Reviews with content warning for Infertility - I'll Be You

Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

I'll Be You by Janelle Brown

11 reviews

ajpotz's review against another edition

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4.0

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jkar7's review against another edition

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3.0

It was okay. Nothing life changing. Could be good if you're into twins or cults. Audiobook was decent and I was able to listen at 2.75x speed.

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cemsreadingcorner's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is a story about twin sisters who were actors when they were children. One became an addict and the other joined a cult and kidnapped a baby. Elli, the one who joined a cult, had gotten a divorce. Her husband divorced her because she changed. She joined the cult. She had infertility issues, so, she stole someone else’s child and then went to a “retreat” for two weeks, leaving her parents and twin sister to care for the child.

Crazy story. I felt like the beginning was slow. Not much happened. There were some twists later on in the book. It started getting interesting in the middle. There were some times after that when it was a bit boring. I was nervous for Elli because she was in a cult and I was scared of what they would do if she left or didn’t follow their orders. What I did like about the story was that Elli felt guilty for taking the child.

I liked that she returned the child in the end.

I also liked that Sam cared so much about her sister that she found her and got her out of that cult. I thought that was cool.

Would I recommend this book? It wasn’t that great. It was too slow in the beginning and by the time stuff started happening, I had already lost interest in the story. I almost DNFed it. I didn’t because I wanted to see how the story would end. I was hoping that Elli would leave the cult. I’m satisfied with how it ended, but the story was a bit boring. If this sounds interesting to anyone, then by all means, read the book.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 10:51 AM

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cemsreadingcorner's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a story about twin sisters who were actors when they were children. One became an addict and the other joined a cult and kidnapped a baby. Elli, the one who joined a cult, had gotten a divorce. Her husband divorced her because she changed. She joined the cult. She had infertility issues, so, she stole someone else’s child and then went to a “retreat” for two weeks, leaving her parents and twin sister to care for the child.

Crazy story. The narrators did a phenomenal job. They helped made the story come alive. I enjoyed their performances. Some of the words were pronounced weirdly, but I still enjoyed the performances. Great job! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 10:49 AM

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minimicropup's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.0

Nostalgic, troubling, jaded.

Twin child stars grow up in the spotlight, but they couldn't be more different...or are they? While one turns to chemicals for solace the other turns to people and ideals.
We're following both twins in parts and getting their perspective as they grow up and go their separate ways.
Set in various cities and towns in California, USA.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:

👍 Interesting story, I wanted to know more about the situation both twins found themselves in and discover how they handled it
🤷‍♀️ The ending felt a bit rushed and certain parts of the plot drawn out to the point of feeling stalled (especially for the twin that was more into the Hollywood/fame scene)

Cred Rating: Realistic/Plausible with OTT bits

Mood Reading Match Up:

Twin trope - both the positives and negatives of being a twinner
Character drive narratives
Olsen twin (or similar) growing up in the public spotlight energy
Culty summer vibes

Content Head-Up: Kidnapping. Infertility due to genetic condition. Drug use (intentional). Alcoholism and addiction. Cult (wellness/psychological).

Format: Paperback

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nbreezy17's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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readwithsabs's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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d0505's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

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chaptersofchase's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Thank you, Random House, for the gifted copy of I'll Be You {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 4.26.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"It's so easy for good intentions to get undone by unspoken sentiments; a history of small bumps piling up until you have an insurmountable mountain of issues."

I'll Be You is a darker look into the lives of identical twins who found fame in Hollywood — I got all the Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen vibes from this story. Unfortunately, I think many people will go into this book with the expectation that it's a thriller/mystery, but, in my opinion, it is neither. It falls into the literary fiction category. It's always tricky with books that fall out of the genre they're advertised as being in - I think it impacts the book's overall rating. Do you agree?

A lot of I'll Be You circled around the history of Ellie and Sam. What their childhood was like on set and, at one point, their lives went in different directions, and Sam fell into her addiction. At the heart of the story is two sisters struggling to find their place in the world after being thrust into the spotlight early. Their parents did not help the situation, and I was frequently annoyed with their mother and her "new age" beliefs, costing their daughters their happiness and confidence. I wanted Sam to find her peace and for Ellie to find herself — it had me thinking about the price many young adult stars pay for their 15 minutes of fame.

👯‍♀️ Identical Twins
🎬 Hollywood
⏳ Slower pace
🕵🏽‍♀️ Mysterious Disappearance
✌🏼 Part One & Part Two

❌ - infertility, drug dependency

I recommend you read I'll Be You if you enjoyed reading The Favorite Sister or The Good Sister.

Do you have any siblings? If so, are you all close? I have a brother and a sister — I wish we all lived near one another because I think we'd be a lot closer than we currently are.

______

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