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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Pros: This idea of a novel constructed from random warnings and reflections scribbled on ephemeral by an elderly lady with a fast-approaching deadline is so intriguing. I love the puzzle of it all, I love strong old woman characters. Bina is spirited, determined, haunted, and seemingly quite confused at times.
Cons: I felt that the narrative was often circular, repetitive, unclear. There is little grounding in the setting or in the characters.The ending is unsatisfactory, not just because no plot questions are answered but also because Bina has no internal resolution.
That said, all of these factors do make the novel more realistic in its format - Bina herself is circling through the same events, trying to make sense of it all while struggling with memory issues; and if Bina was arrested in the end, she would not have continued her warnings. So ultimately I do appreciate the creativity and dedication to the format and conceptualization of this novel.
Cons: I felt that the narrative was often circular, repetitive, unclear. There is little grounding in the setting or in the characters.
That said, all of these factors do make the novel more realistic in its format - Bina herself is circling through the same events, trying to make sense of it all while struggling with memory issues; and if Bina was arrested in the end, she would not have continued her warnings.
This book felt poetic at times, but mostly it was the inner thoughts of a emotionally bereft woman. The author told the story in a series of "musings" that the character would put to paper while in her bed in her house, afraid and regretful for letting her life be ruled by a man for whom she did a kind service. The woman was intent on "warning" the reader throughout the book of all the things she felt she had been naive about. Great love, regret, kindness, and feelings of isolation - all human connections.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The beginning of this book was incredibly funny. As the story started to flow, I found it engaging but quite repetitive. The story touches on dark and important themes but I felt that it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. However, I enjoyed the cranky narrative voice and the stream of consciousness style of writing. Overall, I felt that it was a creative effort that could have been half the length. Almost four out of five stars but not quite.
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Atypical writing style, but it works really well to slowly reveal the conflict. Not suitable for picking up and putting down over weeks but good to read in stretches. Bina's distress and grief over Phil commands a lot of sympathy. I felt so sad for her. You can't blame her for taking Eddie in or letting herself be trained by the Tall Man. (is it a coincidence that Tallman is also a reference to labelling protocol in pharmaceuticals?) The stream of consciousness style is great, but I am unsure of the purpose of the sporadic third person narrator. To ground the story? Stop it from flying away? Reassure the reader that someone else is also watching Bina and knows her? Is it the Tall Man? The Crusties help the reader, let's us know Bina does have people supporting her even if she feels utterly alone and helpless.
I love when a mystery is allowed to unfold naturally and it doesn't feel like I'm being smacked over the head with answers, and this book leads you to the conclusions without saying anything too directly. There were definitely slower moments when it felt like I was spending more time trying to figure out what was going on than enjoying the writing. There did also feel like there were some plot points that could have been fleshed out more, not in a "I need answers about what happened to them" way, but in a "I wish I knew more about this character's story" way.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character