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A review by carsonelainee
Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst
2.0
In premise, Homebodies seems like the perfect book for the cultural moment. But in execution, I found it lacking.
After reading the synopsis, I was expecting a novel of searing commentary and a brutal and fast past plot filled with relatability. Almost immediately after starting the audiobook, I found that I was not digging this book.
After searching through Goodreads and only seeing five-star reviews, I definitely felt like I was an outlier until the deeper I scrolled the more reviews I found from people who felt exactly like me. I felt very vindicated in my thoughts.
My main problem with this book was how much of a no-plot, just vibes book that it was. But the bad thing was that there weren't even vibes. Just whiney characters laying around all day complaining. Which in the context of what plot there is, I understand is a little problematic for me to say - but I honestly didn't have any sympathy for the main character.
Let me explain - I think that the circumstances under which the main character was fired are horrible. Firing her in order, to essentially, hire a newer shinier version of her is incredibly problematic. But I do think that Mickey kind of let it happen to herself. She didn't put up a fight when she found out there was a possibility she might get fired. She moped around and put on a woe-is-me act. After being fired she then sits around her apartment moping while making everyone around her miserable. She then moves back to her hometown and makes everyone there miserable too.
Mickey is just a very unlikeable character. It is hard to feel any sympathy for her as a character outside of the circumstances of her firing. I couldn't root for her or feel sympathy for her. And when you are reading a book that is lacking in plot, you need to at least be able to root for the characters, and I just couldn't do that.
I also was expecting to read something similar to Such a Fun Age by Kiley Rid, which I LOVED. Where there is a big exposé (video in Such a Fun Age) which is the catalyst for a lot of the plot. That was not the case. Mickey's article doesn't even really come into play until the last 20% of the book. She spends 80% of the book pouting and I just couldn't get behind it.
Unfortunately, Homebodies just wasn't the book for me.
After reading the synopsis, I was expecting a novel of searing commentary and a brutal and fast past plot filled with relatability. Almost immediately after starting the audiobook, I found that I was not digging this book.
After searching through Goodreads and only seeing five-star reviews, I definitely felt like I was an outlier until the deeper I scrolled the more reviews I found from people who felt exactly like me. I felt very vindicated in my thoughts.
My main problem with this book was how much of a no-plot, just vibes book that it was. But the bad thing was that there weren't even vibes. Just whiney characters laying around all day complaining. Which in the context of what plot there is, I understand is a little problematic for me to say - but I honestly didn't have any sympathy for the main character.
Let me explain - I think that the circumstances under which the main character was fired are horrible. Firing her in order, to essentially, hire a newer shinier version of her is incredibly problematic. But I do think that Mickey kind of let it happen to herself. She didn't put up a fight when she found out there was a possibility she might get fired. She moped around and put on a woe-is-me act. After being fired she then sits around her apartment moping while making everyone around her miserable. She then moves back to her hometown and makes everyone there miserable too.
Mickey is just a very unlikeable character. It is hard to feel any sympathy for her as a character outside of the circumstances of her firing. I couldn't root for her or feel sympathy for her. And when you are reading a book that is lacking in plot, you need to at least be able to root for the characters, and I just couldn't do that.
I also was expecting to read something similar to Such a Fun Age by Kiley Rid, which I LOVED. Where there is a big exposé (video in Such a Fun Age) which is the catalyst for a lot of the plot. That was not the case. Mickey's article doesn't even really come into play until the last 20% of the book. She spends 80% of the book pouting and I just couldn't get behind it.
Unfortunately, Homebodies just wasn't the book for me.