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lilydoyle6's Reviews (1.47k)
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
this book was tender, funny, and queer. i hated that all the names were so similar because it got confusing at times and i kept flipping to the guide and still had some trouble. especially at the end. i guess it’s a story of the bittersweet nature that things change but can’t stay the same. i was glad to see how their stories turned out. a fun read and i liked the māori representation as well.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
just read this. i can’t come up with words to properly say how well written it is. sharp, brutal, necessary. i like her style
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i love when women scam and cheat and lie for a little fun. ivy is that character. i do feel like this book was a lot of the same without anything that interesting happening, i think the author could’ve really leaned in, but i enjoyed it regardless. i see a girl who was willing to do whatever she needed to do to survive, get a leg up, & achieve what she thought would make her feel better (even though she really had no clue). i saw part of the ending coming & then the final twist was a bit like “really?” but i guess it makes sense?
overall a good middle of the road book.
overall a good middle of the road book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
this book was a vulnerable and honest look into her life as an undocumented child in new york. the trials and tribulations and trauma of what that means and how to survive. at times, i felt so heartbroken and sad that this was her reality - and so many people’s realities today - and wanted better for her and her family. i’m glad we got to see a glimpse of that at the end.
this definitely reads like a debut and while the story of her childhood was interesting & important to read, the story felt unbalanced since we didn’t get to see anything past their life once they moved to canada. i don’t want to minimize her experience and childhood, but most of the book was repetitive and told the same story with different actions, which goes back to the repetitive, unbalanced feel to the book.
a great memoir to read and happy to get the feeling from the acknowledgements section that her life turned out beyond her wildest dreams. but i feel like to get the full impact of her story, it would’ve been nice to read about how her childhood dreams mentioned in the story came true. or to see a resolution to the wrist issue that was mentioned several times. it shows a reality of the “american dream”: that people come here for a better life, and this country offers next to no support & causes people to be fearful & looking over their shoulders, working difficult jobs with terrible pay, etc. it takes a lot for that dream to come true and i’m glad it seems qian’s comes true.
but a good, impactful, quick memoir to read.
this definitely reads like a debut and while the story of her childhood was interesting & important to read, the story felt unbalanced since we didn’t get to see anything past their life once they moved to canada. i don’t want to minimize her experience and childhood, but most of the book was repetitive and told the same story with different actions, which goes back to the repetitive, unbalanced feel to the book.
a great memoir to read and happy to get the feeling from the acknowledgements section that her life turned out beyond her wildest dreams. but i feel like to get the full impact of her story, it would’ve been nice to read about how her childhood dreams mentioned in the story came true. or to see a resolution to the wrist issue that was mentioned several times. it shows a reality of the “american dream”: that people come here for a better life, and this country offers next to no support & causes people to be fearful & looking over their shoulders, working difficult jobs with terrible pay, etc. it takes a lot for that dream to come true and i’m glad it seems qian’s comes true.
but a good, impactful, quick memoir to read.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i enjoyed this book. dark academia setting, compelling mystery of what happened, what is currently happening, & how it’s going to be resolved. plus the unexpected sapphic plot was fun if not a little sad? but the heart of the mystery was horrific and sad. i felt the ending was a bit rushed & cliche & i felt like it could’ve done with 50 more pages. but glad everyone seemed to have ended up well all things considered.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
beautifully written stories as can be expected by lahiri. i found a lot of these stories to be about the same people & topics: ivy league educated, rich, immigrants with family issues. some stories more compelling the others, some still lacking a certain something to allow you to sink your teeth into the story - like a craving you can’t name. overall, a fine read if you like stories & complicated families.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
giving emily henry anything under 5 stars seems sacrilegious. i fee like this lacked the usual EH charm/banter/magic/snarkiness i usually devour. there was just so much packed into this book that i felt like it didn't have time to let anything breathe or develop. 3 star EH is <i> still </i> better than most any other romance book out there, though.
i loved the characters and they are fun, flawed, relatable, and people i think i'd be friends with. they deal with real shit, baggage, and still come through the other side. the plot of this is definitely fun and i liked it. i just wish it was longer or edited down to not contain so much.
overall still pretty good but not my favorite eh.
i loved the characters and they are fun, flawed, relatable, and people i think i'd be friends with. they deal with real shit, baggage, and still come through the other side. the plot of this is definitely fun and i liked it. i just wish it was longer or edited down to not contain so much.
overall still pretty good but not my favorite eh.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow start to this book. it was kind of boring? i really wanted to like it and thought it’d have more. i feel like the characters were not quite all there in terms of depth - i wanted another layer. but i also get how getting super close to others and finding yourself is hard under these circumstances. i also feel like for all the closeness and consistency the characters had with each other, they were able to cast each other aside quite easily.
it had an interesting plot and unfortunately not much happened. it’s a coming of age story, which i can partly see, but i feel like no one really grows up or finds anything out except life sucks then you die? and there isn’t any resolution.
idk. conflicting feelings lol
it had an interesting plot and unfortunately not much happened. it’s a coming of age story, which i can partly see, but i feel like no one really grows up or finds anything out except life sucks then you die? and there isn’t any resolution.
idk. conflicting feelings lol