sipsandspines 's review for:

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was so slow, and sad, and depressing. But man... by the end I just loved it. So much better than Dear Edward in my opinion. The first book was a little boring and a pain to get through, but once the teens became adults it picked up a lot and I was hooked. These characters are so complex and well written. William really made the book for me. His story was so tragic. I just wanted to give him a big hug. I wanted him to ask for help. I wanted him to be seen. Julia and Rose were just awful. I couldn't understand the way they were able to completely dissociate and pretend their family members didn't exist for decades. Julia especially frustrated me with the decisions she made regarding William and their daughter. Sylvie and the twins were amazing. I was rooting for Sylvie to get her big love story. 

There are some content warnings so be sure to check those out. I absolutely recommend this book if you're in the mood for a slow burn, character driven homage to Little Women.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent