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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Ugh I hated all the characters in this book. I listened to the whole audio book in hopes that something interesting would happen. It didn't.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such an enjoyable read! The family relationships felt so real and gripping; I couldn't put it down.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jennifer Close has perfectly depicted the stress and chaos of returning to live at home as an adult. Written from the perspective of four different women, The Smart One removes readers from the comfort of rooting for a single protagonist and instead shifts constantly between college-going Cleo, the slightly neurotic Martha, over-worrying Weezy, and debt-ridden Claire.
The Smart One attempts to refuse stereotypes of mindless Chick Lit and focuses on more realistic issues than shopping and man-troubles. Their challenges still fall firmly in the ‘First World Problems’ category, but the shift from shopaholics and broken-hearted damsels is a welcome one. The characters, however, seem to lack the ability to think optimistically about anything and I found myself nearly burnt out from their constant complaints through the second part of the novel.
The solid writing and multiple characters with well-developed personalities does make the book an easy read – just don’t expect a fairy-tale or 300 pages of diamond rings and shiny things.
The Smart One attempts to refuse stereotypes of mindless Chick Lit and focuses on more realistic issues than shopping and man-troubles. Their challenges still fall firmly in the ‘First World Problems’ category, but the shift from shopaholics and broken-hearted damsels is a welcome one. The characters, however, seem to lack the ability to think optimistically about anything and I found myself nearly burnt out from their constant complaints through the second part of the novel.
The solid writing and multiple characters with well-developed personalities does make the book an easy read – just don’t expect a fairy-tale or 300 pages of diamond rings and shiny things.
I really enjoyed this book. Likeable, relatable characters who take us through their journey. Enjoyable story of family, love and growing up. Well-written, told from the perspective of the various women. A very good read.
2.5—ugh there was potential here with some quirky character personalities, but as other reviewers have mentioned, there’s no plot line so it just draaaaaaaags
It's not often that I want to hug a book as much as I want to hug this one. Jennifer Close's writing is at times acerbic, at times so vulnerable, always full of the tang of originality and intelligence that isn't sparked so often by typical chick lit storylines -- of which there are a few here. No character's strife doesn't feel real, even if the characters themselves are ones we've seen before.
A humbling confession: the parts about Cleo and the Coffey family's ancient dog made me cry.
A humbling confession: the parts about Cleo and the Coffey family's ancient dog made me cry.
This is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars for me, but I'm rating it on the lower end because although it did keep my attention, I thought the ending was too tidy and a bit unrealistic ... almost too happy for real life, considering the characters had significant problems to face. The fact that they somehow resolved them in a year was not believable.
Meh. I read Jennifer Close's first book, Girls in White Dresses, and totally loved it. The Smart One was a disappointment for sure.