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lucybbookstuff's reviews
366 reviews
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such a delight!!!
So real, so hilarious, so human. I love contemporary fiction like this. Character-driven, but not trying to be a grand story or super experimental. I really like those sometimes too, but there is a special place in my heart for these simple stories about average people that just highlight the absolute ridiculousness of being human.
These characters were terminally charming and endearing. There's a quote on the cover that says "Say hello to your new favorite fictional family." Which sounds cheesy, but it's SO ACCURATE. I love them so much!! They're so dysfunctional and goofy but so full of love. And it really feels like I just stumbled upon this real family at a transitional moment for them. And I feel like I'm a part of it, or if I met them, they'd accept me, no questions, just hand me a drink and start prying into my personal life. And I'd happily tell them anything.
This book also contains some excellent representation for so many things. Queerness, mental illness, immigration, mixed families (in terms of relation and race/culture), Maori experiences (and some more general discussion of race/ethnicity). And it's all done without fanfare or being preachy. It's just a part of these characters' lives and is integrated seamlessly into the story. It also had a great sense of place. I've always wanted to visit New Zealand, but now I especially want to go, and use this book as a guide.
All of that also points towards how much of herself the author put into this book, and I always love to see that. She seems like an awesome person (I loved the acknowledgements page lol).
Just a couple small complaints that keep it from the full 5 stars (though we'll see, I may think about it more and decide it gets the full 5!).
1) Some of the dialogue, while charming, did feel a bit unrealistic.
2) I was mildly annoyed with the amount of things happening off page, and secrets being mentioned but withheld from me as the reader. I could tell it would all make sense to me eventually, but they kept piling up and it felt like a lot to keep track of.
Overall, I absolutely adored this book and I want everyone to read it right now!!
So real, so hilarious, so human. I love contemporary fiction like this. Character-driven, but not trying to be a grand story or super experimental. I really like those sometimes too, but there is a special place in my heart for these simple stories about average people that just highlight the absolute ridiculousness of being human.
These characters were terminally charming and endearing. There's a quote on the cover that says "Say hello to your new favorite fictional family." Which sounds cheesy, but it's SO ACCURATE. I love them so much!! They're so dysfunctional and goofy but so full of love. And it really feels like I just stumbled upon this real family at a transitional moment for them. And I feel like I'm a part of it, or if I met them, they'd accept me, no questions, just hand me a drink and start prying into my personal life. And I'd happily tell them anything.
This book also contains some excellent representation for so many things. Queerness, mental illness, immigration, mixed families (in terms of relation and race/culture), Maori experiences (and some more general discussion of race/ethnicity). And it's all done without fanfare or being preachy. It's just a part of these characters' lives and is integrated seamlessly into the story. It also had a great sense of place. I've always wanted to visit New Zealand, but now I especially want to go, and use this book as a guide.
All of that also points towards how much of herself the author put into this book, and I always love to see that. She seems like an awesome person (I loved the acknowledgements page lol).
Just a couple small complaints that keep it from the full 5 stars (though we'll see, I may think about it more and decide it gets the full 5!).
1) Some of the dialogue, while charming, did feel a bit unrealistic.
2) I was mildly annoyed with the amount of things happening off page, and secrets being mentioned but withheld from me as the reader. I could tell it would all make sense to me eventually, but they kept piling up and it felt like a lot to keep track of.
Overall, I absolutely adored this book and I want everyone to read it right now!!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I DID IT. It only took me 5 months. 💀
It was worth the time and effort, though. It really is an incredible story that stands the test of time. Witty and hilarious at times, tender and devastating at others. And always clearly showing Dumas's intelligence (and the skill of the translator!). It was such a fun revenge story, but ended up having some really beautiful morals as well. All told through a vibrant cast of characters.
I definitely struggled with the length of the book. There are a couple things I could have done without, though they are honestly mostly negligible (having come to the end, I really don't think I needed Luigi Vampa's entire life story 💀). I think what would have really helped me is if it were split into a trilogy. A trilogy with a bit of middle book syndrome would still have helped my brain think of it as less of a chore than the 1200 page tome. It definitely helped to do the ebook, but still.
That is mostly a me problem. I have a couple small gripes with some elements of the story, but those can probably all be chalked up to customs of the time period.
Overall, it was great and I'm really glad I powered through! I'll definitely reread someday and hopefully not struggle as much now that I know what's in store. :)
It was worth the time and effort, though. It really is an incredible story that stands the test of time. Witty and hilarious at times, tender and devastating at others. And always clearly showing Dumas's intelligence (and the skill of the translator!). It was such a fun revenge story, but ended up having some really beautiful morals as well. All told through a vibrant cast of characters.
I definitely struggled with the length of the book. There are a couple things I could have done without, though they are honestly mostly negligible (having come to the end, I really don't think I needed Luigi Vampa's entire life story 💀). I think what would have really helped me is if it were split into a trilogy. A trilogy with a bit of middle book syndrome would still have helped my brain think of it as less of a chore than the 1200 page tome. It definitely helped to do the ebook, but still.
That is mostly a me problem. I have a couple small gripes with some elements of the story, but those can probably all be chalked up to customs of the time period.
Overall, it was great and I'm really glad I powered through! I'll definitely reread someday and hopefully not struggle as much now that I know what's in store. :)
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really not sure how I feel. 😅 I'll try to process here.
I liked this. It is a great work of satire and definitely got me thinking about multiple things. The hellscape of the "art world," the standards of the early 2000s, the nondiscrimination of mental illness, codependency, etc.
I just feel that perhaps it was a bit too long? I sense that the repetitiveness was kind of the point, but it still felt somewhat unnecessary. I think this could have made a perfect novella. While I did like the themes of this book, I was kind of dragging myself through it by the end and didn't feel like contemplating the ending much.
On another note, I had no issues with following an unlikeable narrator (and largely unlikeable side characters). To me, it was very clear that she is a character invented to get the themes across. I didn't even once get the sense that the author condones any of the rancid behavior going on in this book.
One random thought I had is that this book reminds me of Catcher in the Rye. It's one of my favorite classics, but so many people seem to hate it for similar reasons that this book is hated. Both follow privileged but tragic main characters having mental breakdowns in NYC... The books get criticized for having unlikeable MCs when that is actually the point. I can understand not enjoying books with unlikeable narrators, but to call them objectively bad for it? Hard no.
I'm rambling now 💀
In summary: kind of a boring reading experience, but still a great satire.
I liked this. It is a great work of satire and definitely got me thinking about multiple things. The hellscape of the "art world," the standards of the early 2000s, the nondiscrimination of mental illness, codependency, etc.
I just feel that perhaps it was a bit too long? I sense that the repetitiveness was kind of the point, but it still felt somewhat unnecessary. I think this could have made a perfect novella. While I did like the themes of this book, I was kind of dragging myself through it by the end and didn't feel like contemplating the ending much.
On another note, I had no issues with following an unlikeable narrator (and largely unlikeable side characters). To me, it was very clear that she is a character invented to get the themes across. I didn't even once get the sense that the author condones any of the rancid behavior going on in this book.
One random thought I had is that this book reminds me of Catcher in the Rye. It's one of my favorite classics, but so many people seem to hate it for similar reasons that this book is hated. Both follow privileged but tragic main characters having mental breakdowns in NYC... The books get criticized for having unlikeable MCs when that is actually the point. I can understand not enjoying books with unlikeable narrators, but to call them objectively bad for it? Hard no.
I'm rambling now 💀
In summary: kind of a boring reading experience, but still a great satire.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
A 5 star memoir if ever there was one!
I put this on last night, figuring it would be my going audiobook for the next while... but then I literally sat and listened it to for 4 hours straight. I was enthralled. I picked it right back up (so to speak) and finished it this morning.
As a radio journalist, she has cultivated a real talent for storytelling, and it's on full display in this book. The way she set everything up and laid it out was emotional, informative, and thoroughly gripping. Her narration was also excellent. Not to mention the strength it must have taken to explore it this deeply. I was never bored for a second and I was always emotionally invested. Several of her healing moments brought me to tears.
I have some close friends with cPTSD and I truly feel like I can understand them better after reading this. The fact that they have to struggle with this for their entire lives, especially through no fault of their own, is enraging and total bullshit. But their commitment to healing is one of the most impressive feats of strength I'll ever witness.
I put this on last night, figuring it would be my going audiobook for the next while... but then I literally sat and listened it to for 4 hours straight. I was enthralled. I picked it right back up (so to speak) and finished it this morning.
As a radio journalist, she has cultivated a real talent for storytelling, and it's on full display in this book. The way she set everything up and laid it out was emotional, informative, and thoroughly gripping. Her narration was also excellent. Not to mention the strength it must have taken to explore it this deeply. I was never bored for a second and I was always emotionally invested. Several of her healing moments brought me to tears.
I have some close friends with cPTSD and I truly feel like I can understand them better after reading this. The fact that they have to struggle with this for their entire lives, especially through no fault of their own, is enraging and total bullshit. But their commitment to healing is one of the most impressive feats of strength I'll ever witness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Absolutely horrifying, gut-wrenching, important read.
My main takeaway from this book is that the horror lies not only in the atrocities themselves, but in the cover-up. The way that history can be manipulated to serve political interests. I became more and more outraged as I read this, not only about the horrible crimes being committed against the Chinese people, but that I knew nothing about it beforehand.
Not once was I taught in 18 years of formal education that the Japanese had any aggressive role to play in WWII apart from Pearl Harbor. (There's a larger problem here about my/our WWII education being VERY Western-centric, but I'll leave that for now.) It turns out that the Japanese Imperial forces committed crimes on par with the Nazis, and much of this was just swept under the rug.
I'm glad to learn more now, but it's enraging to contemplate the levels of propaganda and silencing that kept this from being common knowledge. And not just from Japan itself.
It's also horrifying to contemplate the perfect storm of factors that can lead to such atrocities. And how they're at work today.
All that aside. Chang did a great job of researching and laying out the information in a very readable format (despite the actual subject matter being extremely gruesome and often hard to read too much at once).
I highly recommend this to those who want to learn more, but it's not for the faint of heart. Do NOT read this if graphic depictions of every type of violence will harm your mental health.
My main takeaway from this book is that the horror lies not only in the atrocities themselves, but in the cover-up. The way that history can be manipulated to serve political interests. I became more and more outraged as I read this, not only about the horrible crimes being committed against the Chinese people, but that I knew nothing about it beforehand.
Not once was I taught in 18 years of formal education that the Japanese had any aggressive role to play in WWII apart from Pearl Harbor. (There's a larger problem here about my/our WWII education being VERY Western-centric, but I'll leave that for now.) It turns out that the Japanese Imperial forces committed crimes on par with the Nazis, and much of this was just swept under the rug.
I'm glad to learn more now, but it's enraging to contemplate the levels of propaganda and silencing that kept this from being common knowledge. And not just from Japan itself.
It's also horrifying to contemplate the perfect storm of factors that can lead to such atrocities. And how they're at work today.
All that aside. Chang did a great job of researching and laying out the information in a very readable format (despite the actual subject matter being extremely gruesome and often hard to read too much at once).
I highly recommend this to those who want to learn more, but it's not for the faint of heart. Do NOT read this if graphic depictions of every type of violence will harm your mental health.
![The Reckoning (Part 1 & 2) [DRAMATIZED VERSION] by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/zqwatq1b7tlpvukcor8drjp4g52d)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okaaayyyyy people say these books are laced with crack and I must say, in this third installment, I have found the crack they speak of!! And I am fully smoking it now! 😂😂
I couldn't even tell you where or how, but this one fully sucked me in at some point. At least from an entertainment/plot standpoint. I'm starting to get more into the characters too, but they're not the main draw just yet.
I just love how hard they lean into the camp and ridiculousness of this world they've created. It fully releases me from any need to use my critical analysis brain, and I can truly just have fun. I do look forward to more emotional investment, though!
I couldn't even tell you where or how, but this one fully sucked me in at some point. At least from an entertainment/plot standpoint. I'm starting to get more into the characters too, but they're not the main draw just yet.
I just love how hard they lean into the camp and ridiculousness of this world they've created. It fully releases me from any need to use my critical analysis brain, and I can truly just have fun. I do look forward to more emotional investment, though!
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not gonna lie, this was a bit of a slog for me. ðŸ˜
And it's not even necessarily the book's fault. The setting and Arthurian legend context were very interesting, Morgan was a likeable main character, and the prose was nice. I just struggle with myth retellings, and this was no exception.
The narrative voice of every myth retelling I've read (mainly feminist ones) just has a low-stakes life-story quality to it that keeps me from getting invested. I almost DNF'd this book because I was SO bored, and my brain fought me so hard every time I tried to read more than one chapter at a time.
On top of that, this is another me problem, but I just don't love feminine rage stories. I totally get why others do, but I almost invariably find that I don't need another heavy-handed reminder that the patriarchy sucks. Like yeah... I get it lol. I don't need the extra anger.
So yeah. I honestly don't know why I thought this feminist myth retelling would finally be the one to grab me, but it didn't. That said, if you are a fan of feminist myth retellings (or myth retellings in general, or you're just an Arthurian nerd), you'll enjoy this one. If you loved Circe and/or Kaikeyi, you'll love this one, too.
Currently undecided on if I'll continue the series, at least to get to the real meat of the Arthurian legend... but probably not.
And it's not even necessarily the book's fault. The setting and Arthurian legend context were very interesting, Morgan was a likeable main character, and the prose was nice. I just struggle with myth retellings, and this was no exception.
The narrative voice of every myth retelling I've read (mainly feminist ones) just has a low-stakes life-story quality to it that keeps me from getting invested. I almost DNF'd this book because I was SO bored, and my brain fought me so hard every time I tried to read more than one chapter at a time.
On top of that, this is another me problem, but I just don't love feminine rage stories. I totally get why others do, but I almost invariably find that I don't need another heavy-handed reminder that the patriarchy sucks. Like yeah... I get it lol. I don't need the extra anger.
So yeah. I honestly don't know why I thought this feminist myth retelling would finally be the one to grab me, but it didn't. That said, if you are a fan of feminist myth retellings (or myth retellings in general, or you're just an Arthurian nerd), you'll enjoy this one. If you loved Circe and/or Kaikeyi, you'll love this one, too.
Currently undecided on if I'll continue the series, at least to get to the real meat of the Arthurian legend... but probably not.
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I mainly read this as supplementary material to the movies, honestly. I'd decided a while ago that I didn't want to bother reading it because I was so sure it wouldn't be my thing. I was content with the Villeneuve movies, which I enjoy. But when I saw Dune Part II, it made me curious to get some of the inner monologue of the story. Because I could tell the movies were missing a bit of context.
I can say, I got some of that. Not nearly as much as I expected/wanted. And otherwise, I had mostly been right that it wasn't my thing.
I'm not saying it's bad. I see why hard sci-fi lovers swear by it and I can understand why it's revered as a foundational sci-fi classic. But it's just not my kind of story.
There were some interesting scenes that had me listening intently, but the macro storytelling was so boring to me. I find myself not even wanting to stop to contemplate its themes. There are plenty of works out there with the same themes that ALSO provide me with a gripping story and the interesting character work that I need in order to consider anything a favorite.
I also have to say - I never would have actually decided to pick it up if I hadn't discovered there is a full cast audiobook. I knew without a doubt that I'd never get through this story on paper. The full cast helped a lot BUT... why the hell was it advertised NOWHERE that the full cast only does like a quarter (MAYBE a third) of the chapters??? Most of it was still just read by the one narrator! Wtf?! And he was good, but I chose this for the full cast and then got short-changed. 😠And truly, the full cast sections held my attention SO much better. Urgh. Incredibly frustrating.
So yeah. Can't say I'm glad I read this or that it was worth the time, honestly. But it's objectively... fine.
I can say, I got some of that. Not nearly as much as I expected/wanted. And otherwise, I had mostly been right that it wasn't my thing.
I'm not saying it's bad. I see why hard sci-fi lovers swear by it and I can understand why it's revered as a foundational sci-fi classic. But it's just not my kind of story.
There were some interesting scenes that had me listening intently, but the macro storytelling was so boring to me. I find myself not even wanting to stop to contemplate its themes. There are plenty of works out there with the same themes that ALSO provide me with a gripping story and the interesting character work that I need in order to consider anything a favorite.
I also have to say - I never would have actually decided to pick it up if I hadn't discovered there is a full cast audiobook. I knew without a doubt that I'd never get through this story on paper. The full cast helped a lot BUT... why the hell was it advertised NOWHERE that the full cast only does like a quarter (MAYBE a third) of the chapters??? Most of it was still just read by the one narrator! Wtf?! And he was good, but I chose this for the full cast and then got short-changed. 😠And truly, the full cast sections held my attention SO much better. Urgh. Incredibly frustrating.
So yeah. Can't say I'm glad I read this or that it was worth the time, honestly. But it's objectively... fine.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the easiest 5 stars ever. 😱
I was sad to leave Fitz after the Farseer trilogy, but also excited to jump into Liveship Traders. I was ready to learn more about the world and dive headfirst into this multi-POV adventure!
And omg did it deliver!!! I am already so sad that we only follow the Liveship adventures for 3 books! So many intriguing plot points and fascinating characters introduced here, I could gladly follow them for much longer!
Hobb really proves here that she can do a thrilling plot, on top of the brilliant character and theme work that I already know she has mastered. I didn't doubt it; I have felt from early on in Assassin's Apprentice that she can do anything. But I still only had Farseer under my belt, which is a slower, more quietly perfect character study. A fantastic over-arching plot, yes, but not always a thrilling one.
But Ship of Magic...
• The same brilliant character work, even with over a dozen new characters on various journeys. Even the POVs we only got a few pages of were characterized so well and are so believable and interesting. Also loved getting some villain POVs, making them more fully-realized than Regal ever got to be. Hobb's deep understanding of humanity is still on full display here. And she shows so many different facets of it through so many different people.
• Fascinating expansion of the worldbuilding. New magics, new cultures, new maps. And it's all fleshed out and lush and so easy to picture and believe.
• Multiple thrilling, thoughtful, high-intrigue plotlines that are all on track to converge in what can only be explosive ways. (Some explosions may be quieter/more subtle than others... but explosions nonetheless. Shhh it makes sense in my head.)
• More absolutely stunning theme work as well. The themes that stand out to me the most are:
- 1) The exploration of autonomy/choice/control (or the lack thereof) through various scenarios like slavery, imprisonment, culture, parental confinement, etc. (Extra interesting to me because I feel that lack of choice is also a huge theme in Farseer.) She seems especially bent on making people understand the full horrors of slavery, which I appreciate so much.
- 2) The complete uselessness of misogyny. The cultures on display here are MUCH more overtly misogynistic than in the Six Duchies. And in pretty much every scenario, the reader can see how much goes wrong or is completely ruined by nonsensical misogyinistic worldviews. This is especially stark with basically every word and action from the character of Kyle Haven.
So... yeah. Robin Hobb is a genius. A once-in-a-lifetime talent. This trilogy is already incredible after 1 book. (Don't even get me started on how life-altering the full RotE series is going to be for me.) And I'm so so so excited to see where it goes from here... after a couple months, because I need to draw this series out as long as possible. 🥲
I was sad to leave Fitz after the Farseer trilogy, but also excited to jump into Liveship Traders. I was ready to learn more about the world and dive headfirst into this multi-POV adventure!
And omg did it deliver!!! I am already so sad that we only follow the Liveship adventures for 3 books! So many intriguing plot points and fascinating characters introduced here, I could gladly follow them for much longer!
Hobb really proves here that she can do a thrilling plot, on top of the brilliant character and theme work that I already know she has mastered. I didn't doubt it; I have felt from early on in Assassin's Apprentice that she can do anything. But I still only had Farseer under my belt, which is a slower, more quietly perfect character study. A fantastic over-arching plot, yes, but not always a thrilling one.
But Ship of Magic...
• The same brilliant character work, even with over a dozen new characters on various journeys. Even the POVs we only got a few pages of were characterized so well and are so believable and interesting. Also loved getting some villain POVs, making them more fully-realized than Regal ever got to be. Hobb's deep understanding of humanity is still on full display here. And she shows so many different facets of it through so many different people.
• Fascinating expansion of the worldbuilding. New magics, new cultures, new maps. And it's all fleshed out and lush and so easy to picture and believe.
• Multiple thrilling, thoughtful, high-intrigue plotlines that are all on track to converge in what can only be explosive ways. (Some explosions may be quieter/more subtle than others... but explosions nonetheless. Shhh it makes sense in my head.)
• More absolutely stunning theme work as well. The themes that stand out to me the most are:
- 1) The exploration of autonomy/choice/control (or the lack thereof) through various scenarios like slavery, imprisonment, culture, parental confinement, etc. (Extra interesting to me because I feel that lack of choice is also a huge theme in Farseer.) She seems especially bent on making people understand the full horrors of slavery, which I appreciate so much.
- 2) The complete uselessness of misogyny. The cultures on display here are MUCH more overtly misogynistic than in the Six Duchies. And in pretty much every scenario, the reader can see how much goes wrong or is completely ruined by nonsensical misogyinistic worldviews. This is especially stark with basically every word and action from the character of Kyle Haven.
So... yeah. Robin Hobb is a genius. A once-in-a-lifetime talent. This trilogy is already incredible after 1 book. (Don't even get me started on how life-altering the full RotE series is going to be for me.) And I'm so so so excited to see where it goes from here... after a couple months, because I need to draw this series out as long as possible. 🥲
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First thing's first, I read this in a day, and that was not hard to do at all. Some audio, some physical. The audiobook was pretty good and the physical book was a fast page-turner. It is worth mentioning that I was deliriously tired while reading the last 70 or so pages. 😅 But I was locked in and wanted to get it done. It may have made me kind of a maniac lol, but I don't think it changed how I would have felt about the book anyway.
So that said, I can definitely hand it to this book that it's a fast-paced and easy read. It makes a great palate cleanser. And for me, it had high entertainment value. But I didn't find much other value in it.
This book was a straight-up soap opera. 😂 It was all drama and no sense. I guessed practically everything long before it was revealed. The foreshadowing was about as subtle as a brick to the face. So every time a ~big reveal~ arrived, I just laughed or deadpanned. I'm pretty sure it was all meant to be very dramatic and emotional, but to me, it was mostly anticlimactic.
The strongest feelings I had about this book were abject hatred forboth Gabriel and Beth. Those two idiots deserve each other. Their young love (lust) was stupid and destined to fail, and so was their later affair. Frank deserved better, but also kinda chose to be a doormat. The happy ending (+ unintelligible poem 💀) was entirely undeserved and nonsensical to me.
At the end of the day, this just felt like another new release that was written for the sole purpose of being adapted for tv. I couldn't stop thinking throughout the book what a fun miniseries it would make, and that I'd find it much more interesting in that format.
It wasn't bad. There is absolutely a place for "book club" fiction like this (I read it for my book club lol). I just expect more from these books that get rave reviews and are haled as the next great lit fic. Just call it what it is: popcorn. There's nothing wrong with that.
So that said, I can definitely hand it to this book that it's a fast-paced and easy read. It makes a great palate cleanser. And for me, it had high entertainment value. But I didn't find much other value in it.
This book was a straight-up soap opera. 😂 It was all drama and no sense. I guessed practically everything long before it was revealed. The foreshadowing was about as subtle as a brick to the face. So every time a ~big reveal~ arrived, I just laughed or deadpanned. I'm pretty sure it was all meant to be very dramatic and emotional, but to me, it was mostly anticlimactic.
The strongest feelings I had about this book were abject hatred for
At the end of the day, this just felt like another new release that was written for the sole purpose of being adapted for tv. I couldn't stop thinking throughout the book what a fun miniseries it would make, and that I'd find it much more interesting in that format.
It wasn't bad. There is absolutely a place for "book club" fiction like this (I read it for my book club lol). I just expect more from these books that get rave reviews and are haled as the next great lit fic. Just call it what it is: popcorn. There's nothing wrong with that.