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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I enjoyed this so much it made me rethink giving five stars to other recent reads
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has been sitting on my TBR list for years, so I was glad when it was picked by my book club giving me the push I needed to finally read it.
This story, set in what is considered an ideal community in the 90s, follows multiple characters in two different families who are total opposites and who have very different views on issues in the world.
As much as I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t. I found it interesting enough to want to keep reading but felt that the story was all over the place and didn’t flow easily together. I felt that parts were also overly drawn out and could have been shorter overall.
This story, set in what is considered an ideal community in the 90s, follows multiple characters in two different families who are total opposites and who have very different views on issues in the world.
As much as I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t. I found it interesting enough to want to keep reading but felt that the story was all over the place and didn’t flow easily together. I felt that parts were also overly drawn out and could have been shorter overall.
What a brilliant, painful, beautiful book... I was a little wobbly getting started because the opening felt eerily familiar to parts of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, but the story unfolded as naturally and unexpectedly as one of Mia's pieces of art.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can understand why this was made into a tv series. There are many layers to all the characters. She delves into the relationships between mothers and daughters deeply. There are other parent child dynamics at play here too, but the mother/daughter bond is most powerful.
As a white, upper middle class woman who has built herself a pretty comfortable life in the suburbs, some of the descriptions were uncomfortable. But, also - she wasn’t wrong about much of the insecurity, anxiety, and idealism that lies under so much in the suburbs.
As a white, upper middle class woman who has built herself a pretty comfortable life in the suburbs, some of the descriptions were uncomfortable. But, also - she wasn’t wrong about much of the insecurity, anxiety, and idealism that lies under so much in the suburbs.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a layered story that touches on many themes, and I feel I’ll need to revisit it to fully grasp all the nuances Celeste Ng weaves in. The plot unfolds slowly, giving each character space to take the stage. At times it feels like a play of light and shadow, with certain traits emerging only in contrast to others. At its heart are four mothers, their daughters, and the different ways they each try—imperfectly but earnestly—to do what they believe is best. If, like me, you picked this up after watching the show, you might find the book less elaborate. Still, I found it an engaging and worthwhile read.