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bwluvs2read's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death
in_love_with_bookish's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.0
Under the Magnolias have a lot of elements that I love in books and Yet I struggled with the story every step of the way until I couldn't do it anymore. I’m really sad that this is a DNF for me but I just know when it’s not working.
I quit this story at the mark of 47% so I pushed through as much as I could. I tried and kept trying but it came to a point when I know that I’ll get in a reading slump if I force myself to continue.
To be honest, the premise is brilliant and captivating. This is historical fiction, a genre I adore and It’s also a coming of age story and a family drama with depiction of struggles, loss, grief, and mental illness, and the complexity of family relationships. It has a lot of elements to portray and to intertwine together and I think if it wasn’t just so boring I would’ve loved it.
I’m sorry but Under the Magnolias was a snoozefest. I tried to care about the plot and I failed. I couldn’t keep a lot of the characters straight in my head and Every time, the story reaches an interesting point or an emotional height, It skips ahead in time and I lose the connection I started to feel or the potential I started to glimpse. It was definitely abrupt and left me feeling cold.
I totally understand why many people are loving and praising this book but It just wasn’t for me. I think other books did this story better and I think some of the narrative choices kept from really getting invested. I may check out the author’s other books because I actually enjoyed the writing but this is where I break up with this particular book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
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