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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
This book made me giggle and my heart swelled. No I will not need a doctor for my heart condition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
"ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ɪꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛꜱ. ꜱᴏ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅꜱ ꜱᴀʏɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴜᴛꜱᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ɪꜱ."
This is my first Backman book, and the tone was totally unexpected to me. I happily devoured both the humorous and sometimes so poignant it hurts lines. I was continuously shocked at how nonchalantly the author just tosses some of the most critical information at the reader offhandedly, as if since it wasn't a core part of the character, it was just a random additional fact that had to be added in.
One thing in particular that struck me was some of the descriptions -
"ʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇꜱ ʜɪꜱ ᴛʜᴜᴍʙꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ʜɪꜱ ᴇʏᴇʙʀᴏᴡꜱ, ᴀꜱ ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅꜱ ʜᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴛᴏ ɪᴛꜱ ꜰᴀᴄᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢꜱ" I mean, hell yeah. Same. Relatable.
Depending on who is reading, I could see the tone and some of the topics coming off as preachy, but some of them were really good hits for me. For example, nurturing myths about our lives online and the pressure for every day to be "Instagram worthy" isn't revolutionary, but he pulls the idea apart in just a slightly new enough way for me to appreciate the take again.
The twists made me feel dumb in a clever way, but maybe I'm just an idiot for not seeing them sooner (perfectly on topic for this book). Parts of it made me cry. Sometimes because I was taking emotional damage, sometimes because I was happy.
This is a book with a puzzle, but more than anything, it is a book about wild characters that ask us to look at ourselves and others through a new lens.
Quotes:
"ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴇꜱᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ, ᴛᴏᴏ, ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡꜱ."
"ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. ɴᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴏɴᴇ ʙɪᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴡʜᴇɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ, ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. ᴡᴇ ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ. ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ. ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ… ʙᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀɪʟᴜʀᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ."
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
This is my first Backman book, and the tone was totally unexpected to me. I happily devoured both the humorous and sometimes so poignant it hurts lines. I was continuously shocked at how nonchalantly the author just tosses some of the most critical information at the reader offhandedly, as if since it wasn't a core part of the character, it was just a random additional fact that had to be added in.
One thing in particular that struck me was some of the descriptions -
"ʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇꜱ ʜɪꜱ ᴛʜᴜᴍʙꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ʜɪꜱ ᴇʏᴇʙʀᴏᴡꜱ, ᴀꜱ ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅꜱ ʜᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴛᴏ ɪᴛꜱ ꜰᴀᴄᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢꜱ" I mean, hell yeah. Same. Relatable.
Depending on who is reading, I could see the tone and some of the topics coming off as preachy, but some of them were really good hits for me. For example, nurturing myths about our lives online and the pressure for every day to be "Instagram worthy" isn't revolutionary, but he pulls the idea apart in just a slightly new enough way for me to appreciate the take again.
The twists made me feel dumb in a clever way, but maybe I'm just an idiot for not seeing them sooner (perfectly on topic for this book). Parts of it made me cry. Sometimes because I was taking emotional damage, sometimes because I was happy.
This is a book with a puzzle, but more than anything, it is a book about wild characters that ask us to look at ourselves and others through a new lens.
Quotes:
"ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴇꜱᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ, ᴛᴏᴏ, ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡꜱ."
"ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. ɴᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴏɴᴇ ʙɪᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴡʜᴇɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ, ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. ᴡᴇ ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ. ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ. ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ… ʙᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀɪʟᴜʀᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ."
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Backman’s writing is beautiful, the story is corny but touching nonetheless.