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tiggerser's review against another edition
3.0
Such a young vibrant life cut short. So talented a writer and such an old soul. Although her non-fiction I found a bit bizarre, I'm glad I read it as it does encapsulate the selfish yet altruistic ambitions of a youth.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the fiction pieces. some of the essays I liked. nothing would be under 4 stars in this collection
laureltree13's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up after having heard so many people talk about how great an essay TOL was. People, including the great Oprah- I mean, when that girl talks I listen! So, I snatched it off the shelf, headed for the cash, and began reading it in the way home.
Now, the problem with hyped-up books is that we subconsciously set a bar so unattainably high that most reads don't meet these ridiculous expectations we've set. It's sad really, but it happens. (A lot more than I'd like)
I wanted to love this book, to have become enthralled and inspired by Marina like so many others had. She was seemingly wise beyond her years; her tragic death at twenty-two punctuating her mention of being so young and having a lifetime ahead of her. If anything, I should have found common ground being we're the same age.
Yes, it's a sad story- her biography showing how much promise she had, her spunk and optimism, But I wasn't INSPIRED or ENTHRALLED. If anything, what I got from this book was a reminder of how short life can be, an affirmation to live life to the fullest. Because we can never know what tomorrow will bring.
"We're so young. We're so YOUNG. We're twenty two years old. We have so much time."
A mere three pages made up her TOL essay, the other 204 were dedicated to her short-story fiction and non-fiction essays, which I forced myself to read for the sake of counting it in this year's Goodreads Reading Challenge.
She had definite potential as a writer- and undoubtedly a great future ahead of her being a Yale graduate with a job lined up for her at the New Yorker- but her stories seemed to reiterate the same things as the last, they lacked the fundamentals that made an okay story great. Again, she had potential.
But for me, it just wasn't enough.
You let me down, Oprah.
Now, the problem with hyped-up books is that we subconsciously set a bar so unattainably high that most reads don't meet these ridiculous expectations we've set. It's sad really, but it happens. (A lot more than I'd like)
I wanted to love this book, to have become enthralled and inspired by Marina like so many others had. She was seemingly wise beyond her years; her tragic death at twenty-two punctuating her mention of being so young and having a lifetime ahead of her. If anything, I should have found common ground being we're the same age.
Yes, it's a sad story- her biography showing how much promise she had, her spunk and optimism, But I wasn't INSPIRED or ENTHRALLED. If anything, what I got from this book was a reminder of how short life can be, an affirmation to live life to the fullest. Because we can never know what tomorrow will bring.
"We're so young. We're so YOUNG. We're twenty two years old. We have so much time."
A mere three pages made up her TOL essay, the other 204 were dedicated to her short-story fiction and non-fiction essays, which I forced myself to read for the sake of counting it in this year's Goodreads Reading Challenge.
She had definite potential as a writer- and undoubtedly a great future ahead of her being a Yale graduate with a job lined up for her at the New Yorker- but her stories seemed to reiterate the same things as the last, they lacked the fundamentals that made an okay story great. Again, she had potential.
But for me, it just wasn't enough.
You let me down, Oprah.
stefaniejane's review against another edition
3.0
I read through this pretty quickly. Enjoyed most of the short fiction, skipped a few I thought were blah. Marina definitely had talent. I enjoyed the voice coming from the work and the potential is almost tangible (does that make sense? Idk).
readwithchlo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
moi_stephanie's review against another edition
4.0
I must confess this is my first time reading essays for actual fun. Up until now it essays were a school-only thing, but I'm glad I read this book, by recommendation of my sister.
Marina is the voice of many young people finding themselves submerged in the "adult world" without really being prepared. Her words sounded as if a friend were speaking to me over coffee.
Marina is the voice of many young people finding themselves submerged in the "adult world" without really being prepared. Her words sounded as if a friend were speaking to me over coffee.
radikaliseradgroda's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure if this is a 3.5 or a 4, it's very hard to rate a book with such a tragedy attached to it. What I do know is that I enjoyed it, and as someone in the same age bracket, it hit home in places I was not expecting. This book encourages hope, and motivation, but it also has some points and stories that are just utterly hopeless, and that variation made each story hit harder. It's a shame that Keegan didn't get more time.
christiana's review against another edition
3.0
Keegan's writing is so unique but also reads so young. I'm so sad that I can't see what her writing will be like when she's in her 30s and 40s. I'm really curious with how a teen would relate to Keegan's writing. The Celiac story kills me.