Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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:
Yes
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The concept was interesting and I liked the main character. I have mixed feelings about the twist ending, but generally I think it was executed well enough. My main critique is that the ending was a bit rushed and none of the characters got as much exploration as they deserved, especially considering their individual experiences.
We didn't learn enough about the English teacher, Mrs. Quenell, or the roommate, DJ. I'm inclined to think this is due to constraints on length rather than the author's skill, though. I also didn't care for the dialogue very much- it definitely reads like an adult trying to write teens.
I thought Wolitzer did a great job of writing emotionally compelling, traumatized characters without leaning too heavily on the details of their trauma to guarantee an emotional response from the audience. It would have been easy for her to include horrible details, but I really appreciate that she didn't.
We didn't learn enough about the English teacher, Mrs. Quenell, or the roommate, DJ. I'm inclined to think this is due to constraints on length rather than the author's skill, though. I also didn't care for the dialogue very much- it definitely reads like an adult trying to write teens.
I thought Wolitzer did a great job of writing emotionally compelling, traumatized characters without leaning too heavily on the details of their trauma to guarantee an emotional response from the audience. It would have been easy for her to include horrible details, but I really appreciate that she didn't.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail