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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Thank You to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
The publisher describes the plot perfectly so I will not attempt to rewrite. I had been waiting for this book since I sat in a upcoming book webinar, and was so excited to finally see it on NetGalley.
This is one of the most divisive issues in history. Regardless of which side you sit on, the answers are as complicated and varied as the next, but this book does an excellent job at sharing several of the stories.
Character driven, we meet various characters and see their points of view. We are a complication of our experiences and our decisions are made on the information we have at the time. As the book unfolds, the characters experiences come to life and we become connected to the stories more as the chapters pass.
No matter which side you are on, you’ll be riveted if you keep going. I nodded, rolled my eyes, got angry, and made peace again with each of the characters. This book solves nothing but enlightens the reader just a touch. Extremely enjoyable.
Book clubs will have a lot to talk about. 4+ stars!
The publisher describes the plot perfectly so I will not attempt to rewrite. I had been waiting for this book since I sat in a upcoming book webinar, and was so excited to finally see it on NetGalley.
This is one of the most divisive issues in history. Regardless of which side you sit on, the answers are as complicated and varied as the next, but this book does an excellent job at sharing several of the stories.
Character driven, we meet various characters and see their points of view. We are a complication of our experiences and our decisions are made on the information we have at the time. As the book unfolds, the characters experiences come to life and we become connected to the stories more as the chapters pass.
No matter which side you are on, you’ll be riveted if you keep going. I nodded, rolled my eyes, got angry, and made peace again with each of the characters. This book solves nothing but enlightens the reader just a touch. Extremely enjoyable.
Book clubs will have a lot to talk about. 4+ stars!
So much ground gets covered in this book. It could keep a book club going for a whole year on its own. Normally I’m not a fan of character driven books but I liked this one.
4.5 stars
In MERCY STREET, Haigh once again writes well drawn characters who draw the reader in, even if you don’t like them. The book follows a handful of characters who connect with Claudia, a counselor at a women’s clinic in Boston and explores so many relevant issues. I found it to be fast paced and absorbing and think it’s an outstanding book for book clubs to discuss.
In MERCY STREET, Haigh once again writes well drawn characters who draw the reader in, even if you don’t like them. The book follows a handful of characters who connect with Claudia, a counselor at a women’s clinic in Boston and explores so many relevant issues. I found it to be fast paced and absorbing and think it’s an outstanding book for book clubs to discuss.
This book was more than I expected. The kindness and humanity the author used to write about imperfect people was really special. The descriptions of people with viewpoints so far from my own were even shared without judgment, which made sense here. The writing is fantastic, sharp and concise. I definitely recommend.
I really enjoyed this book but it felt like it kind of just ended out of nowhere.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know whether to be vexed or to be enthralled. I am rather at a crossroads, standing on the corner of ‘white replacement theory’ and the formerly-Supreme Court. Haigh was indeed prescient in outlining a book ostensibly centered on women’s reproductive rights and those who would interfere with them. The portraits that Haigh draws with her words—-the QAnon-following preppier , who could also be described as a very deeply deluded White Supremacist; the marijuana dealer; the survivor of single-wide trailer life; the privileged private school girl; the drugged-out teenager without hope; the Big-Dig impaired nudnik—-all are exquisitely wrought in minute detail. But this book wanders very, very far from Mercy Street, and I felt, in the end, disappointed.
I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never really rose above mediocre...at least to me. It rung shallow. Based on reviews, I kept hoping it would get better, but... OTOH, I didn't bail.
The Get Your Kid to Pick a Book Just Randomly method was eventually going to net me a loser of a book and here it is.
Mercy Street is about "a woman's right to choose," crisis, conflict, drama, second chances, and the people who are lost and unsuccessful in the world. And it is one of the least dramatic books I've ever read. The abortion clinic itself is the professional work of the main character, Claudia. All the time the reader spends there is to really immerse you in every cliche you ever read, saw, heard, or learned about abortion clinics. Don't say "woman" say "person." Isn't it insane that this 15 year old has to get a parent or a judge to sign-off on a surgical abortion?! Catholic priests dare pray the rosary as if they aren't all out molesting little boys when not protesting abortion! A high schooler could have found a new angle.
Quite a bit of the book is flashback to Claudia's youth as trailer-trash foster sister in rural Maine. She didn't really learn anything or have experiences that pushed the plot of novel. She just was.
The rest of the book seems to be an attempt to give an accurate sketch of a deranged anti-abortion protestor. Victor is a hypocrite, first and foremost, having come to his views only after sleeping around and resenting a woman for aborting his child. And like all pro-life persons, he's also a racist (Haigh phoned in some "they will not replace us" idiocy from 4chan) and a misogynist-- women, of course, are good for little other than breeding, especially the pretty white ones.
There's a slight dramatic build as we see Victor trying to figure out who Claudia is and then it fades to white. Literally-- it's a snowstorm. Not the worst book you'll ever read. Probably best as a masterclass in how to write some plotless caricature.
Mercy Street is about "a woman's right to choose," crisis, conflict, drama, second chances, and the people who are lost and unsuccessful in the world. And it is one of the least dramatic books I've ever read. The abortion clinic itself is the professional work of the main character, Claudia. All the time the reader spends there is to really immerse you in every cliche you ever read, saw, heard, or learned about abortion clinics. Don't say "woman" say "person." Isn't it insane that this 15 year old has to get a parent or a judge to sign-off on a surgical abortion?! Catholic priests dare pray the rosary as if they aren't all out molesting little boys when not protesting abortion! A high schooler could have found a new angle.
Quite a bit of the book is flashback to Claudia's youth as trailer-trash foster sister in rural Maine. She didn't really learn anything or have experiences that pushed the plot of novel. She just was.
The rest of the book seems to be an attempt to give an accurate sketch of a deranged anti-abortion protestor. Victor is a hypocrite, first and foremost, having come to his views only after sleeping around and resenting a woman for aborting his child. And like all pro-life persons, he's also a racist (Haigh phoned in some "they will not replace us" idiocy from 4chan) and a misogynist-- women, of course, are good for little other than breeding, especially the pretty white ones.
There's a slight dramatic build as we see Victor trying to figure out who Claudia is and then it fades to white. Literally-- it's a snowstorm. Not the worst book you'll ever read. Probably best as a masterclass in how to write some plotless caricature.
dark
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
Honestly did not really like this. This type of character driven, no plot just vibes type of book is usually my favorite, but this was boring and I honestly didn't really like any of the main characters. I read the whole thing and left feeling like I got nothing from it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Abortion