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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Well, my first read for March set a high bar for those to follow. Karen Winn's Our Little World captured so much of what I remember from the 80s. It was filled with nostalgia that was actually named--from Cabbage Patch dolls to remembering the thrill of Mary Kay (and the pastel eye makeup) to remembering those rules for creating friendship bracelets.
It also captures so much of the conflicting emotions that comes from being a sister, or having a sister. As someone who has five of them, all younger, I really related on many different levels to the relationship between Bree and Audrina. The jealousy, the love, the fights, the forgiveness, it's all there. In fact, it's so much there that I'd say if someone came to earth from outer space and wanted to understand how complicated being a sibling is, this is the book I'd put in their hands.
Highly, highly recommend. If you are at all a fan of contemporary novels that address hard-hitting issues (and also want a good dose of nostalgia dropped in) this is the book for you.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Our Little World takes place in the 80s in New Jersey. When neighbors children grew up together and life was slower. Borka aka Bee and her sister Audrina have an unspeakable bond. I can't believe this is a debut I loved it. Highly recommend for those who love a sisterly bond and how grief changes us and those around us.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Our Little World 🏡
Genre: Fiction
Trope: Coming of Age
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.3.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5
Genre: Fiction
Trope: Coming of Age
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.3.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5
"How had I not realized this by now? The impact of small things. Small-very-big things. Each-in-the-moment decision leading to the next. Like rungs on a ladder."
I've gone back and forth on how to write this review because while I do think that it was a fascinating book, it failed to live up to the expectation/direction that I anticipated the story to go. Maybe that's my fault, I read the synopsis and didn't read many reviews, but I had the impression that there would be more of a mystery to Our Little World. There is some mystery as a child goes missing, and the two Kocsis sisters spend time debating what happened to Sally. But, it was not the focus of the book.
I also struggled with the tedious nature of the book and the dialogue between the sisters. While it is briefly addressed in the book, I had trouble that these girls acted like women and not children. The way they communicated with one another would've led me to believe that they were in their late teens (not in seventh grade). Maybe I'm looking into it too much, but it got under my skin a few times.
Our Little World is a coming-of-age novel involving a tragic event that inevitably shapes the sister's lives. It was a deep look into their lives and the cracks in their family following Sally's disappearance. It was a beautifully written debut, and I will be reading the next book that Winn writes.
⏮ 80's nostalgia
👯♀️ Sister bonds
👧🏼 Missing child
📖 Coming of age (with very little mystery)
🤍 Debut novel
❌ - missing child - I've had several people message me about the graphic nature of Sally's disappearance. While it is unsettling, I never felt like Winn went into a lot of detail about what happened to her. I don't want to give anything away, so DM me, and I'll explain if you're looking for more detailed information.
What's your favorite coming-of-age novel?
______
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping
slow-paced
I loved the mid-1980s setting and the cultural references were so fun. However, this story is slloooooww. While I think the writing was impressive for a debut author, it felt a little too dense for the story and the reading mood I found myself in this month. Many people have loved this one, so it just might not have been for me.
I'm going to sing praises of Karen Winn's debut novel Our Little World all over the book review sites. W-H-Y? Because her writing is raw, emotional, heartfelt and lives up to the hype. Is the book perfect? No, its a tiny bit repetitive, but it is written into the main character's recounting of this deeply emotional story.
Bee Kocsis and her younger sister Audrina, are two typical girls (ages 12 and 11) growing up in the 80's. The sisters have normal sibling rivalry, but love each other dearly. They especially enjoy dreamy Max Baker. (a new neighbor boy Bee's age) and his absolutely adorable little sister Sally. Both their moms switch off carpooling the kids to summer activities until one day when 4-year-old Sally disappears and their lives are forever changed.
Our Little World will be published May 3rd. I really enjoyed the book, but know it may not be suited for everyone. I absolutely can't wait to read more from Karen Winn. She is a great author!
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Warning: This book contains death, diabetes, infidelity, grief, kidnapping, insecurity and mental disorders.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton, for the honor of reviewing this outstanding debut.
Bee Kocsis and her younger sister Audrina, are two typical girls (ages 12 and 11) growing up in the 80's. The sisters have normal sibling rivalry, but love each other dearly. They especially enjoy dreamy Max Baker. (a new neighbor boy Bee's age) and his absolutely adorable little sister Sally. Both their moms switch off carpooling the kids to summer activities until one day when 4-year-old Sally disappears and their lives are forever changed.
Our Little World will be published May 3rd. I really enjoyed the book, but know it may not be suited for everyone. I absolutely can't wait to read more from Karen Winn. She is a great author!
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Warning: This book contains death, diabetes, infidelity, grief, kidnapping, insecurity and mental disorders.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton, for the honor of reviewing this outstanding debut.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group/Dutton for this arc.
In this coming of age novel set in the 80s in New Jersey, we follow the twelve-year-old Bee and the relationship she has with her younger sister, Audrina. At the beginning of the book the narrator tells us that Audrina has died but only at the end we will know what happened to her.
The story explores the relationship the protagonist has with her sister, how their lives were forever changed after the disappearance of their next door neighbor Sally, how their families dealt with this loss and how it was for her, Bee, to grow up without her sister some years later. Secrets, guilty, jealousy, how heavy are the burdens someone carries throughout her life?
The story is well-written and I liked to see the relationship between the sisters and the closure the lasts chapters give to the story. This book makes you think how the individual is shaped by the family and the environment he/she grew up in. I felt for Bee, I tried to understand her actions and feelings, I got attached to her. I believe this is what you are suppose to feel while reading a book, and Our Little World does just that. It is a good debut novel.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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