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julierambaeck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The characters were very realistic - meaning quite stupid and annoying from time to time.
It is a book that really makes you think about life, how important relationships are, dreams and wants, and how fragile it all is.
The last 30 pages I was sobbing my eyes out... and I definitely think the last 100 or 150 pages were the strongest in the book.
I will be reading the second book, but I need some time to recover from this first...
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Abandonment, Drug use, and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Rape
randeerebecca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
Minor: Medical content, War, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
isabellamarg's review against another edition
- 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
Firefly Lane was a beautiful, relatable, and all too realistic novel about friendship, motherhood, and family. Tully and Kate are two friends who become inseparable in their childhood and the novel follows them through high school, college, jobs, and motherhood.
Seeing female friendship so rawly portrayed was quite lovely. No matter what Kate and Tully stuck it out through their friendship and you knew that they had a deep love for each other (even if they did not say it out loud).
Kate ends up becoming a stay-at-home mom while Tully solely focuses on her career in news and broadcast journalism. The paths they both take are very different but it is interesting to see how both crave more even with their differences.
I thought the portrayal of motherhood was gut-wrenching. Kate and her daughter Marah start to have issues once she reaches her teen years, a common issue I would say when your child goes through adolescence. You give everything to your children only for them to disrespect you and not apologize for their actions. Many times though coming out of adolescence and as we grow older we begin to be friends with our parents and the relationship changes.
"Please God, she prayed, let me get old enough that someday we're friends."
An aspect of the novel that frustrated me was how Tully tried to be a friend to Marah instead of being a friend to Kate. This frustrated me but then again it also made me sad because we know that Tully did not have a good relationship with her mother and so she is seeking from Marah her idolization and respect. Tully as a character, in general, seemed to frustrate me and towards the end of the novel when I had figured out what was going to happen I felt sad for Kate. Luckily though we see Tully finally apologize for her actions (after never actually taking responsibility for her actions or apologizing pretty much her entire life) at the end of the novel which was great character development.
Overall, the last third of this book had me shedding silent tears and thinking deeply about life and how we choose to go about it. Kristin Hannah always seems to tug on my heart strings.
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Rape, War, Miscarriage, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
brooke_harrison's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Sexual assault, Cancer, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
Minor: Toxic friendship, Addiction, and Drug use
sarahfeller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Terminal illness, Death, Infertility, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual violence, Cursing, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
sarah_amy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Death, Drug use, Cancer, and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcoholism
kyrstin_p1989's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Medical content, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
maiahhtratchh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Rape, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief and Miscarriage
Minor: Toxic friendship
cocheesereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Cancer, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
bee_isreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Cancer, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Drug use
Minor: Abortion