Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

4 reviews

nanirump's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

The main characters are quite sad and lack good communication skills. The characters make some seriously misguided decision and most of the parenting is sub-par or harmful without being outright abusive. It was a beautiful story nonetheless and I'm glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Grief, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

goodin10tions's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

 Hello Beautiful Ann Napolitano with Maura Tierney (Narrator)

This is a very long (15 hours/400 pgs) story about family, forgiveness and generational trauma. 

Because of the multiple POV of the same event, it can feel repetitive. However, that touches a personal favorite topic of mine which is how the same thing can happen to multiple people but they all remember it differently.

What this book is not is a page turner. I am seeing critiques about it being boring and long. If you aren’t comfortable spending 15 hours on a book, skip this one.

The book is described as an exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women. I can vouch for this, the characters also compare themselves to the March sisters.

In short, if you loved Little Women, you’ll probably love the Padavano sisters.

If you are going to read them together, I’d recommend Little Women first.

If you are doing the 52 BookClub 2024 reading challenge this book meets: four POV, grieving character, a plot similar to another book, the OTHER book, includes a wedding, and chapters have dates.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Bullying

fifteenthjessica's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

William Waters quickly falls in with love Julia Padavano and her big family, who are in many ways, the opposite of his repressed and sad childhood home that was always in the shadow of the sister that died when he was six days old. However, a family scandal soon is interwoven with a family tragedy, and the family begins to break apart. Meanwhile, William has been struggling with depression, and his relationship with the ambitious Julia--and the Padavano family as a whole--is threatened by his inner sense of listlessness and a growing bond with her closest sister, Sylvie. Can William learn to thrive without accidentally destroying the family he has come to love?

The book is an homage to Little Women, which I have not read (I should), so I cannot speak about how it functions as a homage.

I'm going to be honest, I was hoping the book wouldn't hook me because I was running out of time before my library due date. I found myself spellbound by the characters, who are rich and complex, but Julia can be abrasive due to her bossiness and

once William and Sylvie get together, they are bland and generically nice and not the kind of couple that I enjoy reading about.

Both of these lessened the effect of the novel as a heartwrenching family tragedy for me. It's also a little disappointing that the younger sisters feel a bit sidelined for much of the story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Child death, Child abuse, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual content, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Bullying, and Alcohol

-A major character is depressed, and this is a major focus. Another one might have an anxiety issue. -A major character has a sister that died in childhood. -Some major characters have generational trauma caused by parental neglect. -A major characters' father dies and affects the family. -A few characters get disowned as adults. -A major character is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. -A major character attempts suicide. This is a big plot point. -Major characters' father is an alcoholic. Some mentions of drinking. -Some mentions of a girl getting bullied for being tall. -References to characters having sex and getting pregnant. -Some mentions of two supporting characters facing minor discrimination for being lesbians.

kimib79's review against another edition

emotional relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The selfishness of most of these people is astounding, yet the author writes them as "brave". The misappropriation of that word these days is amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Child abuse, and Cancer