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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
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
Rereading to fully appreciate the new short story that’s a follow-up in Show Don’t Tell
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
I had such high hopes for this book. It got many excellent reviews on Amazon and Sittenfeld was compared to the likes of J.D. Salinger and John Knowles (two of my favorite authors). So it had to be good, right?
Well, it wasn't terrible. And that's about all I can say.
I almost quit reading after the first few dozen pages because I was turned off by the, sometimes naive and other times just down right offensive, stereotypes. And, although this is a bit petty, I was frustrated by some of the names of the characters in the book. But I decided not to give up on the book.
Growing up as a shy girl myself (although in public school), I could really relate to some of the things the main character, Lee Fiora, did and felt. And then other times I literally cringed at her naivety and her rudeness. And her boarding school persona didn't seem to match her earlier life persona at all. So it was hard for me to reconcile that this excruciatingly shy and insecure girl actually made the decision, and sought out, boarding schools, rather than it being somebody else's (i.e. her parent's) decision.
The chapters of the book are made up of "short stories" about Lee's life as an out-of-place scholarship student at a wealthy boarding school. And in that sense it felt somehow off that many of the chapters ended with how this all turns out in the future. And then the next chapter began where we left off back at boarding school. It just didn't always connect with me and seemed disjointed. And I felt like some of the things encountered in the earlier chapters didn't jive with later chapters. If it had just been that she was growing up and maturing then it would be understandable. But that wasn't the case. It was more like the author wanted to present so many ideas she couldn't always follow through with them all. (e.g. Lee thought she might be gay, but that storyline was dropped abruptly.)
Reading the book, I felt like I was sitting down with Lee and she was telling me about her life in boarding school. Only she was telling me in a very monotonous and boring tone. Sometimes I would skim pages and skip ahead to see if it was even worth finishing this chapter (although I always did go back and read the whole thing). I liked the idea of the book and the story kept me entertained enough to continue reading, but it wasn't gripping enough that I wanted to stay up at night and continue reading (the test of a truly good book to me). And I was a little disappointed at the end when Lee told us how everybody else turned out, but didn't tell us how she herself turned out. What did she go to school for? What does she do for a living now? Is she wealthy now?
In the end I would say it's an ok book. But it's no "A Separate Peace."
Well, it wasn't terrible. And that's about all I can say.
I almost quit reading after the first few dozen pages because I was turned off by the, sometimes naive and other times just down right offensive, stereotypes. And, although this is a bit petty, I was frustrated by some of the names of the characters in the book. But I decided not to give up on the book.
Growing up as a shy girl myself (although in public school), I could really relate to some of the things the main character, Lee Fiora, did and felt. And then other times I literally cringed at her naivety and her rudeness. And her boarding school persona didn't seem to match her earlier life persona at all. So it was hard for me to reconcile that this excruciatingly shy and insecure girl actually made the decision, and sought out, boarding schools, rather than it being somebody else's (i.e. her parent's) decision.
The chapters of the book are made up of "short stories" about Lee's life as an out-of-place scholarship student at a wealthy boarding school. And in that sense it felt somehow off that many of the chapters ended with how this all turns out in the future. And then the next chapter began where we left off back at boarding school. It just didn't always connect with me and seemed disjointed. And I felt like some of the things encountered in the earlier chapters didn't jive with later chapters. If it had just been that she was growing up and maturing then it would be understandable. But that wasn't the case. It was more like the author wanted to present so many ideas she couldn't always follow through with them all. (e.g. Lee thought she might be gay, but that storyline was dropped abruptly.)
Reading the book, I felt like I was sitting down with Lee and she was telling me about her life in boarding school. Only she was telling me in a very monotonous and boring tone. Sometimes I would skim pages and skip ahead to see if it was even worth finishing this chapter (although I always did go back and read the whole thing). I liked the idea of the book and the story kept me entertained enough to continue reading, but it wasn't gripping enough that I wanted to stay up at night and continue reading (the test of a truly good book to me). And I was a little disappointed at the end when Lee told us how everybody else turned out, but didn't tell us how she herself turned out. What did she go to school for? What does she do for a living now? Is she wealthy now?
In the end I would say it's an ok book. But it's no "A Separate Peace."
This one was hard for me to rate. In many ways, I did not enjoy it. However, I find that I am thinking of it quite a bit after finishing it.
The main character was unlikeable for me. I understand that she is an introvert and struggles with anxiety. However, it also felt like she didn't try to combat her shyness. I can relate to her feelings in high school. I was also an introvert, so I really get it. Yet I struggled to empathize with her because of her lack of trying. Plus her rudeness to her parents was truly over the top.
The main character was unlikeable for me. I understand that she is an introvert and struggles with anxiety. However, it also felt like she didn't try to combat her shyness. I can relate to her feelings in high school. I was also an introvert, so I really get it. Yet I struggled to empathize with her because of her lack of trying. Plus her rudeness to her parents was truly over the top.
emotional
reflective
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
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very slow and main character made me infuriated
I actually listened to this book on cd, as I was unsure that I wanted to read it in the first place. It sold me on Curtis Sittenfeld: she has an incredible ability to create believable and consistent characters.