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katy_heath 's review for:
Things Will Calm Down Soon
by Zoe Foster Blake
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I felt that the characters were too Byron Bay for me to really relate to. The idea that generations of women are bathing their crystals under the full moon just seems so niche and seperate from the reality of most people growing up in suburban Australia. That’s a throwaway line but there’s a few like that that really took me out of the story.
I’m also aware that women in a certain demographic in Australia love profanity like it’s their love language but I found some of the swearing way too much/too unnecessary. I don’t think “fucking” makes that good of an adverb.
It feels clear that even though Kit didn’t come from an affluent background, the book was written from a place of privilege; even the money problems that are discussed take place within walking distance of a beach, I don’t know what the rental market is like in Sydney but that seems impressive for someone who is struggling to cover rent in an overpriced office and raising a child on a single income while also not paying herself dividends.
Which leads me to the main criticism: a business isn’t a character, and it doesn’t need so much book space. Several of the meetings Kit took did not need to go into minute details. The meeting she took in a converted home was basically redundant as she never mentioned it again. I get that it’s a story about a woman slaying in business, but we didn’t need a how-to in order to connect to the story. I think if the story knew whether it was about Kit or about Second Day, we would have a bit more development of Kit and her relationships rather than one visual description of Kit halfway through the story and the lightly peppered complaints about co-parenting with Ari, who was, by the way, the biggest let down in literary history. At the start he’s all supportive like “you protect your business, babe don’t sell out” and then on almost the next page he’s like “even though she’s my flesh and blood I have less interest in seeing her than surfing with the boys” I just think if he’s such a villain he should have been that from the start.
I like the idea of a story about a woman, crushing it in business, and I like that themes like imposter syndrome are brought up, as well as having no women in most of the board rooms, and Kit’s team of all female executives. I think we need more books with these themes for women. But this felt mostly autobiographical because of how much unnecessary detail was put into the business dealings (the Author has a skin care brand).
I think it’s a fine book but probably just a beach read.
Greta was fantastic though.
I’m also aware that women in a certain demographic in Australia love profanity like it’s their love language but I found some of the swearing way too much/too unnecessary. I don’t think “fucking” makes that good of an adverb.
It feels clear that even though Kit didn’t come from an affluent background, the book was written from a place of privilege; even the money problems that are discussed take place within walking distance of a beach, I don’t know what the rental market is like in Sydney but that seems impressive for someone who is struggling to cover rent in an overpriced office and raising a child on a single income while also not paying herself dividends.
Which leads me to the main criticism: a business isn’t a character, and it doesn’t need so much book space. Several of the meetings Kit took did not need to go into minute details. The meeting she took in a converted home was basically redundant as she never mentioned it again. I get that it’s a story about a woman slaying in business, but we didn’t need a how-to in order to connect to the story. I think if the story knew whether it was about Kit or about Second Day, we would have a bit more development of Kit and her relationships rather than one visual description of Kit halfway through the story and the lightly peppered complaints about co-parenting with Ari, who was, by the way, the biggest let down in literary history. At the start he’s all supportive like “you protect your business, babe don’t sell out” and then on almost the next page he’s like “even though she’s my flesh and blood I have less interest in seeing her than surfing with the boys” I just think if he’s such a villain he should have been that from the start.
I like the idea of a story about a woman, crushing it in business, and I like that themes like imposter syndrome are brought up, as well as having no women in most of the board rooms, and Kit’s team of all female executives. I think we need more books with these themes for women. But this felt mostly autobiographical because of how much unnecessary detail was put into the business dealings (the Author has a skin care brand).
I think it’s a fine book but probably just a beach read.
Greta was fantastic though.