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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
If you are into romcoms, then you will like this book. More funny than romantic, this was a great read to break up my heavier stuff. A young woman in Singapore fights to shed her "spinster" stigma (she is early 30s) while staying on top at work and keeping it together. Fun read.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really dragged. I found the characters, and especially the main character, superficial. There was no genuine emotion in the writing.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
#TeamEric which I realise says a lot
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
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
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Classism
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Cancer
I have had only one true epiphany in my life. Back in my late-stage senior associate days I woke up in the dead of night and realized that my years' worth of insomnia and headaches and crying at commercials and general out of control anxiety was not caused by my fear I would not be made partner, it was caused by my fear that I WOULD be made partner. I quit the following day. Given this background I would have expected to love this book.
Our MC Andrea is a driven lawyer, working in Singapore, focused entirely on making partner and cementing her ability to keep buying $20,000 purses (Singapore is gonna Singapore) and drinking in every nonworking moment. Randomly we hear that she wanted to save the world at some point, but that fire was banked by the expectations and demands of her tiger mom and the need to keep up with her rich and vapid friends. The thing is though, it becomes pretty clear that she, Andrea, is at least as vapid as the people around her and that she does not have a charitable bone in her body.
I literally do not know a single lawyer who does not do pro bono and other community work because they feel a sense of duty to protect people other than large pharmaceutical manufacturers (or whatever giant organizations can pay the bills, pharma was my personal experience.) Andrea, this supposed do-gooder, does nothing for others ever, no pro bono, no nonprofit boards, and never really thinks about it as far as we can tell. Her great acts of generosity are limited to letting a friend stay at her house after a bad breakup and giving a monthly stipend to her mother. Andrea handles corporate M&A deals, Andrea shops, Andrea plays endless games of Candy Crush, Andrea Google stalks men, and Andrea drinks. Andrea also talks about her supposed inner desire to help the downtrodden and Andrea also captures the hearts of kind men who are all too good for her. This reader cheered for her to fail in romance because I thought the men deserved better. That is not typical for me. So why don't I believe Andrea was truly a nice person? Well, because other than talking about her inner goodness there was no sign this was the case. Various things happen, many not in keeping with anything any character has done up to the moment that that those things happen. I have a hard time imagining the writer actually thought for a second about character development -- she was just ticking off events on the outline. The ending is both inevitable and completely unsupported by events that come before.
Two additional issues. This book was twice as long as it should have been. Large chunks needed excising, especially those involving Andi's friend/cousin Linda and at least some of the 2000 rounds of "almosts" with one of the love interests. Another issue, Andrea quips constantly, which is funny for the first 20 pages or so and then just seems brittle and bitter and hysterical and unpleasant. I did get some laughs when the ridiculous minutia of deals is discussed, but that is because talk of deals brings out my inner lawyer core which is still a little bitter and brittle and hysterical, and possibly unpleasant.
Our MC Andrea is a driven lawyer, working in Singapore, focused entirely on making partner and cementing her ability to keep buying $20,000 purses (Singapore is gonna Singapore) and drinking in every nonworking moment. Randomly we hear that she wanted to save the world at some point, but that fire was banked by the expectations and demands of her tiger mom and the need to keep up with her rich and vapid friends. The thing is though, it becomes pretty clear that she, Andrea, is at least as vapid as the people around her and that she does not have a charitable bone in her body.
I literally do not know a single lawyer who does not do pro bono and other community work because they feel a sense of duty to protect people other than large pharmaceutical manufacturers (or whatever giant organizations can pay the bills, pharma was my personal experience.) Andrea, this supposed do-gooder, does nothing for others ever, no pro bono, no nonprofit boards, and never really thinks about it as far as we can tell. Her great acts of generosity are limited to letting a friend stay at her house after a bad breakup and giving a monthly stipend to her mother. Andrea handles corporate M&A deals, Andrea shops, Andrea plays endless games of Candy Crush, Andrea Google stalks men, and Andrea drinks. Andrea also talks about her supposed inner desire to help the downtrodden and Andrea also captures the hearts of kind men who are all too good for her. This reader cheered for her to fail in romance because I thought the men deserved better. That is not typical for me. So why don't I believe Andrea was truly a nice person? Well, because other than talking about her inner goodness there was no sign this was the case. Various things happen, many not in keeping with anything any character has done up to the moment that that those things happen. I have a hard time imagining the writer actually thought for a second about character development -- she was just ticking off events on the outline. The ending is both inevitable and completely unsupported by events that come before.
Two additional issues. This book was twice as long as it should have been. Large chunks needed excising, especially those involving Andi's friend/cousin Linda and at least some of the 2000 rounds of "almosts" with one of the love interests. Another issue, Andrea quips constantly, which is funny for the first 20 pages or so and then just seems brittle and bitter and hysterical and unpleasant. I did get some laughs when the ridiculous minutia of deals is discussed, but that is because talk of deals brings out my inner lawyer core which is still a little bitter and brittle and hysterical, and possibly unpleasant.
I won't be finishing this bc i really was not a fan
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
