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yights 's review for:
Great Big Beautiful Life
by Emily Henry
The last hundred or so pages had me like, where’s Jodi?? And then somehow I completely forgot about Theo. But that’s ok, Alice needed to forget about him too.
I appreciate a book with multiple threads that weave around the core of the story to reinforce it, even as they seem to be leading in different directions. I also quite liked the two main characters and found the details which made them unique did a good job of distancing them from the usual tropes in small but distinct ways, with charm. As individuals, they’re engaging and the idea of them together I find makes for an exciting pair — but the reality of them on the page I felt didn’t quite reach its full potential. It’s close! But there were a few too many moments where the tension seemed cut before it could fully build or I found myself rolling my eyes at a reaction that one had to the other. Still, I think with this type of book a lot comes down to personal preference. And the writing itself is certainly clean.
The only other item to catch my attention was the quick ending. Which, I really do mean the end-end. The last 15 pages or so blasted onward but easily could have taken far more space. I didn’t need the book on the whole to be longer, but that final coming together is such a peak moment for this form of narrative that I was surprised not to get time to sit with it. Though I could have done without the actual last chapter / final 3ish pages.
Overall, it’s cozy and curious, which I think are two quite fun qualities for a story.
Edit: I forgot to mention! Some of the celebrity events will feel very familiar to tragedies that have happened to real well-known people. One in particular I haven’t quite processed my thoughts on.
I appreciate a book with multiple threads that weave around the core of the story to reinforce it, even as they seem to be leading in different directions. I also quite liked the two main characters and found the details which made them unique did a good job of distancing them from the usual tropes in small but distinct ways, with charm. As individuals, they’re engaging and the idea of them together I find makes for an exciting pair — but the reality of them on the page I felt didn’t quite reach its full potential. It’s close! But there were a few too many moments where the tension seemed cut before it could fully build or I found myself rolling my eyes at a reaction that one had to the other. Still, I think with this type of book a lot comes down to personal preference. And the writing itself is certainly clean.
The only other item to catch my attention was the quick ending. Which, I really do mean the end-end. The last 15 pages or so blasted onward but easily could have taken far more space. I didn’t need the book on the whole to be longer, but that final coming together is such a peak moment for this form of narrative that I was surprised not to get time to sit with it. Though I could have done without the actual last chapter / final 3ish pages.
Overall, it’s cozy and curious, which I think are two quite fun qualities for a story.
Edit: I forgot to mention! Some of the celebrity events will feel very familiar to tragedies that have happened to real well-known people. One in particular I haven’t quite processed my thoughts on.