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tiffanyvokt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
linerturner's review against another edition
3.0
Maddie is a lovable character and it is fun to be a part of her recent few months. This wasn’t a story that left me wanting more. But definitely an enjoyable read.
kmesser's review against another edition
5.0
This was a stunning debut and may be in contention for one of my favorite books of the year. This novel follows Maddie, a 25 year old woman, tasked with caring for her ailing father, while her mother and brother live their own lives. When her mother returns, Maddie takes this as an opportunity to escape a job she hates, move out of her family home, and just find her own way.
This novel covers hard topics such as racism in the workplace, depression, death, cheating, and grief. But it does all this through the lens of a character that is both real and wry. Maddie is trying to find herself and her way and it's so beautifully done. I specifically loved the lines relating to female pleasure and sex and how upfront talks of mental health and therapy were in this novel.
The last 25% of the book had me ugly crying to the point where my husband asked me why I read, and while I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a sad book, the look at grieving someone your love wrecked me. Maddie is a truly stunning character and I'll be thinking about this one for a long while.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy.
This novel covers hard topics such as racism in the workplace, depression, death, cheating, and grief. But it does all this through the lens of a character that is both real and wry. Maddie is trying to find herself and her way and it's so beautifully done. I specifically loved the lines relating to female pleasure and sex and how upfront talks of mental health and therapy were in this novel.
The last 25% of the book had me ugly crying to the point where my husband asked me why I read, and while I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a sad book, the look at grieving someone your love wrecked me. Maddie is a truly stunning character and I'll be thinking about this one for a long while.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy.
bekah_noelle's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
thereadertay's review against another edition
I hate the voice in this 1st person POV book. Got to chapter 3 and was already annoyed with the MC and her need to Google everything
emmayergin's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful coming of age story that kept me engaged! That said, this book has a lot of emotion that didn’t hit me as hard as I think it should have. I think I would have felt more of the emotion if I had not done an audio book.
mccroryma's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this incredibly unique debut novel about tragedy, guilt, friendship, and independence. It’s not often you find a coming-of-age novel with a protagonist who was forced to grow up far before discovering herself. It is refreshing and inspiring to see how Maddie navigates the world, her relationships, and comes to recognize her worth. Honestly, I picked up this book for its colorful and beautiful cover, but it fell into my life at a perfect time. The challenges and obstacles thrown at the main character are a beautiful and realistic look at how guilt impacts a person, struggling with depression/anxiety, and the complexities of relationships. It somehow manages to be engaging and hilarious throughout the whole novel. I can’t recommend this book enough!
jwtindall's review against another edition
4.0
What a beautiful book! I will be thinking about this for a very long time. I will admit, I had a hard time grasping what this book was going to be, and I struggled to really get into it at first (which is why I demoted it a star). BUT, once I got past that initial hurdle, I fell in love with it and couldn’t put it down! I loved Maddie, and I felt her pain and her inner voice so much. Her best friends, her family members, all of them felt so real. This was an amazing debut.
dianeacosta2024's review against another edition
5.0
All of the feelings. I experienced all of them in this book. This was a brilliant coming of age novel full of complexity, honesty, love, and culture. I loved Maddie and her very real experiences. The mental health representation, grief and cultural impact on both was beautifully shared. I loved this book.
shmni's review against another edition
5.0
This book is just simply great. I remember reading the description and other reviews and not feeling like I’d like it, but I loved every page of this book. Jessica is an amazing author and Maddie was a wonderful character that just blew me away with her rawness and it felt like I was reading about myself at certain points. I really enjoyed reading this book.