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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Cute premise, absurd story with a rare few sweet moments. Its giving off-brand Woody Allen.
3.5 stars
A cute book, overall. There were a LOT of characters and narrators and that got in the way at times, but I enjoyed it.
A cute book, overall. There were a LOT of characters and narrators and that got in the way at times, but I enjoyed it.
This was a cute read. Like "Love Actually" with a little black dress. Some of the threads didn't tie perfectly and some of the stories were a bit rushed maybe, but perfect if you suspend some disbelief.
2 1/2, I think. I'm honestly not quite sure what kept me reading this book. It felt like a young author's first novel, not the product of a veteran writer. The prose was pretty mediocre, and there were so many exclamation points--and mostly narratively, not in dialogue--which is always frustrating. This book is an excellent example of why I am wary of reading novels in first-person: I never got a feeling for the character telling the story--or, for that matter, any character. The prose was simplistic and almost childish at times (probably the exclamation points), with every single "essay" sporting the same boy-howdy, golly-gee sort of tone to it, and the author often gave in to stereotypes, as if we wouldn't believe one of the young women whose story was being told was Southern without her speaking, even narratively, as if she were in a Tennessee Williams play.
The format of the "essays" also annoyed me. Each was introduced with a title, a byline, and occasionally (usually for the woman, major side-eye) their age. Furthermore, there were times when the essay-writer would address the reader or refer specifically to their title or byline. It was jarring and disconcerting. It was a self-aware move that only works with some books, and this was certainly not one of them. I picked up this book because it seemed reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, to a degree; from the description, it seemed as if it would be a third-person account of where this dress went, that I would consistently follow it on its journey from person to person. That, however, was not the case. So if that's what you're going into this book looking for, steer clear. You won't get it.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
I'm still not sure what kept me reading this book. I think it was because I wanted to know what happened to the millennial who was looking for a job.
The format of the "essays" also annoyed me. Each was introduced with a title, a byline, and occasionally (usually for the woman, major side-eye) their age. Furthermore, there were times when the essay-writer would address the reader or refer specifically to their title or byline. It was jarring and disconcerting. It was a self-aware move that only works with some books, and this was certainly not one of them. I picked up this book because it seemed reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, to a degree; from the description, it seemed as if it would be a third-person account of where this dress went, that I would consistently follow it on its journey from person to person. That, however, was not the case. So if that's what you're going into this book looking for, steer clear. You won't get it.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
I'm still not sure what kept me reading this book. I think it was because I wanted to know what happened to the millennial who was looking for a job.
Fun. Light. Easy.
Exactly what I needed right now during this “heavy” time in my family’s life.
Great audio performances!
Exactly what I needed right now during this “heavy” time in my family’s life.
Great audio performances!
A light, but very entertaining read. A great distraction!
I fear these are the worst types of books. The ones that aren’t bad, the ones that are not good. The ones that are “meh”.
This story had a lot of potential but fell a bit flat. There are a million characters and this dress that is haunting all of them. I say haunting as it just persists in being passed around and causing things to happen. I can imagine the amount of deodorant stains and body odor on this vaguely described black dress. I don’t mind many characters but I felt the chapters were so short I could not invest in any of them. Each chapter was written in the POV of another person and it felt like a series of short stories. I don’t like cheating tropes and while there were reasons we had a few instances of it. The book ended abruptly and I felt like I experienced nothing. If it could be a bit longer or with fewer characters it would have been a better experience.
What a fun story of the history of the life of the dress: and all the little pleasures and sorrows in the lives of those associated with it.