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daniw2327's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
alexsartifacts's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
madding78's review
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.0
conniezawa's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jadekelly90's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jsncnrd's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a very quick read -- set in the present, Jamie navigates the complex grief he feels after his parents have both passed away. Structurally, Jamie has flashbacks to moments in his childhood and adolescence surrounding his parents and how they impacted his life.
The writing was excellent. Radcliffe's prose is controlled, yet descriptive and evocative. The spare prose works well in the context of the work being very short overall.
Themes of guilt, sorrow, homophobia, and racism are explored -- albeit cursorily due to the length of the book. Grief is at the core of the novel, and this shows.
There is very little plot overall -- the modern-day part of the story lasts the totality of about a week, with the bulk of the book being "old haunts," -- i.e., vignettes from the past.
Overall, I was hoping there would be a more profound takeaway when all was said and done, but the ending comes abruptly. It felt that statements were made (i.e., grief is non-linear, grief is filled with guilt, grief is a life-long process), but that overall, there was minimal all-encompassing purpose that tied all the stories together.
Would recommend to anyone seeking a quick read who enjoys stories filled with melancholia, reminiscing, and introspection.
This was a very quick read -- set in the present, Jamie navigates the complex grief he feels after his parents have both passed away. Structurally, Jamie has flashbacks to moments in his childhood and adolescence surrounding his parents and how they impacted his life.
The writing was excellent. Radcliffe's prose is controlled, yet descriptive and evocative. The spare prose works well in the context of the work being very short overall.
Themes of guilt, sorrow, homophobia, and racism are explored -- albeit cursorily due to the length of the book. Grief is at the core of the novel, and this shows.
There is very little plot overall -- the modern-day part of the story lasts the totality of about a week, with the bulk of the book being "old haunts," -- i.e., vignettes from the past.
Overall, I was hoping there would be a more profound takeaway when all was said and done, but the ending comes abruptly. It felt that statements were made (i.e., grief is non-linear, grief is filled with guilt, grief is a life-long process), but that overall, there was minimal all-encompassing purpose that tied all the stories together.
Would recommend to anyone seeking a quick read who enjoys stories filled with melancholia, reminiscing, and introspection.
readingsunflower's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
vanitas's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sam_alex04's review
emotional
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