Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
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
This is the story of a family told on the same day over three years, in the year before COVID, during COVID and in the year after COVID. It’s not really a pandemic novel but rather an exploration of a family impacted by the events of the pandemic which exacerbated their pre pandemic situations in some cases and created heartbreak in others. The parents in this novel are having issues as their 10 year old son is becoming independent and 5 year old daughter is learning about her place in the world. The wife’s brother, a teacher who lives in the attic to save money, is loved by both his sister and her husband and is a magical figure for his niece and nephew. We cross three years and see the impacts of COVID on the family. The book is beautifully written- parts of it are like reading poetry (the first scene describing sunrise in Brooklyn - amazing). The ending left me feeling deflated, however, without closure on some of the characters. I believe this was intentional even if it left me feeling empty because that was the situation of the characters following the pandemic.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved the audio book—read by Julianne Moore
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book slow and boring but very well written, if that make any sense. I don't recall anything positive about the lives of anyone except Robbie (and that doesn't exactly end well).
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death