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amyvl93's reviews
902 reviews
Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a weirdly addictive reading experience for me; is it a masterpiece? Nope. But there's something about Sussman's writing that had me eating Once More with Feeling up.
Loosely inspired (it seems) on Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake; Once More with Feeling is a second-chance romance/enemies-to-lovers story following Kathleen Rosenberg who once performed as teen favourite Katee Rose, before breaking up with her boyfriend Ryan the lead singer of a boyband after cheating on him with Cal another member of the group and being thrown to the tabloid dogs. Many years later, Kathleen and Cal are thrown together again when he signs on to direct the musical that is Kathleen's chance to achieve her childhood dream.
As someone who loves musicals, I was probably pre-disposed to enjoy a book that is set backstage and contains loads of references to musicals and I enjoyed how unapologetic it was in even the most niche references.
It was blindingly obvious how the story was going to work out from the beginning of the novel, and most of the supporting characters aren't hugely well developed but either way I enjoyed myself reading this. I did feel that Cal didn't quite do enough reckoning with the past of his and Kathleen's relationship, however, he was a fairly inoffensive male romantic lead and I liked how into Kathleen he was. I enjoyed Kathleen as a character, her self-assuredness felt quite refreshing.
This was a fun time!
Loosely inspired (it seems) on Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake; Once More with Feeling is a second-chance romance/enemies-to-lovers story following Kathleen Rosenberg who once performed as teen favourite Katee Rose, before breaking up with her boyfriend Ryan the lead singer of a boyband after cheating on him with Cal another member of the group and being thrown to the tabloid dogs. Many years later, Kathleen and Cal are thrown together again when he signs on to direct the musical that is Kathleen's chance to achieve her childhood dream.
As someone who loves musicals, I was probably pre-disposed to enjoy a book that is set backstage and contains loads of references to musicals and I enjoyed how unapologetic it was in even the most niche references.
It was blindingly obvious how the story was going to work out from the beginning of the novel, and most of the supporting characters aren't hugely well developed but either way I enjoyed myself reading this. I did feel that Cal didn't quite do enough reckoning with the past of his and Kathleen's relationship, however, he was a fairly inoffensive male romantic lead and I liked how into Kathleen he was. I enjoyed Kathleen as a character, her self-assuredness felt quite refreshing.
This was a fun time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Sexism
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Praise be to long train journeys as I tore through this novel in a couple of sittings, and so enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of Dolly Alderton's non-fiction, but found Ghosts kind of forgettable so was a little nervous about Good Material. But I needn't have been.
Good Material follows Andy, a would-be comedian in his 30s, who is reeling from his break-up from his girlfriend of almost five years Jen. The novel follows him over the course of 2019 as he attempts to come to terms with the break-up, what could have caused it, and what life could look like alone.
I just found so much connection to the emotions in this novel. Andy isn't particularly likeable, but I recognised a lot of his behaviour, granted from break-ups in my early 20s rather than now, so was perhaps more tolerant of his actions than others...until we get 200 pages in and he's still unable to do any self reflection. The other characters that we meet feel well-crafted too; Andy's friends embody toxic masculinity in a deeply frustrating way, as the idea of being vulnerable is just the worse possible thing, the women Andy dates are portrayed in a complicated way (that he consistently misses) and I loved his professional sceptic housemate/landlord Morris.
The change in perspective we get in the final part of the novel is a lovely twist as Jen gets to take more of a centre stage - again, the decisions she makes felt so true that it gave me a mild existential crisis (as someone who has also been single for most/all of their 20s and entered a relationship in my 30s) but I guess that's a credit to Alderton's ability to really nail those complicated feelings.
Good Material is just that, and I'm glad to have read it as my first truly 2024 read.
Good Material follows Andy, a would-be comedian in his 30s, who is reeling from his break-up from his girlfriend of almost five years Jen. The novel follows him over the course of 2019 as he attempts to come to terms with the break-up, what could have caused it, and what life could look like alone.
I just found so much connection to the emotions in this novel. Andy isn't particularly likeable, but I recognised a lot of his behaviour, granted from break-ups in my early 20s rather than now, so was perhaps more tolerant of his actions than others...until we get 200 pages in and he's still unable to do any self reflection. The other characters that we meet feel well-crafted too; Andy's friends embody toxic masculinity in a deeply frustrating way, as the idea of being vulnerable is just the worse possible thing, the women Andy dates are portrayed in a complicated way (that he consistently misses) and I loved his professional sceptic housemate/landlord Morris.
The change in perspective we get in the final part of the novel is a lovely twist as Jen gets to take more of a centre stage - again, the decisions she makes felt so true that it gave me a mild existential crisis (as someone who has also been single for most/all of their 20s and entered a relationship in my 30s) but I guess that's a credit to Alderton's ability to really nail those complicated feelings.
Good Material is just that, and I'm glad to have read it as my first truly 2024 read.
When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Michael Forsythe, Walt Bogdanich
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.5
It's always slightly strange to read a book about the industry you work in. I've been a management consultant for a little over five years, working for small boutique consultancies. It's an industry whose reputation has largely been shaped by those that are less ethical, and McKinsey comes top of the list of murky companies who despite scandal after scandal, remain hugely popular with businesss and governments alike. When McKInsey Comes to Town shines a perhaps unwitting light on exactly why their popularity endures.
Bogdanovich and Forsythe structure their book through several case studies examining the impact of McKinsey on areas ranging from Disney to Saudi Arabia, via post-apartheid South Africa and the NHS. The sprawling nature of McKinsey's business interests is undeniable, and the firm cling to 'internal walls' to justify the fact that they repeatedly work for different competitors, and business regulators and governments. Each case study broadly follows the same structure - challenge identified, McKinsey is hired, makes changes (usually with some negative impact), one (or more) consultant involved has an ethical dilemma and quits...McKinsey moves on unchanged. I get the sense this structure may suit reading more than listening - as it did start to get a little repetitive with time.
However, these case studies highlight just why McKinsey is so popular - they centre the ask of the client above all else. Where a clients wants may have wider impacts, these are simply ignored - meaning (generally) clients get what they want and unsurprisingly continue to hire them. I would have liked a bit more from Bogdanovich and Forsythe interrogating the context that has business and in some cases governments place efficiency and profit above all else. McKinsey may not have many moral qualms in enabling this to happen but the businesses themselves are hardly innocent parties.
The sections in this book I found the most compelling (and damning) were focused on the company involvement in pharmaceuticals, supporting the Saudi Arabian government and designing UK health policy. However, to some extent much of this had already been researched and reporting on prior to this book - and I'd have liked a few more revelations - although conscious I'm quite a niche audience.
When McKinsey Comes to Town is a good introduction to the unethical practices of some of our largest and most powerful businesses, although is light on solutions. It remains to be seen if further negative attention on McKinsey will make any meaningful difference to the company's bottom line.
Bogdanovich and Forsythe structure their book through several case studies examining the impact of McKinsey on areas ranging from Disney to Saudi Arabia, via post-apartheid South Africa and the NHS. The sprawling nature of McKinsey's business interests is undeniable, and the firm cling to 'internal walls' to justify the fact that they repeatedly work for different competitors, and business regulators and governments. Each case study broadly follows the same structure - challenge identified, McKinsey is hired, makes changes (usually with some negative impact), one (or more) consultant involved has an ethical dilemma and quits...McKinsey moves on unchanged. I get the sense this structure may suit reading more than listening - as it did start to get a little repetitive with time.
However, these case studies highlight just why McKinsey is so popular - they centre the ask of the client above all else. Where a clients wants may have wider impacts, these are simply ignored - meaning (generally) clients get what they want and unsurprisingly continue to hire them. I would have liked a bit more from Bogdanovich and Forsythe interrogating the context that has business and in some cases governments place efficiency and profit above all else. McKinsey may not have many moral qualms in enabling this to happen but the businesses themselves are hardly innocent parties.
The sections in this book I found the most compelling (and damning) were focused on the company involvement in pharmaceuticals, supporting the Saudi Arabian government and designing UK health policy. However, to some extent much of this had already been researched and reporting on prior to this book - and I'd have liked a few more revelations - although conscious I'm quite a niche audience.
When McKinsey Comes to Town is a good introduction to the unethical practices of some of our largest and most powerful businesses, although is light on solutions. It remains to be seen if further negative attention on McKinsey will make any meaningful difference to the company's bottom line.
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Babel and RF Kuang as an author generally has been all over social media for the past year, and I finally had to jump on the bandwagon - and I'm really glad I did. Babel follows Robin, a young man pulled from his home in Canton by a professor at a speculative 1800s Oxford to study at the famed Babel Translation Institute. There he meets his fellow students Ramy, Victoire and Letty and they become swept up in Babel and it's famed silver-making. However, when Robin is contacted by the mysterious Hermes Society, he begins to understand that Babel stands for more than just language for its own sake.
Knowing a bit about colonialism but nothing about linguistics, I found a lot of the content of this novel to be very interesting. I know some have critiqued Kuang for not adding anything 'new' to the conversation, but just shining a light on the way languages are connected was of great interest to me - and by extension I could understand how the Babel scholars could be sucked into this world of language and the power that it holds.
I did find the world building overall to be a mixed picture - Oxford, Babel as an institution and Canton as a location all felt incredibly drawn. It almost feels strange to know that the Babel tower is not a fixture at Oxford; and the descriptions had me picturing the mini-series adaptation in my head. That being said, I found the fantasy or speculative elements to be a little less well developed. I couldn't always quite get a grip on how silver had truly created a difference between the British Empire depicted in the novel, and the British Empire as it is existed in reality. It also felt like we got an awful lot of exposition as if Kuang occasionally forgot herself about the fantasy elements and had to remind us all that they existed. The fantasy of it all comes to the fore more in the final parts of the novel, but I almost feel like the translation element could have been enough in itself. The comparison to Philip Pullman in some reviews had me expecting a little more in world building, especially as this is marketed as an Adult fantasy (which I also think is somewhat unnecessary, and that younger readers could definitely enjoy this too).
Character-wise, the central quartet felt fully realised. Robin, Ramy, Victoire and Letty were all characters I cared about, was frustrated by and their individual journeys all felt authentic (if at times rather heavily signposted). The side characters did at times feel a little more one-dimensional, and there to serve representative points; but that didn't make them any less impactful on the narrative as it unfolded.
So depsite that wobbly word-building, I really enjoyed Babel and look forward to reading more of Kuang's writing in the future.
Knowing a bit about colonialism but nothing about linguistics, I found a lot of the content of this novel to be very interesting. I know some have critiqued Kuang for not adding anything 'new' to the conversation, but just shining a light on the way languages are connected was of great interest to me - and by extension I could understand how the Babel scholars could be sucked into this world of language and the power that it holds.
I did find the world building overall to be a mixed picture - Oxford, Babel as an institution and Canton as a location all felt incredibly drawn. It almost feels strange to know that the Babel tower is not a fixture at Oxford; and the descriptions had me picturing the mini-series adaptation in my head. That being said, I found the fantasy or speculative elements to be a little less well developed. I couldn't always quite get a grip on how silver had truly created a difference between the British Empire depicted in the novel, and the British Empire as it is existed in reality. It also felt like we got an awful lot of exposition as if Kuang occasionally forgot herself about the fantasy elements and had to remind us all that they existed. The fantasy of it all comes to the fore more in the final parts of the novel, but I almost feel like the translation element could have been enough in itself. The comparison to Philip Pullman in some reviews had me expecting a little more in world building, especially as this is marketed as an Adult fantasy (which I also think is somewhat unnecessary, and that younger readers could definitely enjoy this too).
Character-wise, the central quartet felt fully realised. Robin, Ramy, Victoire and Letty were all characters I cared about, was frustrated by and their individual journeys all felt authentic (if at times rather heavily signposted). The side characters did at times feel a little more one-dimensional, and there to serve representative points; but that didn't make them any less impactful on the narrative as it unfolded.
So depsite that wobbly word-building, I really enjoyed Babel and look forward to reading more of Kuang's writing in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Islamophobia, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter
emotional
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
2.0
Cat Lady is the story of Mia who on the service has it all - a great job at a jewellery brand, a loving husband and the love of her life, Pigeon. However on closer inspection, she feels surrounded by (mostly) idiots at work, her husband's ex-wife is always in their home and she prefers to sleep in her own room with her cat than with her husband. When these fractures finally get pushed to the surface, Mia needs to decide what she wants her life to look like.
This is a novel which is marketed as being heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, and I can only assume that I am not O'Porter's target audience because I found zero parts of this book to be funny. There are definitely lines that are 'quirky' and 'weird' but these generally made me feel uncomfortable rather than amused. Some parts of it are moving, but that is largely because I am a sucker for people talking about how much they love their pets, especially when they are deceased.
Mia is a tough character to like - she's rigid and makes crazy snap judgements about people (seeing a girl reading a Cosmo magazine in the doctors she assumes she must have an STD) and her relationship with Pigeon borders on the inappropriate. Given the narrative of the story, I wanted to root for her but, despite the tragic backstory which is slowly revealed, I found it very hard to. I found her sister a much more compelling character to be following. On that note, many of the secondary characters (with perhaps the exception of Mia's husband and his ex-wife) do feel well drawn and bring their own personalities to the page.
The novel does pick up once things start to fall apart, but this isn't until around 60% of the novel, and there's a rather unrealistic neatness to the way that the book ends which felt a bit too sickly sweet given the tone of the rest of the novel, and missed an opportunity to give Mia her own life.
If you enjoyed novels like Eleanor Oliphant and are looking for a mediation on grief and forging your own path this may be for you, just don't expect this to be a fun read.
This is a novel which is marketed as being heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny, and I can only assume that I am not O'Porter's target audience because I found zero parts of this book to be funny. There are definitely lines that are 'quirky' and 'weird' but these generally made me feel uncomfortable rather than amused. Some parts of it are moving, but that is largely because I am a sucker for people talking about how much they love their pets, especially when they are deceased.
Mia is a tough character to like - she's rigid and makes crazy snap judgements about people (seeing a girl reading a Cosmo magazine in the doctors she assumes she must have an STD) and her relationship with Pigeon borders on the inappropriate. Given the narrative of the story, I wanted to root for her but, despite the tragic backstory which is slowly revealed, I found it very hard to. I found her sister a much more compelling character to be following. On that note, many of the secondary characters (with perhaps the exception of Mia's husband and his ex-wife) do feel well drawn and bring their own personalities to the page.
The novel does pick up once things start to fall apart, but this isn't until around 60% of the novel, and there's a rather unrealistic neatness to the way that the book ends which felt a bit too sickly sweet given the tone of the rest of the novel, and missed an opportunity to give Mia her own life.
If you enjoyed novels like Eleanor Oliphant and are looking for a mediation on grief and forging your own path this may be for you, just don't expect this to be a fun read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood
emotional
funny
reflective
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
3.0
This novel felt like a mash-up of Lessons in Chemistry and all those novels about messy heroines, only this one is in her 40s. Grace was a languages prodigy, winning national competitions and finding herself propelled into quiz show presenter fame. Now, she's 45 and desperately trying to get her 16-year-old daughter to connect with her again.
We are told this story in three timelines; we have the 'now', the day of Lottie her daughter's 16th birthday, a few months earlier where we start to get insights as to why the relationships on the page are in the state that they are now, and going way back to the start of Grace's career and when she meets Ben, Lottie's father. These timelines are generally effectively used; though there were times when I wanted to go back to understanding the relationships, rather than reading about Grace's present day 'snap' which mostly consisted of her shouting at people as she walked through a heatwave to Lottie's birthday.
I did appreciate Littlewood discussing the impact of aging on women's lives within this novel, and who is and isn't seen, and who gets to hold space publicly as they age - particularly when children are added into the picture. I felt that the depictions of the mother/daughter relationship often felt very real. I felt the event that sat behind Lottie and Grace's estrangement was dealt with well - even if I'm not sure other character's reactions felt particularly understandable.
There is, however, at times almost too much going on in this novel and some of those layers weren't always effective. I had to re-read a couple of sections to understand the source of tension between Grace and Ben. I'm also tiring slightly of female characters in novels being open about not wanting children and then the plot being that they have them anyway.
We are told this story in three timelines; we have the 'now', the day of Lottie her daughter's 16th birthday, a few months earlier where we start to get insights as to why the relationships on the page are in the state that they are now, and going way back to the start of Grace's career and when she meets Ben, Lottie's father. These timelines are generally effectively used; though there were times when I wanted to go back to understanding the relationships, rather than reading about Grace's present day 'snap' which mostly consisted of her shouting at people as she walked through a heatwave to Lottie's birthday.
I did appreciate Littlewood discussing the impact of aging on women's lives within this novel, and who is and isn't seen, and who gets to hold space publicly as they age - particularly when children are added into the picture. I felt that the depictions of the mother/daughter relationship often felt very real. I felt the event that sat behind Lottie and Grace's estrangement was dealt with well - even if I'm not sure other character's reactions felt particularly understandable.
There is, however, at times almost too much going on in this novel and some of those layers weren't always effective. I had to re-read a couple of sections to understand the source of tension between Grace and Ben. I'm also tiring slightly of female characters in novels being open about not wanting children and then the plot being that they have them anyway.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Miscarriage
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Spotify's recent expansion into audiobooks finally tempted me to properly listen to one, and Fern Brady's memoir popped up and seemed like a good place to start. Strong Female Character hinges on Fern's very late diagnoses of Autism, in her mid-30s, and then looks back over her childhood and young adulthood as she experiences symptoms which are either ignored, explained away or treated as a symptom of something else.
This is a memoir that has left me thinking about it for days after I finished listening to it. I think Autism is still incredibly poorly understood, and Brady does a great job at effectively bringing her experience vividly to the page (and audio). Obviously one person's experience isn't necessarily indicative of every young woman with ASD's, but I appreciated how unflinching Brady was in sharing her experiences, and ultimately the insights from her therapist when she is finally able to find a healthcare professional who recognises and appropriately treats her symptoms.
The book also covers Brady's experience growing up in working class Scotland, and how she looked to both literature & education and then stand-up comedy as ways to get herself out of this environment. She reflects on the gender dynamics at play in her home community which I found interesting, as were her insights into the still very male-dominated comedy circuit.
The only aspect of the memoir that I didn't always jive with was that it often felt like the women in Brady's life receive far greater criticism than the men - including men who quite literally try to kill her. I'm not sure if this comes from a sense of women should be supporting women; and Brady sometimes makes some compelling points about gender dynamics, but a lot of this seems to be dismissed at an individual level. I would have liked a little more nuance her, but I can also understand that Brady was let down by a lot of women in positions of hierarchy and power as she grew up.
On the whole though this is a really great memoir, and would recommend listening to it on audio to get the full experience. It's one I'll definitely be thinking about.
This is a memoir that has left me thinking about it for days after I finished listening to it. I think Autism is still incredibly poorly understood, and Brady does a great job at effectively bringing her experience vividly to the page (and audio). Obviously one person's experience isn't necessarily indicative of every young woman with ASD's, but I appreciated how unflinching Brady was in sharing her experiences, and ultimately the insights from her therapist when she is finally able to find a healthcare professional who recognises and appropriately treats her symptoms.
The book also covers Brady's experience growing up in working class Scotland, and how she looked to both literature & education and then stand-up comedy as ways to get herself out of this environment. She reflects on the gender dynamics at play in her home community which I found interesting, as were her insights into the still very male-dominated comedy circuit.
The only aspect of the memoir that I didn't always jive with was that it often felt like the women in Brady's life receive far greater criticism than the men - including men who quite literally try to kill her. I'm not sure if this comes from a sense of women should be supporting women; and Brady sometimes makes some compelling points about gender dynamics, but a lot of this seems to be dismissed at an individual level. I would have liked a little more nuance her, but I can also understand that Brady was let down by a lot of women in positions of hierarchy and power as she grew up.
On the whole though this is a really great memoir, and would recommend listening to it on audio to get the full experience. It's one I'll definitely be thinking about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, and Medical content
The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Hating Game meets Hallmark Christmas movies.
I've never read any of O'Leary's books before but this arrived in a book subscription service and is set around the festive period so felt like a good one to read.
The novel follows Izzy, who is sparkly & cute & quirky but still grappling with what her life looks now that her friends have moved further away and Lucas who is (inexplicably) Brazilian, muscly and grumpy. They both work at a crumbling hotel in the New Forest as receptionists, and have always had a spikey relationship which was exacerbated a year ago when Izzy confessed her attraction to him in a Christmas card only to find him kissing her ex-housemate. This year, the crumbling hotel is facing financial ruin, forcing Izzy and Lucas to work together to save the place they both love.
We follow the story in dual perspectives between Izzy and Lucas which means we learn pretty quickly into the novel that they are in fact not enemies to lovers, but two people who both fancy the pants of each other but despite being grown adults working in a communication-based industry are horrendously unable to communicate. Whilst at first this was fine, the commitment to the miscommunication throughout the novel just became increasingly grating. I didn't get the giddy feeling I have gotten before when romance protagonists are flirting because I just wanted to bash their silly heads together.
What did make this novel fun was both the setting and the secondary characters. O'Leary injects fun into the whole cast of other characters in the novel, from the hotel's owners, the other staff, the guests staying and others Izzy and Lucas meet along the way. The only characterisation which is a little obvious is the antagonist, who you knew was trouble from the first time he appeared on page. As someone who spent a lot of time on holiday as a child in the New Forest, I also appreciated the glimpses of the hotel and its surrounds on the page too.
A cute read, but one that would maybe be best as a popcorn Netflix film, rather than sinking too much time into reading.
I've never read any of O'Leary's books before but this arrived in a book subscription service and is set around the festive period so felt like a good one to read.
The novel follows Izzy, who is sparkly & cute & quirky but still grappling with what her life looks now that her friends have moved further away and Lucas who is (inexplicably) Brazilian, muscly and grumpy. They both work at a crumbling hotel in the New Forest as receptionists, and have always had a spikey relationship which was exacerbated a year ago when Izzy confessed her attraction to him in a Christmas card only to find him kissing her ex-housemate. This year, the crumbling hotel is facing financial ruin, forcing Izzy and Lucas to work together to save the place they both love.
We follow the story in dual perspectives between Izzy and Lucas which means we learn pretty quickly into the novel that they are in fact not enemies to lovers, but two people who both fancy the pants of each other but despite being grown adults working in a communication-based industry are horrendously unable to communicate. Whilst at first this was fine, the commitment to the miscommunication throughout the novel just became increasingly grating. I didn't get the giddy feeling I have gotten before when romance protagonists are flirting because I just wanted to bash their silly heads together.
What did make this novel fun was both the setting and the secondary characters. O'Leary injects fun into the whole cast of other characters in the novel, from the hotel's owners, the other staff, the guests staying and others Izzy and Lucas meet along the way. The only characterisation which is a little obvious is the antagonist, who you knew was trouble from the first time he appeared on page. As someone who spent a lot of time on holiday as a child in the New Forest, I also appreciated the glimpses of the hotel and its surrounds on the page too.
A cute read, but one that would maybe be best as a popcorn Netflix film, rather than sinking too much time into reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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 went to Athens earlier this year and it left me very intrigued as to the more recent history of the city, and Those Who Are Loved provided me with that insight, focusing largely on the occupation of the city and the ensuing Greek civil war which I'll admit to knowing very little about.
The novel follows the life of Themis, a teenager growing up with her three older siblings in Athens. Following the (literal) collapse of their family home, they move in with her Grandmother, their mother is admitted to a mental hospital and their father abandons the family. The siblings find themselves split on political lines with the coming war and occupation, a split which continues after the conflict. Inspired by what she witnessed during the occupation, Themis joins the Communists, fighting with them and then being arrested by the government.
This is a sprawling novel, and Hislop has clearly spent a long time researching the history of this period. At times, this meant the novel's pace took a bit of a nosedive and at times it felt like a bit of a slog. It also sometimes turned characters into slight ciphers as they exist to represent specific experiences, rather than being nuanced characters in themselves.
That being said, I found the content in this undeniably moving and interesting, and Hislop does a very even handed job of portraying a conflict whose aftermath can still be seen in the city and Greek politics today. I certainly left this novel ready to read more about this period.
The novel follows the life of Themis, a teenager growing up with her three older siblings in Athens. Following the (literal) collapse of their family home, they move in with her Grandmother, their mother is admitted to a mental hospital and their father abandons the family. The siblings find themselves split on political lines with the coming war and occupation, a split which continues after the conflict. Inspired by what she witnessed during the occupation, Themis joins the Communists, fighting with them and then being arrested by the government.
This is a sprawling novel, and Hislop has clearly spent a long time researching the history of this period. At times, this meant the novel's pace took a bit of a nosedive and at times it felt like a bit of a slog. It also sometimes turned characters into slight ciphers as they exist to represent specific experiences, rather than being nuanced characters in themselves.
That being said, I found the content in this undeniably moving and interesting, and Hislop does a very even handed job of portraying a conflict whose aftermath can still be seen in the city and Greek politics today. I certainly left this novel ready to read more about this period.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Torture, Xenophobia, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Death of parent
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I've been intrigued by this novel since Hank announced its release way back in 2018. I'm a huge fan of his brother John's novels, so was interested to see the direction that Hank took his writing in, and there's quite a lot to like in An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.
The novel follows April May, who one evening stumbles across a huge statue on the streets of New York. Along with one of her friends she uploads a video of it to YouTube which, when other statutes (or Carls) appear across the world, places her at the centre of a media storm as governments and people grapple with whether the Carls are friend or foe.
I read this novel very much as YA - I'm not sure what audience it was written for, but it definitely read to me in terms of pace and depth as being a novel that would be great for older teenagers. Written in 2018, it discusses many themes that Green himself has spoken about over the years - largely on the role of media, the role that social media can play and the strange space that someone with A Platform exists within as people look to them for opinions and takes. It also satirises the 24 hour, pundit-led news cycle well. I did find the overall world building to be a little flat, and made me start to lose interest as the novel progressed.
April May is also not your typical heroine, she's not immediately likeable and frequently makes choices which made me want to reach into the novel and shake her. However, it was refreshing to read from this perspective, she felt very honest - she knows what she's good at and she knows what's she bad at, and that felt refreshing compared to heroines of yore who were always surprised by their own talent. I also enjoyed the characterisation of her friends that become drawn into the Carls, especially her on-off girlfriend who was one of the few characters who could speak truth to her growing power.
I did find the ending and its cliff hanger to be a bit messy, and the novel didn't quite make me want to rush and pick up the next one but shout out to the Green brothers for being a power sibling duo.
The novel follows April May, who one evening stumbles across a huge statue on the streets of New York. Along with one of her friends she uploads a video of it to YouTube which, when other statutes (or Carls) appear across the world, places her at the centre of a media storm as governments and people grapple with whether the Carls are friend or foe.
I read this novel very much as YA - I'm not sure what audience it was written for, but it definitely read to me in terms of pace and depth as being a novel that would be great for older teenagers. Written in 2018, it discusses many themes that Green himself has spoken about over the years - largely on the role of media, the role that social media can play and the strange space that someone with A Platform exists within as people look to them for opinions and takes. It also satirises the 24 hour, pundit-led news cycle well. I did find the overall world building to be a little flat, and made me start to lose interest as the novel progressed.
April May is also not your typical heroine, she's not immediately likeable and frequently makes choices which made me want to reach into the novel and shake her. However, it was refreshing to read from this perspective, she felt very honest - she knows what she's good at and she knows what's she bad at, and that felt refreshing compared to heroines of yore who were always surprised by their own talent. I also enjoyed the characterisation of her friends that become drawn into the Carls, especially her on-off girlfriend who was one of the few characters who could speak truth to her growing power.
I did find the ending and its cliff hanger to be a bit messy, and the novel didn't quite make me want to rush and pick up the next one but shout out to the Green brothers for being a power sibling duo.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia and Death