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medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the first book. The ending of The Rosie Project was rushed, but on par for a rom-com. This sequel falls into the worst tropes of rom-coms, including "it would all be fixed if they just talked to each other like rational adults" and even "racing to the airport to convince her to stay." Worst of all, Rosie didn't even seem like a character in this book, just a plot device for dramatic effect.
I loved [book:The Rosie Project|16181775]. I also loved the first part of this book, when Rosie announces she's pregnant and Don has to come to terms (and research the shit out of) the concept of being a father. Actually...I really liked most of the book. Rosie lost her mind, which is possibly understandable, but...
Okay, that being aside, this book is not as good as the first book. Mainly because the Rosie Project plays into Rom Com conventions so well, that coming into a book where the characters are already married is a different beast entirely, but it seemed like the author wanted to treat it as the same.
Spoiler
Enough to leave Don? Without confronting him with her issues? How the heck did they last for a year of marriage before this happened and what's to prevent it from happening again? Honestly, it was so ridiculous that at some point, I just skipped to the end as I knew they would inevitably reconcile (or Rosie would realize that she had temporarily forgotten who she had married). Without this whole section that I skipped, it could have easily been 4 stars.Okay, that being aside, this book is not as good as the first book. Mainly because the Rosie Project plays into Rom Com conventions so well, that coming into a book where the characters are already married is a different beast entirely, but it seemed like the author wanted to treat it as the same.
Ohhhh mannnn. This book, just like the first, is extremely clever, humorous in ways I wouldn’t expect, and leaves the readers thinking twice about so many of the the things we’ve grown to know and accept about society/social interactions. Through Don’s growth as an empathizing, aware, and socially appropriate (his words, not mine) human, I was struck once again by how interesting it is that we take social implications and run with them… hardly without question. Through Don’s many ironic stumbles and honest misinterpretations, it allows me to challenge the social cues, standards, and assumptions we all make and participate in on a daily basis.
All of this, which as I’m typing seems so profound but really isn’t, is portrayed to the reader through dry yet heartwarming situations. It’s a great read if you want a little bit of love, humor, and surprises. I only rated it lower than 4 stars because after a little while, it seemed to be stretching out longer than I would’ve thought it needed to, and because some of the situations were not tied up as neatly as I would’ve liked given how much emphasis were put on them. I also feel like we get so little of Rosie, and I wish there were more!
Otherwise, this book and it’s predecessor are very unique and a good change in genre for me at the moment!
All of this, which as I’m typing seems so profound but really isn’t, is portrayed to the reader through dry yet heartwarming situations. It’s a great read if you want a little bit of love, humor, and surprises. I only rated it lower than 4 stars because after a little while, it seemed to be stretching out longer than I would’ve thought it needed to, and because some of the situations were not tied up as neatly as I would’ve liked given how much emphasis were put on them. I also feel like we get so little of Rosie, and I wish there were more!
Otherwise, this book and it’s predecessor are very unique and a good change in genre for me at the moment!
Funny and emotional. Don Tillman is a character for the ages.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't laugh out loud as many times as I did with The Rosie Project but it was still a lovely, funny, enjoyable read. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, the same one who did the previous book, was extremely good.
I enjoyed The Rosie Project a lot; for me, it wasn't the mind-blowing classic that some people made it out to be, but it was laugh-out-loud funny for a lot of it, and the character was very charming. I liked it enough that I picked up the sequel, which also has a lot of very funny moments. However, in this sequel — wherein Rosie becomes pregnant, and now Don must navigate the difficult world of impending fatherhood, which is difficult for any man, much moreso one with Asperger's — the story goes on a little too long, the obstacles border on farce, and I didn't think it worked well as a sequel. One thing that especially grated at me was the author's assumption that no person would pick up this book without first having read his bestseller. So he launches right in to this story, with references to the first book constantly — but no context for anyone who hasn't read it, or, like me, who read it a while ago and might have forgotten some of the details. Even JK Rowling constantly referred back to the other books in the Harry Potter series but contextualized every single reference as if attempting to make each book stand alone.
In the end, I thought Rosie's reactions became too rash, Don's problems moved beyond charming and into an annoying territory, and while we were supposed to be on his side throughout, there were times I was thinking, Nope, this just isn't going to work out. I know the author spent years on the first book, and when it became a bestseller he churned out the second one quickly, so here's hoping that if there's a third book to the series — and I would imagine that despite everything I've said here, Simsion could do a great job exploring the results of what happens at the end of the book — that he's allowed to take his time with it and craft a book as charming and quirky as the first one was.
In the end, I thought Rosie's reactions became too rash, Don's problems moved beyond charming and into an annoying territory, and while we were supposed to be on his side throughout, there were times I was thinking, Nope, this just isn't going to work out. I know the author spent years on the first book, and when it became a bestseller he churned out the second one quickly, so here's hoping that if there's a third book to the series — and I would imagine that despite everything I've said here, Simsion could do a great job exploring the results of what happens at the end of the book — that he's allowed to take his time with it and craft a book as charming and quirky as the first one was.
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes