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A review by mellowreading
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very greatful to netgalley for allowing me to honestly review this book!
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. I have it a 3 because I don’t think it’s absolutely terrible or overall bad, but the themes and characters simply did not work for me, and I did not find the writing to be at all interesting or engaging. Yet, I kept picking the book up. This book does have a slow pace, but I never felt like it dragged.
I absolutely despised one of the main characters from the beginning, I think seeing just how much she could p*ss me off kept me engaged.
This may be a bit spoilery, but my biggest annoyance with the novel (beyond Julia and the prose/plot feeling dull/unnoteworthy) was the theme. Throughout the book, several characters make decisions ranging from questionable to deplorable, cutting one another out of their own lives and hurting one another for selfish reasons. In the last few chapters, everyone suddenly decides to be besties again and the book hammers in the theme that “you just forgive your family no matter what because you need them and that’s what love is.” And all of the characters brush years of neglect and trauma under the rug, without apology or even acknowledgement from other characters, because of this idea. This was not only extremely anticlimactic, but also this philosophy in general just annoys me. Obviously people irl are allowed to forgive on their own terms, but this being the ending sentiment of the book really soured it for me personally.
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. I have it a 3 because I don’t think it’s absolutely terrible or overall bad, but the themes and characters simply did not work for me, and I did not find the writing to be at all interesting or engaging. Yet, I kept picking the book up. This book does have a slow pace, but I never felt like it dragged.
I absolutely despised one of the main characters from the beginning, I think seeing just how much she could p*ss me off kept me engaged.
This may be a bit spoilery, but my biggest annoyance with the novel (beyond Julia and the prose/plot feeling dull/unnoteworthy) was the theme. Throughout the book, several characters make decisions ranging from questionable to deplorable, cutting one another out of their own lives and hurting one another for selfish reasons. In the last few chapters, everyone suddenly decides to be besties again and the book hammers in the theme that “you just forgive your family no matter what because you need them and that’s what love is.” And all of the characters brush years of neglect and trauma under the rug, without apology or even acknowledgement from other characters, because of this idea. This was not only extremely anticlimactic, but also this philosophy in general just annoys me. Obviously people irl are allowed to forgive on their own terms, but this being the ending sentiment of the book really soured it for me personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent