mssamanthanagel 's review for:

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

5.0

emotional reflective medium-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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I enjoyed this book a lot - for many of the reasons it was given bad reviews, in fact! The main character is flawed, but I found her character study thorough and detailed. The author obviously put a lot of thought into this character, because she felt so alive to me. It's long, yes, with a lot of storylines of times in her life. For some, this is why the story felt slow or dragged on, but for me, it was how I really got to know the main character. I deeply related to the main character, and also saw a lot of my mother in it as well, and the overlap of relating and recognizing gave me empathy for my mother who is passed. The themes of motherhood, womanhood, childhood trauma, friendship, and desire wove together perfectly.