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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
DNF @ 28%. I was excited for this one because of the structure of the story with each chapter showcasing the same day a year later and the sibling loss aspect, plus I really liked this idea of grief just becoming more familiar, even if the characters were “I know how you feel”-ing each other:
“‘Do you think it gets any easier?’ I ask him.
He looks at me for a moment, and then his eyes stray back up the path towards the graves for the briefest of moments. When he looks at me again, his face is solemn. ‘No. No, I don’t think it does.’ His brow furrows. ‘But it might get…more familiar? Like…you can learn to live with it? You can learn to cope.’
The tears are in my eyes again. ’That would be…nice,’ I tell him.
I don’t think I could have handled it if he said he thought it does get easier, because I know it won’t.
But familiar?
Yes, I can believe that.
I can cope with that.
But even though it showed promise, I was instantly put off by the fatphobia. The background is that she works as a hair stylist and is helping out a co-worker’s client who has chosen Taylor Swift as her hair inspiration:
“We get a lot of people in who want to look like a celebrity. And Taylor is a popular one, for that ever so cute long bob with the swept fringe.
But Taylor is also stick thin. This woman is…um…unfortunately not.
Stacey’s actually done a relatively good job of trying to recreate Miss Swift’s hairstyle on this person, but the considerable size difference between them is a mountain that’s quite impossible to climb, I’m afraid.”
And then:
“When she gets up and leaves, both I and the chair she’s been sitting on breathe a sigh of relief.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
No
Nick Spalding never fails to make me smile and laugh with his characters. I loved following along as Alice and Ben become friends while mourning the loss of someone close to them. Not sure you’d think it was funny based on the premise, but again Spalding’s ability to make characters human and lovable for themselves works its magic!
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
emotional
fast-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No