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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
medium-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
Family drama set in Mercury, PA. Emotional roller coaster of a novel that shows the complexities of family life. I really enjoyed this fairy dark story of the family. It is also a coming of age story for Marley. The book is mostly Marley's prospective but some parts are other members of the Joseph family point of view.
I saw this one all over on Bookstagram for a while and when I saw it available for a steal, I decided I'd give it a go. I didn't know what this was about so I went in blind.
In the 1990s, 17 year old Marley moves to Mercury, PA, a very small town where it seems nothing really happens. Marley hopes to stay in place for once with her mother, nurse Ruth. She is constantly relocating Marley due to work. So, when Marley finds the Joseph family, who owns a local roofing business, she sees just what she wants - a steady family with a steady home. Dinner on the table at the same time. Everyone coming together. Siblings. The Joseph men are matriarch Elise's whole world and Marley doesn't realize as a teen, that they'll become hers as well.
This was quite engaging for something I wasn't sure I would get into. I really liked the way we went from character to character, getting a bit of everyone's perspective, except Mick, who thankfully we never heard from. This felt so on brand for so many women.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital review copy!
This was a compelling portrait of a family and character driven novel, with some unexpected twist and turns that kept me intrigued. I appreciated the fact that the author had a robust cast of characters, but I don’t know if this book was long enough to give each their due (other than the main character Marley). Just as I was getting invested in another family member, the focus would shift - it was well plotted, but then I would feel left hanging. The writing was lyrical, and had a melancholy dreamlike quality, but everything in this book felt depressing, there was not a lot of joy. I had got the same vibes as I did while reading Hello Beautiful - which is beloved by so many readers. If you’re looking for a similar ‘portrait of a family’ read, this would be a great book to pick up!
“Mick enjoyed Shay, but only in the way a dog jumps for joy at seeing himself in a mirror. The dog thinks someone has come to play, someone who resembles him and stares deeply into his eyes, waiting for this newfound reflection to blink. What Mick never said but meant: I don’t love you. I love the likeness of me.”
This was a compelling portrait of a family and character driven novel, with some unexpected twist and turns that kept me intrigued. I appreciated the fact that the author had a robust cast of characters, but I don’t know if this book was long enough to give each their due (other than the main character Marley). Just as I was getting invested in another family member, the focus would shift - it was well plotted, but then I would feel left hanging. The writing was lyrical, and had a melancholy dreamlike quality, but everything in this book felt depressing, there was not a lot of joy. I had got the same vibes as I did while reading Hello Beautiful - which is beloved by so many readers. If you’re looking for a similar ‘portrait of a family’ read, this would be a great book to pick up!
“Mick enjoyed Shay, but only in the way a dog jumps for joy at seeing himself in a mirror. The dog thinks someone has come to play, someone who resembles him and stares deeply into his eyes, waiting for this newfound reflection to blink. What Mick never said but meant: I don’t love you. I love the likeness of me.”
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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