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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sometimes, you read a book and you just know that it was the right book at the right time. That it will give you the gift of a friend telling you their story.
This one came to me from a mystery box Tory with Sower Books put together a long time ago for me. I feel like the book was waiting for me to need a book about friendship, found family, and grief. But not to the same density as “A Little Life”, more like “We’re okay.”
This is my first favorite book of the year. I loved it. A+
“They laughed well together.”
“We all had to come out of the dark to sing.”
“And I wonder what the sound of a heart breaking might be. And I think it might be quiet, imperceptibly so, not dramatic at all.”
“… fate is waiting for me.”
This one came to me from a mystery box Tory with Sower Books put together a long time ago for me. I feel like the book was waiting for me to need a book about friendship, found family, and grief. But not to the same density as “A Little Life”, more like “We’re okay.”
This is my first favorite book of the year. I loved it. A+
“They laughed well together.”
“We all had to come out of the dark to sing.”
“And I wonder what the sound of a heart breaking might be. And I think it might be quiet, imperceptibly so, not dramatic at all.”
“… fate is waiting for me.”
The intro of this book was off putting in my opinion which is why I took me so long to finish it. However, I’d say a couple 20 pages or so in, now this is where things start to flourish and sort of making sense (timeline & characters). It is bittersweet, filled with what-if moments, lives never fully lived, but most of all raw and intense love and loss from all angles. One of the best reads of my life so far.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
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:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
I understand the themes of a sense of home, freedom, love, loneliness, relationships, time, grief, illness, etc. but I actually need to get the build up of the relationship and I feel we didn’t get it. I was really hoping for a detailed development between the boys friendship to whatever the were later and then the connection with Annie, but it was just “this is it.” Maybe my expectations were high and I expected something along the lines of Swimming in the Dark. I can’t make myself raise the rating because even though Michael’s part was more impactful I still didn’t really care about any of them.
I mean, ouch. This book packs a punch. I loved the way it was written—so sadly yet so beautifully.
This is one of those "it's not you, it's me" books. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so loveable but I found it lacking something. Perhaps because there isn't much of a plot and there are no twists or suprises. It kind of feels like a school assignment where I'm supposed to notice metaphors and analyse the characters.
I did like it but didn't love it.
I did like it but didn't love it.
Ellis Judd is a "tin man", a panelbeater. He lost his wife five years ago and he is stuck. The only other person he has ever been close to is his childhood friend Michael, who isn't in his life anymore either (although we're not quite sure why). Over the course of this short book Ellis will find a way to move forwards in his life and we will learn the history of his friendship with Michael.
It's a tender and sad story, but I didn't like it as much as I expected to. Neither of these two significant relationships in Ellis's life really resonated with me. It was reminiscent of a John Boyne novel, but it didn't move me nearly as deeply as his books have.
It's a tender and sad story, but I didn't like it as much as I expected to. Neither of these two significant relationships in Ellis's life really resonated with me. It was reminiscent of a John Boyne novel, but it didn't move me nearly as deeply as his books have.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sarah Winman, once again, writes and beautiful and compelling prose that captures the humanness of her characters. This has definitely inspired me to read all her work
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Death of parent