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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
Our Little World is a exceptional portrayal of adolescence in a small town after a new family moves in and their youngest child goes missing during a summer day at the local lake, setting off the catalyst for how their little world in Hammend shifts and evolves from that day onward, and follows through on that premise to the shocking conclusion to the story.
This one has it all: a slowly-burning mystery unfolding, the nostalgia trip of the 1980s, kids running around and discovering parts of who they are and who they want to be, and a truthful and ever-resonant depiction of cold cases that eventually get solved through DNA sequencing decades later.
But what I *loved* about this novel is that there were no pretensions for why the characters acted the way that they did and there was no glossing over some of the confusing, complex aspects of adolescence. The parts of childhood and young adulthood melting into each other to create a very messy portrait of how you think and feel around that time, and Karen Winn did such a fantastic job making each character understandable, relatable, and earthy, as though they are all real, multifaceted people. They each could step off the page into the real world. Their traumas feel real, and their worries and troubles are just as weighty to them, and to the reader.
Bee is a flawed protagonist whose moral compass is trying to point north, but doesn't always out of confusion and grudges she holds onto for too long. Audrina seems to be the one person we all know is perfect, but is revealed to have a deep well of sensitivity and insecurity within her. And Max is truthfully and vividly written to be a changed and wounded kid handling the mantel of responsibility after his sister, Sally, goes missing.
Another plot thread I really loved was that in a book about adolescent children, that they spent a lot of time contemplating their parents and their parents' marriages and their relationships with their siblings. All of the sibling and parental relationships are realistic and nuanced.
One part that I did not enjoy about the novel was that several times a future event was alluded to too early for it to be a surprise, and too early so that the worry and anxiety would diminish by the time I got to the death. And my second problem I had with this is that at the end of the book, the timeline gets sped through too quickly, same as when the fate of someone is revealed too early, which eliminated some of the mystery central to the story. By the last fifty pages or so, Bee glosses over several more years of reverberations within this small town community and within Bee's own family after a significant loss, speeding ahead to the point where Bee is married and has two daughters of her own. Admittedly, the final revelation shocked me and the letter made me cry, but it was a shame to not spend a *little* more time with Bee in Hammend.
Overall, this was a rich, encapsulating novel made all the more masterful by the knowledge it is the author's debut. I cannot wait to read more by Karen Winn.
Thanks to Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one has it all: a slowly-burning mystery unfolding, the nostalgia trip of the 1980s, kids running around and discovering parts of who they are and who they want to be, and a truthful and ever-resonant depiction of cold cases that eventually get solved through DNA sequencing decades later.
But what I *loved* about this novel is that there were no pretensions for why the characters acted the way that they did and there was no glossing over some of the confusing, complex aspects of adolescence. The parts of childhood and young adulthood melting into each other to create a very messy portrait of how you think and feel around that time, and Karen Winn did such a fantastic job making each character understandable, relatable, and earthy, as though they are all real, multifaceted people. They each could step off the page into the real world. Their traumas feel real, and their worries and troubles are just as weighty to them, and to the reader.
Bee is a flawed protagonist whose moral compass is trying to point north, but doesn't always out of confusion and grudges she holds onto for too long. Audrina seems to be the one person we all know is perfect, but is revealed to have a deep well of sensitivity and insecurity within her. And Max is truthfully and vividly written to be a changed and wounded kid handling the mantel of responsibility after his sister, Sally, goes missing.
Another plot thread I really loved was that in a book about adolescent children, that they spent a lot of time contemplating their parents and their parents' marriages and their relationships with their siblings. All of the sibling and parental relationships are realistic and nuanced.
One part that I did not enjoy about the novel was that several times a future event was alluded to too early for it to be a surprise, and too early so that the worry and anxiety would diminish by the time I got to the death. And my second problem I had with this is that at the end of the book, the timeline gets sped through too quickly, same as when the fate of someone is revealed too early, which eliminated some of the mystery central to the story. By the last fifty pages or so, Bee glosses over several more years of reverberations within this small town community and within Bee's own family after a significant loss, speeding ahead to the point where Bee is married and has two daughters of her own. Admittedly, the final revelation shocked me and the letter made me cry, but it was a shame to not spend a *little* more time with Bee in Hammend.
Overall, this was a rich, encapsulating novel made all the more masterful by the knowledge it is the author's debut. I cannot wait to read more by Karen Winn.
Thanks to Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief
tense
slow-paced
This was a solid read that touches on themes of grief, coming-of-age, sisterhood, and family. I found that I was pleasantly surprised upon finishing it, as Winn does an excellent job of tying up all loose ends in the final chapter and epilogue. This is definitely one of those books where you are left completely satisfied. The general tone of this book is melancholy, as it deals with grief; however, there are moments that are lighter (e.g., the sister dynamics between Bee and Audrina) that give some relief. Although I don't have a sister, I bet that this book would resonate with other women who do.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I honestly don't even really know where to start with Our Little World by Karen Winn. This is a debut novel, and I didn't think that showed at all because it was just so good and flowed so well. There is a tiny bit of mystery to it thanks to Sally going missing, but since you are seeing all of this through the eyes of a young girl, it really isn't about that mystery being solved. There was a strong focus on Bee and her sister's relationship, and Winn also really brought to life what it is like to live in a small community where everyone knows everyone's business, or at the very least the rumors. I was glad that even though Bee is our only viewpoint and so young, this didn't really feel like a juvenile read to me. I honestly would have placed it in the adult fiction genre if I didn't know any better, and I loved that.
Part of the adult feel of this book could also have been because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Jesse Vilinsky is clearly an adult, so I was technically listening to Bee through an adult's narration. Either way, I thought that Vilinsky did a stellar job voicing this book, and there wasn't a moment I didn't enjoy with her 'behind the wheel' so to speak. There are some really messed-up things that happen in Our Little World, and I almost want to categorize it as a bit of a family saga/drama. It is definitely a coming-of-age novel as both Hilderbrand's blurb and the synopsis suggest, and it gave me so many complex feelings and emotions as I was listening to it. The pacing is slow to be sure, but I never found myself bored or wishing for more which I thought was a great sign. If you are at all interested in books like this, I highly recommend picking up Our Little World and preparing yourself for an emotional roller coaster.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Part of the adult feel of this book could also have been because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Jesse Vilinsky is clearly an adult, so I was technically listening to Bee through an adult's narration. Either way, I thought that Vilinsky did a stellar job voicing this book, and there wasn't a moment I didn't enjoy with her 'behind the wheel' so to speak. There are some really messed-up things that happen in Our Little World, and I almost want to categorize it as a bit of a family saga/drama. It is definitely a coming-of-age novel as both Hilderbrand's blurb and the synopsis suggest, and it gave me so many complex feelings and emotions as I was listening to it. The pacing is slow to be sure, but I never found myself bored or wishing for more which I thought was a great sign. If you are at all interested in books like this, I highly recommend picking up Our Little World and preparing yourself for an emotional roller coaster.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
This.is a story about sisters, families & small neighborhoods. I grew up in a small neighborhood like the one where Audrina & Bee lived. There were groups of kids riding bikes or playing ball in their yards. Everyone knew everyone. I also have sisters but mine were older by over a decade. So what I'm saying is this book had places that felt like memories.
Bee is the older of the two but in some ways feels less than Audrina. Audrina is prettier & more popular. One year they get new across the street neighbors. They have 2 children also, Max who is Bee's age & his little 4 year old sister, Sally. Bee thinks Max is kind of cute. During the summer the two families take turns taking the kids to the local lake to swim. During one of these trips, Sally disappears. Over the next year the relationship between Bee and her sister has its ups and downs. Then Audrina is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.. Then Sally's remains are found.
The story takes you from a kid's point of view while dealing with sisterly jealousy, a missing child, trying to figure out the adults around you to dealing with death. It describes your memories as a house you add bricks to as a child or how certain memories are slow motion during the event but afterwards feels different when you remember that event. How certain things that happened in childhood dictate other things in adulthood.
Towards the end of the book, Bee the narrator, is an adult, married with two daughters and describes how that time period of her childhood still affects her. She wasn't sure she even wanted children, much less daughters but actively tries to do some things differently. She is openly affectionate which her parents were not. She also has never been happy that Sally's murder hadn't been solved. (There author doesn't leave us hanging-its solved in the epilogue).
The more I think about this book the more I'm sure its going to stay with me for awhile--in a good way.
Bee is the older of the two but in some ways feels less than Audrina. Audrina is prettier & more popular. One year they get new across the street neighbors. They have 2 children also, Max who is Bee's age & his little 4 year old sister, Sally. Bee thinks Max is kind of cute. During the summer the two families take turns taking the kids to the local lake to swim. During one of these trips, Sally disappears. Over the next year the relationship between Bee and her sister has its ups and downs. Then Audrina is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.. Then Sally's remains are found.
The story takes you from a kid's point of view while dealing with sisterly jealousy, a missing child, trying to figure out the adults around you to dealing with death. It describes your memories as a house you add bricks to as a child or how certain memories are slow motion during the event but afterwards feels different when you remember that event. How certain things that happened in childhood dictate other things in adulthood.
Towards the end of the book, Bee the narrator, is an adult, married with two daughters and describes how that time period of her childhood still affects her. She wasn't sure she even wanted children, much less daughters but actively tries to do some things differently. She is openly affectionate which her parents were not. She also has never been happy that Sally's murder hadn't been solved. (There author doesn't leave us hanging-its solved in the epilogue).
The more I think about this book the more I'm sure its going to stay with me for awhile--in a good way.