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agnesbebon's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Cancer, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Rape, Car accident, Chronic illness, Vomit, Bullying, Grief, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
feebles640's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Cancer, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Vomit, Blood, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Violence
caseys_chapters's review
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Checking off a memorable book 2 of the 13 #BookerPrize Longlist titles, Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer. Thank you @scribnerbooks for the gifted copy!
The story follows Lia, a woman living with cancer, and was inspired by the author’s mother. It shows a mix of Lia’s present life and flashbacks to her teenage years.
Some parts are told from the POV of illness, a powerful choice I’ve never seen before. Many lines in this book made me pause and think about our relationships with our bodies and death.
Mortimer also uses an unconventional narrative style. At times it is more like poetry than prose. Plus there’s creative visual formatting, like transforming the text into shapes.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was that it felt scattered and hard to follow. I simultaneously applaud the experimentation and wish it were just slightly scaled back to help the flow. But whenever I was in the groove of the story, I was wholly invested.
You should know before going in that there’s a lot of heavy content including cancer, alcoholism, and abuse.
I can imagine mixed reviews for this one. Very curious to see if it will make @thebookerprizes shortlist!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Addiction
rowanhill's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This stunning poetic novel is an intimate exploration of mind, body, and experience in both their literal and symbolic manifestations. As main character Lia and her family struggle with a recurrence of breast cancer, the reader is taken on a journey through all of the pieces, past and present, that have shaped Lia both physically and personally. The experiment with prose and linguistic form throughout the book helps capture the entire human experience in a way that is hard to express in a short review like this. However, I also think that the non-traditional form can be divisive for readers who are expecting a more straightforward narrative. In short, this is a book that you “experience” rather than “read” and being able to resonate with the journey will be the difference between loving and disliking this novel.
Despite her turbulent past, children’s book author and illustrator Lia has finally found stability and happiness with her husband Harry and daughter Iris. However, this small slice of peace and happiness is once again thrown into turmoil when Lia finds out her cancer has returned. As Lia’s body is torn apart by both treatment and disease, the pieces of her past that have shaped her present are uncovered and reframed in both body and mind. Meanwhile, Harry and Iris must navigate their own challenges and the reality of life moving forward despite this sudden shift in their lives.
I received this novel through a giveaway and was completely blown away! I expected a heartfelt novel about a person’s struggle with cancer and how it affects their family; but I got so much more. Though cancer plays a big role, this book is truly an honest and intimate reflection on the many ways our experiences shape our bodies, minds, and relationships. Despite its poetic form, the book does not hit you over the head with lofty ideas but elegantly builds understanding through each character’s personal journey. The depth and complexity of human experience that this story is able to capture is remarkable and truly sets it apart.
I personally gave this book 5 stars, but there are still some elements that I think make this a book you will either love or simply not resonate with. Though not strictly a ‘novel in verse’, Mortimer tells this story through a variety of poetic forms and frequently utilizes non-traditional formatting. As such, the storytelling is not as straightforward as some readers prefer. The writing also has a ‘wandering’ feel and tends to shift perspective and time without warning. Though I personally liked the artistic effect of it, I can also see some readers feeling lost and/or confused. Additionally, this novel is slow moving and on the slightly longer side which could lead to some fatigue with the writing.
Ultimately, I think this book is best suited to readers who are willing to set aside expectations and go with the flow; let the experience unfold. One thing I can say for certain is that I would not try the audiobook on its own. Mortimer frequently creates visuals with her formatting that add to the overall experience of the story. I feel that a lot of the true art that sets this story apart simply won’t be captured in a purely auditory experience.
Despite her turbulent past, children’s book author and illustrator Lia has finally found stability and happiness with her husband Harry and daughter Iris. However, this small slice of peace and happiness is once again thrown into turmoil when Lia finds out her cancer has returned. As Lia’s body is torn apart by both treatment and disease, the pieces of her past that have shaped her present are uncovered and reframed in both body and mind. Meanwhile, Harry and Iris must navigate their own challenges and the reality of life moving forward despite this sudden shift in their lives.
I received this novel through a giveaway and was completely blown away! I expected a heartfelt novel about a person’s struggle with cancer and how it affects their family; but I got so much more. Though cancer plays a big role, this book is truly an honest and intimate reflection on the many ways our experiences shape our bodies, minds, and relationships. Despite its poetic form, the book does not hit you over the head with lofty ideas but elegantly builds understanding through each character’s personal journey. The depth and complexity of human experience that this story is able to capture is remarkable and truly sets it apart.
I personally gave this book 5 stars, but there are still some elements that I think make this a book you will either love or simply not resonate with. Though not strictly a ‘novel in verse’, Mortimer tells this story through a variety of poetic forms and frequently utilizes non-traditional formatting. As such, the storytelling is not as straightforward as some readers prefer. The writing also has a ‘wandering’ feel and tends to shift perspective and time without warning. Though I personally liked the artistic effect of it, I can also see some readers feeling lost and/or confused. Additionally, this novel is slow moving and on the slightly longer side which could lead to some fatigue with the writing.
Ultimately, I think this book is best suited to readers who are willing to set aside expectations and go with the flow; let the experience unfold. One thing I can say for certain is that I would not try the audiobook on its own. Mortimer frequently creates visuals with her formatting that add to the overall experience of the story. I feel that a lot of the true art that sets this story apart simply won’t be captured in a purely auditory experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Addiction, Self harm, Car accident, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Physical abuse
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