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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional read
Slow start. Took me a while to get into it but once i was i devoured it. A beautiful story that showcases the journey women have had to go through over the years and the bond of sisters.
Slow start. Took me a while to get into it but once i was i devoured it. A beautiful story that showcases the journey women have had to go through over the years and the bond of sisters.
Moms are complicated, sisters are complicated, daughters are complicated, families are complicated ❤️
Life's a bitch and then you die
I hope no one under the age of 25 reads this, because it makes life and adulthood sound bleak. Really really bleak. Like Charles Dickens was a stand-up comic bleak. Have I mentioned it is bleak?
I hope no one under the age of 25 reads this, because it makes life and adulthood sound bleak. Really really bleak. Like Charles Dickens was a stand-up comic bleak. Have I mentioned it is bleak?
Many thanks to Atria for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds.
Man, I love Little Women. Hmm, what’s that? This isn’t Little Women. Well, you could have fooled me. This book read almost exactly like Little Women but not in a bad way. It wasn’t as though this was an exact copy. It was more like Jennifer Weiner took the framework and themes that made Little Women amazing and made it her own. I just love being immersed in someone’s life. It’s so enthralling to watch a character grow and change throughout their life. Who needs children when you have books like this?
➸ Jo - Jo is just your average white girl. She grows up in a middle-class home. Even though she was not at all that unique of a person compared to some of the other characters I’ve read about, I still really enjoyed following her journey. As I mentioned earlier, the author expertly plunges the reader into this family's story. I also really loved seeing Jo explore her sexuality.
➸ Bethie - From a young age, Bethie was always broken. After being sexually abused by her uncle, she develops an undiagnosed eating disorder. It truly broke my heart to see a girl, albeit fictional, hurting so bad. It’s stories like these that are the reason that I am so passionate about mental illness and its treatment. But all hope is not lost. As she gets older, Bethie gets stronger and makes a good life for herself. I loved her character arc. It was so inspiring to see a young woman pick herself up out of the lowest of lows and, step by step, start to get better and stronger.
Family - I think the biggest and most important theme in this whole novel was the idea of family. The idea that we are born with supporters. The moment we cross the vaginal threshold into the world, we already have people waiting to help us. To clean our cuts, wipe our tears and encourage us. Yes, as we get older, we do fight. I have yelled at my parents and them at me more times then I can count. But we always come back. We always forgive each other. Now, I know that certain situations don’t always allow this. Throughout the novel, Bethie and Jo are constantly switching back and forth between being in deep sh*t. One is in trouble and the other picks them up. It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Lifetime - I’ve only read one other book like this one, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna. The basic idea is that, in one book, the reader is shown an entire lifetime. From birth until death. As with Stella Fortuna, it’s always very weird to live an entire life on the page when I’m only a little over 14% done my own. (Assuming I live to 100. Who knows. Maybe a Scythe like future is coming.) But this time, we get to read two lives. Switching POVs between Bethie and Jo made for a very entertaining, quick and superbly captivating novel. On the note of lifetimes, I loved getting the feel of both historical fiction and contemporary. I believe the book started in the 1950s and ended in 2016. It felt as though I was time traveling, different eras and cultures flying past my eyes at breakneck speed. You don’t need to worry about being bored as all of the above-mentioned techniques will keep you glued to your seat not wanting to stop reading even for food or water.
This book also covers a lot of heavy topics. Early in the book, as I mentioned earlier, Bethie is molested by her uncle at a young age which leads to an eating disorder. We also see Jo exploring her sexuality and why she feels differently about boys than other girls her age. As she begins to embrace her feelings, she is looked at differently by her friends and, worst of all, her mother who should be supporting her. I don’t want to share any of the other heavy themes so as to avoid spoilers but damn… this book will hit you right where it hurts the most.
It’s not all bad, though. There were quite a few scenes that legitimately made me giggle out loud. Yes, this book is very heavy but have no fear. It will balance that heaviness with a good dose of humor. This writing style will keep you constantly switching back and forth between laughing, crying and everything else in between.
Overall, this book definitely is not your average historical fiction or chick lit. Whatever you're in the mood for, comedy, historical fiction, or drama, this book will most certainly deliver. Don’t read if you don’t want your heart to be shattered, pieced back together and all over again.
Bottom Line:
4.5 Stars
TW: Rape, Suicide, Racism. Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Death, Sexual Abuse (yeah, there’s a lot)
Characters: 5/5 ~ Plot: 4/5 ~ Cover: 4/5 ~ Audio: 4/5
Genre: Chick Lit/Historical Fiction
Publication Date: June 11th, 2019
Publisher: Atria Books
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As with all of her books, Jennifer Weiner writes a wonderful narrative, this time between 2 sisters. We see all the ups and downs of their life from childhood to their 70’s. I loved every moment of this book and had a hard time putting it down. I will say though that if you have suffered from abuse, there may be scenes that are triggers or difficult to get through.
This book was really quite lovely. The character development and growth was great. I couldn’t stand Bethie for a good part of the book, but by the end of the book, I loved her just as much as Jo.
I absolutely loved this book! Mrs. Everything is definitely one of my top favorite books, if not my favorite book, that I've read so far this year. Mrs. Everything is the first book by Jennifer Weiner that I've ever read, and I definitely want to check out Weiner's other books after reading this book!
My Rating / Score: 5 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads' rating system. 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
My Rating / Score: 5 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads' rating system. 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes