A review by amateur_bookworm
We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

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

2.0

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes is a fiction novel that follows a family through some highs and lows. Set in London, Lila and her family cope with everything life keeps tossing their way. Jojo Moyes is a British novelist. I was very happy to have read this on my Kindle where I could look up unfamiliar terms as I read. At least I did learn quite a few new British words, phrases and slang the way. 

My favorite part of this book was following teenage Celie as she found her way in life. Her character arc is frankly the only redeeming aspect of this book for me. This book is also a good reminder that life does have highs and lows, and it’s best to embrace the highs and find glimmers of happiness in the lows. Sometimes you just need to put the top down and cruise around with great music until you feel better. 

But this was overall slow paced and not very enjoyable for me. I’ve previously read two other books by Jojo Moyes that I loved and I had high hopes for this one. But it left me feeling disappointed and frustrated. I actually gave up for awhile and read a different book in the middle of reading this, then had to come back and finish it up before my library due date. Otherwise, I’m not sure I would’ve finished it. 

There are a lot of characters being tossed at you. Lots of long-winded and unrelated bits to the story (who cares about the telenovella plot?! It was literally never tied in at all.) But, mostly, my issue is that infidelity is a central theme with the ending message being “everyone makes mistakes, let’s just all be a big, happy family”. And, somehow lying is fine if it’s to an older and unhealthy person? Yeah. Really not a fan of some of the messages here. (Don’t get me started on the nude painting of Lila’s mother painted by her stepdad and hung in their living room. Or alluding to Gramps having an adult video on YouTube.) 

Unfortunately, this one is mostly a miss for me. 
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