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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I've been looking for something a little different to read lately. I had heard about The Very Nice Box before and I knew it was being compared to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine(one of my favorites) So when I found a copy of the book in my mailbox I was happy to give it a shot.
Ava a 31-year-old engineer lives in Brooklyn in a studio apartment with her dog Brutus. She works at STÄDA, a modern home furnishing store similar to Ikea. Ava’s job is her whole life. At STÄDA she is working on her passion project called the very nice box when her boss leaves the company and a new boss named Mat takes over. They instantly become friends and soon after, Ava finds herself falling for Mat.
I think I expected a quirky workplace satire or modern romance story going into this but this novel is neither. This book is very deep with many underlying themes such as Courage, resilience, grief, loneliness, PTSD, friendship, and hope. Also, there is a huge thriller suspense part of the book and a major twist.
The only issue I had was the ending was kind of abrupt, I wished it had played out a little longer. There is also one thing at the end that was left unanswered but overall I would definitely recommend this book to readers!
I'm surprised that there isn't more buzz around this book! After reading the first chapter I was immediately hooked and finished it in one day. Many thanks to Mariner Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Ava a 31-year-old engineer lives in Brooklyn in a studio apartment with her dog Brutus. She works at STÄDA, a modern home furnishing store similar to Ikea. Ava’s job is her whole life. At STÄDA she is working on her passion project called the very nice box when her boss leaves the company and a new boss named Mat takes over. They instantly become friends and soon after, Ava finds herself falling for Mat.
I think I expected a quirky workplace satire or modern romance story going into this but this novel is neither. This book is very deep with many underlying themes such as Courage, resilience, grief, loneliness, PTSD, friendship, and hope. Also, there is a huge thriller suspense part of the book and a major twist.
The only issue I had was the ending was kind of abrupt, I wished it had played out a little longer. There is also one thing at the end that was left unanswered but overall I would definitely recommend this book to readers!
I'm surprised that there isn't more buzz around this book! After reading the first chapter I was immediately hooked and finished it in one day. Many thanks to Mariner Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated
An interesting read! The twists were not what I was expecting
slow-paced
I really loved this book. I must say, though, it did not go where I expected it to go. I had guessed it would be a cute little romantic comedy about two co-workers falling in love, and that's where it started, but it definitely took a turn (for the better). I was ready to put the book down after 100 pages, it was feeling kind of cheesy. I now realize that was probably the author's intention- to make the reader a bit confused on how the book could possibly continue for 200 more pages.
Despite being tired of it after 100 pages, I continued reading, and that's when it got good. We got a sense that something in the relationship wasn't quite right, maybe that the characters in the relationship were deeply flawed.
We continued to see things spiral downward for the main characters, and I loved it. It kept me on edge, and at this point I couldn't put it down. I actually burned cookies because I forgot they were in the oven while reading this book.
Everything about this book was just so fun. It was easy to read, had a flawed but likable main character, and a flawed but not-so-likable other main character. This book sends a powerful message about womanhood, relationships, grief, and the nature of being human.
This book is downright adorable, cozy, fun, and thrilling (and I must say that the ending is rather satisfying).
Despite being tired of it after 100 pages, I continued reading, and that's when it got good. We got a sense that something in the relationship wasn't quite right, maybe that the characters in the relationship were deeply flawed.
We continued to see things spiral downward for the main characters, and I loved it. It kept me on edge, and at this point I couldn't put it down. I actually burned cookies because I forgot they were in the oven while reading this book.
Everything about this book was just so fun. It was easy to read, had a flawed but likable main character, and a flawed but not-so-likable other main character. This book sends a powerful message about womanhood, relationships, grief, and the nature of being human.
This book is downright adorable, cozy, fun, and thrilling (and I must say that the ending is rather satisfying).
fast-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Stalking
File this one under the heading of one of those books which has enough good parts to it to keep you reading to the end pretty propulsively despite all of the elements to it that don’t work. Ava is an engineer who works at an Ikea parody called STÄDA, where she focuses very hard on designing minimalist boxes, leading a very constrained life, and studiously avoiding her grief. Then new hire Mat—handsome and full of energy—shows up and upends her life in what seems like a good way, but of course All Is Not As It Seems.
Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman clearly set out to write a parody of contemporary corporate culture and marketing speak, and when the satire hits the mark (the self-satisfied, self-justifying misogyny of the men in the Good Guys Group, for instance) it does so well. Ava’s grief is also generally well-observed. But the authors didn’t manage to thread the needle of having both a world that’s more heightened than our own and having characters who felt truly believable as people in their (inter)actions—Severance this ain’t. The twist ending was both pretty predictable and didn’t truly work for me on an emotional level.
Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman clearly set out to write a parody of contemporary corporate culture and marketing speak, and when the satire hits the mark (the self-satisfied, self-justifying misogyny of the men in the Good Guys Group, for instance) it does so well. Ava’s grief is also generally well-observed. But the authors didn’t manage to thread the needle of having both a world that’s more heightened than our own and having characters who felt truly believable as people in their (inter)actions—Severance this ain’t. The twist ending was both pretty predictable and didn’t truly work for me on an emotional level.