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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a lover of Three's Company I was already sold on this one. This is of the "depressed girl has a nervous breakdown" verity of book. A genre I like a lot. The premise for the book also felt like a writing prompt, which honestly, I kinda love. It is just the kind of corny obtuse idea for a book that could match the corny feeling of Three's Company.
The only thing that brought it down for me was how trope-ey it felt at times. If I had a nickle every time an animal died in one of these books to represent the mental illness and non maternal instinct of the main character I could probably buy a nice book with it. I also would have liked more attention taken to the Three's Company life or maybe reconciliation on her past than having a quasi-romance shoved in there. I didn't think there needed to be one.
Anyway I thought it was a colorful and fantastical idea and honestly, I wouldn't mind playing Three's Company now. I get how it is a comfort show after all, most of those 70s sitcoms are.
The only thing that brought it down for me was how trope-ey it felt at times. If I had a nickle every time an animal died in one of these books to represent the mental illness and non maternal instinct of the main character I could probably buy a nice book with it. I also would have liked more attention taken to the Three's Company life or maybe reconciliation on her past than having a quasi-romance shoved in there. I didn't think there needed to be one.
Anyway I thought it was a colorful and fantastical idea and honestly, I wouldn't mind playing Three's Company now. I get how it is a comfort show after all, most of those 70s sitcoms are.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good book, just didn't personally connect with me in any super meaningful way. I love the unreliable narrator aspect and with the revelation that she's describing all of this from a mental hospital years later with a foggy memory you can look back and reconsider how real some elements of the plot may have been. I like the examination of trauma and disassociation and found it to be a good read. I will say that I don't believe it was comedic in any way, not a complaint but reading the initial summary you could get the idea that it would be funny out of sheer absurdity, but this isn't really the case, it's very sad. Not a problem just something to keep in mind.
I think the most upsetting part of the book for me was the neglect of the pet dog but I feel like that's a part you can skip without consequence if it upsets you so I would just recommend doing that.
I think the most upsetting part of the book for me was the neglect of the pet dog but I feel like that's a part you can skip without consequence if it upsets you so I would just recommend doing that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Alcohol
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 50-60% was really compelling with some really relatable sentiments and lovely writing. It's a tough book, with unresolved trauma and the unhealthiest of coping mechanisms, but for me, the second half turned into a bit of a mess. I was left confused and skeptical, and only have one highlight in the back half of the book, compared to 30+ in the first half.
Second half felt like a scramble to have something happen, where I was enjoying the quiet meditative-ness of planning and execution of her vision. I think the timeline could have been managed better, and I would have preferred a vaguer ending, or maybe just a different vague ending.
Second half felt like a scramble to have something happen, where I was enjoying the quiet meditative-ness of planning and execution of her vision. I think the timeline could have been managed better, and I would have preferred a vaguer ending, or maybe just a different vague ending.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bonnie is disgusted by displays of grief and vulnerability her mothers’ after her dad dies, Krystal’s grief after her parents are murdered. She doesn’t know how to go about living life with this hanging over her-it’s too big to process, so she tucks it away and takes the idea of a comfort show to an extreme.
I really loved about 80% of this. The ending didn’t land perfectly for me, but I’m willing to forgive this since I loved the rest of it so much. This book is unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
I really loved about 80% of this. The ending didn’t land perfectly for me, but I’m willing to forgive this since I loved the rest of it so much. This book is unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just the world’s worst coping mechanism fleshed out over years of her life. Sooo bizarre in the best way and I loved the way she was just baaarely self aware but never enough to be helpful. The end was not as good as the bulk of the middle but I enjoyed and would recommend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Gun violence, Rape
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i related to so much of this book, which is weird considering its premise
the author is just so amazing. i love love love the writing style
not once did i get bored, even through all the many details
4.75
the author is just so amazing. i love love love the writing style
not once did i get bored, even through all the many details
4.75
A sus treinta y tantos, Bonnie Lincoln gana la lotería y decide aislarse en una montaña alejada de todo, en una recreación del set de su sitcom setentera favorita, «Three's Company», donde se turnará para vivir como cada uno de los personajes durante el transcurso de varios años.
Valiéndose de esta peculiar y surrealista premisa, Hutson toca temas de trauma y duelo de forma hipnótica y convincente. En su primera mitad la narración se enfoca por un lado en detallarnos los planes de Bonnie después de ganar el dinero y haber iniciado la construcción de su sueño televisivo; y por el otro en contarnos acerca de su pasado, en especial sobre el vínculo afectivo que la unía a los padres de su mejor amiga (y dueños del pequeño supermercado en el que trabajaba) al estos haberla arropado tras quedarse huérfana en sus veintes. Así vamos cayendo en la cuenta de los altos niveles de trauma que viene arrastrando (en serio, fue mucho más trauma del que esperaba) y la forma en la que en «Three's Company» halla un consuelo salvador, pero también destructivo. Una manera de evadir la realidad, o de no sentirse insoportablemente amenazada por ella.
En ciertos momentos encontré el relato un poco desarticulado, sobre todo a partir del punto en el que ya solo seguimos a Bonnie viviendo de lleno en su imaginación material, pero en general me pareció un debut interesante por la crudeza de la que no rehúye al abordar el duelo de los personajes (en plural porque no solo es Bonnie quien sufre por la pérdida y el evento traumático que desata todo) y la apatía de su protagonista. Y también por cómo lleva el concepto de "comfort show" a extremos llenos de delirio, absurdez y negación. Uno más que recuerda a «Mi año de descanso y relajación» de Moshfegh (complimentary).
Valiéndose de esta peculiar y surrealista premisa, Hutson toca temas de trauma y duelo de forma hipnótica y convincente. En su primera mitad la narración se enfoca por un lado en detallarnos los planes de Bonnie después de ganar el dinero y haber iniciado la construcción de su sueño televisivo; y por el otro en contarnos acerca de su pasado, en especial sobre el vínculo afectivo que la unía a los padres de su mejor amiga (y dueños del pequeño supermercado en el que trabajaba) al estos haberla arropado tras quedarse huérfana en sus veintes. Así vamos cayendo en la cuenta de los altos niveles de trauma que viene arrastrando (en serio, fue mucho más trauma del que esperaba) y la forma en la que en «Three's Company» halla un consuelo salvador, pero también destructivo. Una manera de evadir la realidad, o de no sentirse insoportablemente amenazada por ella.
En ciertos momentos encontré el relato un poco desarticulado, sobre todo a partir del punto en el que ya solo seguimos a Bonnie viviendo de lleno en su imaginación material, pero en general me pareció un debut interesante por la crudeza de la que no rehúye al abordar el duelo de los personajes (en plural porque no solo es Bonnie quien sufre por la pérdida y el evento traumático que desata todo) y la apatía de su protagonista. Y también por cómo lleva el concepto de "comfort show" a extremos llenos de delirio, absurdez y negación. Uno más que recuerda a «Mi año de descanso y relajación» de Moshfegh (complimentary).
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes