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A review by doubletmoney
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
3.0
This book is written in an intriguing way with the differing perspectives (and also a VERY well-written book - so many words I did not know).. and I liked how the author changed up the length of the chapters (although most chapters were prettttty long).. and it did of course keep me wondering just HOW it was going to end (don’t worry I won’t give away anything!!). I just expected more from this book.
Let’s put it this way: the thought that crossed my mind when I finished this book was “this is exactly why I fucking read fantasy novels. Because when I read books that are NOT fantasy (so supposed to be real life humans experiencing real-life problems in REAL LIFE), I finish the book and the ending / plot line is so freaking unrealistic that I’m like OKAY cool. That was dumb”. At least with fantasy you can take the “human-elements” of it and really appreciate them while the rest of it you can’t help but just accept because OF COURSE it’s made up, it’s fantasy. So you never really get that same level of annoyance that comes with books that just aren’t realistic right? You feel me?
I think if I were to look beyond the plot line for a deeper meaning.. because I do always try to find something valuable, something deep, something meaningful in every book I read that I can take away (because I do think most authors write with that intention, no matter how silly or dumb a plot is), here’s what I get: That we as people will NEVER be able to step into the life and perspective of someone else to truly understand how it feels to BE them and LIVE their life. And while that’s a scary thing, it’s also a beautiful thing because you realize that we are all so different and bring so many different views to the world that if it WASN’T like this, the world would be boring as fuck. There’s a quote at the end that says this so well “We might look at the same thing, but will never see it the same way: a child’s toy or an objet d’art; a pretty bird or a piece of history; a meaningless bauble or something that might be sold to save a life. Perspective is, by nature subjective. It’s impossible to climb inside someone else’s head, despite your best - or worst - intentions.”
And this is a powerful message. In some ways it may reflect this idea that we as humans cannot empathize because we will never be able to truly see something from someone else’s perspective, but I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it. It’s more that you can never assume anything about anyone without at least TRYING to empathize or being aware that your perspective is shaped by a life full of experiences and people and feelings that you’ve felt which are utterly unique to you. Honestly, the way she writes the book really pushes this message - she’ll write 1 chapter from the perspective of Nina, then she’ll write the next chapter covering the same exact time period / sequence of events from the perspective of Vanessa. And the way both characters perceive the other and experience the sequence of events is COMPLETELY different and you realize how much mutual understanding is completely missed. It’s wild.
So, the message for me? It’s this: as a person I want to stay curious. I want to always try to see things from someone else’s perspective. Never assume. Never judge or be critical over something you don’t have the full story over. Otherwise you’ll never know the truth. You’ll just make up something in your head that sounds plausible to you.
Let’s put it this way: the thought that crossed my mind when I finished this book was “this is exactly why I fucking read fantasy novels. Because when I read books that are NOT fantasy (so supposed to be real life humans experiencing real-life problems in REAL LIFE), I finish the book and the ending / plot line is so freaking unrealistic that I’m like OKAY cool. That was dumb”. At least with fantasy you can take the “human-elements” of it and really appreciate them while the rest of it you can’t help but just accept because OF COURSE it’s made up, it’s fantasy. So you never really get that same level of annoyance that comes with books that just aren’t realistic right? You feel me?
I think if I were to look beyond the plot line for a deeper meaning.. because I do always try to find something valuable, something deep, something meaningful in every book I read that I can take away (because I do think most authors write with that intention, no matter how silly or dumb a plot is), here’s what I get: That we as people will NEVER be able to step into the life and perspective of someone else to truly understand how it feels to BE them and LIVE their life. And while that’s a scary thing, it’s also a beautiful thing because you realize that we are all so different and bring so many different views to the world that if it WASN’T like this, the world would be boring as fuck. There’s a quote at the end that says this so well “We might look at the same thing, but will never see it the same way: a child’s toy or an objet d’art; a pretty bird or a piece of history; a meaningless bauble or something that might be sold to save a life. Perspective is, by nature subjective. It’s impossible to climb inside someone else’s head, despite your best - or worst - intentions.”
And this is a powerful message. In some ways it may reflect this idea that we as humans cannot empathize because we will never be able to truly see something from someone else’s perspective, but I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it. It’s more that you can never assume anything about anyone without at least TRYING to empathize or being aware that your perspective is shaped by a life full of experiences and people and feelings that you’ve felt which are utterly unique to you. Honestly, the way she writes the book really pushes this message - she’ll write 1 chapter from the perspective of Nina, then she’ll write the next chapter covering the same exact time period / sequence of events from the perspective of Vanessa. And the way both characters perceive the other and experience the sequence of events is COMPLETELY different and you realize how much mutual understanding is completely missed. It’s wild.
So, the message for me? It’s this: as a person I want to stay curious. I want to always try to see things from someone else’s perspective. Never assume. Never judge or be critical over something you don’t have the full story over. Otherwise you’ll never know the truth. You’ll just make up something in your head that sounds plausible to you.