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proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When Austin is 14 years old her mother dies in childbirth. With six younger siblings and a father who sometimes falls victim to his own personal darkness, it's Austin who has to become the adult in the house. The family tobacco farm also needs tending and she's not sure how long she will be able to keep up. But when help is offered Austin is still reluctant to accept it, because it will mean the truth she's been working so hard to hide will be revealed.
I've been wanting to read this book since it was released in Swedish and I first heard about it. When it was my time to choose a book for my book club I took my chance! It's been compared to "Where the Crawdads Sing", and although there are differences, there are also similarities, and I believe if you liked the former you will like this as well.
"Under the Magnolias" is a gripping childhood upbringing about losing both your parents: one suddenly and unexpectedly in childbirth and the other slowly in mental illness. But we also get sibling love, friendship and tentative love. Wonderful side characters who make a lasting impression. How hard it can be to ask for help, but also how much easier life can become if you dare to accept it.
The book is set in the American south during the 80's, and perfectly narrated by Susan Bennett. The author describes the environment in a way that makes you BE there, with the characters. She makes you feel with and for the characters, and it's an emotional book in many ways. I really look forward to discussing the book with my book club next week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
reading_ladies_blog's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
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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