A review by sarahweyand
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I guess I should start by saying I don't think this book is for everyone, and if you hate it, I can totally understand why. Much like Go as a River, which I also read this month, this book doesn't feel like it has much of a plot to it. More of a hard-hitting slice-of-life. I just happen to really relate to some of what's brought up here due to my career as a woman in tech.

I enjoyed the prose and the audiobook narration, and I was eager to know what would happen next even if I couldn't discern what the conflict was, if there even was one. I just felt like in another life, it could be me, and that was a captivating thought.

The *gimmick* of this book that I'm not totally sure I understood was the black hole. I can appreciate it as a metaphor and motif and its purpose thematically - in theory - but it felt like it didn't play enough of a role in the story. I was just expecting more, so that was a bit of a let-down.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised here. I probably wouldn't recommend it to most folks, but I appreciate it for what it is.
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