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A review by hannahgjenson
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH this was SO good! So many juicy characters. I loved how the house was basically a character unto itself. So many hilarious and absurd details were built into that house like the bee hive and the bedroom fire pit that had to be tended every three hours or you'd get bombed by smoke. Beagin's writing style was so great- I really appreciated the way she zoomed in on minute details about a person or a place and extrapolated from there through Greta. I am now dying to become a sex therapy transcriptionist and move to Hudson and run around amongst all these crazy, wacky people causing drama. This book did have so many laughs and insane plot lines and devices, but was really centered around deep aching and trauma, and it all just sung together. I found so much of myself in these people living a life largely unlike my own, and that is such a good feeling in a book. What a great read!
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual content, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty