's in the female DNA" o_o
Still on that page while she looks in the mirror she has this brilliant thought "Here is this girly girl, and I'm torturing her. I'm asking her feminine mind and body to be a fearless, brave man. My body and real personality were feminine, fragile delicate, with a quiet, good-tempered manner. But I could also force myself to be masculine-fearless, brave and tough". Word for word what it says in the book.
This goes on for about 2 pages and is a constant thing in the book along with her breasts.
Every woman in this book is somehow related to a man (except Silvia), she did this but it's scared her husband will see, she fought with the husband ran with the kids, can't hire you husband will be mad. These are just from the background characters. Also, the sexual assault was excused 'cause he was drunk...
3.Spoilers but this book is awful so don't read it
The way this book ended you might as well just read The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It's basically the same thing except Maximilian is a lesbian. In Evelyn Hugo you actually understand the way the characters are thinking but in this one it's basically just a long list of awful decisions. She married a 47-year-old at 23, because she LOVES him, definitely not a sugar daddy guys, I mean they're in love. Except from the nights he has a gay lover that she accepts 100% without even skipping a beat. Also when a dude says his job is business you run girl cause he's in the mafia. After all this at the end she gets back together with her highschool boyfriend who is married and has a child and his wife is the one who got them back together?
mysapphicbooks's review
2.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it’s easy to be pulled into the story, it’s an easygoing read and the main theme is the struggles of an Eastern European woman emigrating to the United States, specifically New York. Alyssa meets quite some interesting people along the way and she has a special way of seeing the world. For her everything goes well, despite a few struggles she always achieves anything and is described as a beautiful and smart woman.
The book is written in first person which I am personally not a fan of. There’s lots of internal dialogue and we get to see Alyssa’s thoughts. The conversations with other people lack in depth though, they’re hurried and especially at the beginning there’s very few actual scenes between people. The writing style is not for me.
Alyssa constantly makes excuses for people in her life even though they take advantage of her (a good example for this would be Zachary, but also her employers, Gilles, etc.). She comes across as quite naive - is it because she doesn’t understand the language or is it her personality? I’m honestly not sure.
It’s a story told over the course of several years, it feels like a recap of important events the narrator is telling us. Different from my usual books, but still an interesting read about immigrating to America in the 1990s.
I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is written in first person which I am personally not a fan of. There’s lots of internal dialogue and we get to see Alyssa’s thoughts. The conversations with other people lack in depth though, they’re hurried and especially at the beginning there’s very few actual scenes between people. The writing style is not for me.
Alyssa constantly makes excuses for people in her life even though they take advantage of her (a good example for this would be Zachary, but also her employers, Gilles, etc.). She comes across as quite naive - is it because she doesn’t understand the language or is it her personality? I’m honestly not sure.
It’s a story told over the course of several years, it feels like a recap of important events the narrator is telling us. Different from my usual books, but still an interesting read about immigrating to America in the 1990s.
I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
latitudea's review
2.0
This is a really slow read, which I liked; it felt very 1995 to me (caveat that I do not remember that era of time). I’m not sure if it is because it’s a period piece, but the main character is kind of misogynistic and the male characters are mostly assholes. I wasn’t super impressed by it. Two stars.
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