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sadiebroussard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don’t particularly like this book but at the same time, I think it is well written and beautiful at times. I don’t usually give .5 in my reviews - 3 for books I don’t like and 4 for books I do. This one gets a 3.5.
This novel just isn’t for me. I’m not a mother and will never be in this lifetime. The story, at its core, is about motherhood. I understand the many themes of motherhood in the book and can sympathize with Grace. However, I can’t relate to her or empathize with her pain.
This novel is dark. Grace is in a lot of pain for most of the novel. I feel like I was baited and then switched. This is not a funny, light-hearted read like it is advertised to be. The story deals with some very heavy and serious topics. I didn’t laugh reading this book, I cried. It was heart-wrenching and I found it to be very depressing.
That being said, the novel is very well written. The plot device of flipping back and forth from the past and present worked really well. It felt like a mystery for 75% of the story. It was fun, I tried to figure out why people acted in certain ways and did certain things. The descriptive language throughout the book was beautiful at times and always made me feel like I was right there with Grace the entire time. It was like watching a movie.
This novel just isn’t for me. I’m not a mother and will never be in this lifetime. The story, at its core, is about motherhood. I understand the many themes of motherhood in the book and can sympathize with Grace. However, I can’t relate to her or empathize with her pain.
This novel is dark. Grace is in a lot of pain for most of the novel. I feel like I was baited and then switched. This is not a funny, light-hearted read like it is advertised to be. The story deals with some very heavy and serious topics. I didn’t laugh reading this book, I cried. It was heart-wrenching and I found it to be very depressing.
That being said, the novel is very well written. The plot device of flipping back and forth from the past and present worked really well. It felt like a mystery for 75% of the story. It was fun, I tried to figure out why people acted in certain ways and did certain things. The descriptive language throughout the book was beautiful at times and always made me feel like I was right there with Grace the entire time. It was like watching a movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Sexual assault, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Mental illness, and Police brutality
bootrat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I enjoyed some parts of this book, but there were lots of aspects I didn't like. Firstly that it was far too slow, and poorly paced. We don't find out one of the major plot points about Grace's life until over 250 pages in, and it just seemed to come out of nowhere. The fact that the book jumped between three timelines just made me impatient to find out what the hell was going on (mainly with Lotte), so even as I was enjoying reading the other timelines I was wanting to skip them to get to Lotte.
Lotte's plotline was unfortunately very recognisable to me (and I predicted what was coming), which made it quite hard to read. I also detested the way it was handled by every adult in the book. As somebody who works with kids and in safeguarding I was screaming.
I think my biggest gripe with this book though is that from the blurb and the start of the book it seems fairly lighthearted, just a book struggling with getting older and with her relationship with her daughter, but then as a reader you're suddenly thrown into these quite dark situations without expecting it. It didn't fit the vibe.
I also hate that all of Graces problems are just blamed on ~hormones, when actually she's inches away from a mental breakdown (which imo is what the "current day" timeline documents). It felt quite misogynistic, even though it was written by a woman and presumably based somewhat on her own experience of peri-menopause. Grace really needs to see a therapist, instead of blaming all her actions and thoughts on the hormonal changes in her body.
If you want to read this book, absolutely check the trigger warnings first.
Lotte's plotline was unfortunately very recognisable to me (and I predicted what was coming), which made it quite hard to read. I also detested the way it was handled by every adult in the book. As somebody who works with kids and in safeguarding I was screaming.
I think my biggest gripe with this book though is that from the blurb and the start of the book it seems fairly lighthearted, just a book struggling with getting older and with her relationship with her daughter, but then as a reader you're suddenly thrown into these quite dark situations without expecting it. It didn't fit the vibe.
I also hate that all of Graces problems are just blamed on ~hormones, when actually she's inches away from a mental breakdown (which imo is what the "current day" timeline documents). It felt quite misogynistic, even though it was written by a woman and presumably based somewhat on her own experience of peri-menopause. Grace really needs to see a therapist, instead of blaming all her actions and thoughts on the hormonal changes in her body.
If you want to read this book, absolutely check the trigger warnings first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence and Police brutality
erinsca's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I wanted so badly to like this book but I really hated it. Some of the prose was really beautiful and the way the author described the struggle of middle aged womanhood and parenting was really lovely, but the plot, pacing, timeline, and events were unbearable.
This poor woman loses a burgeoning career because of an unplanned pregnancy and everything goes downhill from there. Her second child dies in an accident, her husband cheats while she is drowning in grief, her first daughter has an affair with a teacher, and in the end her husband and daughter leave her. The book is set in a single day with flashbacks interspersed and even that day is traumatic with a sexual assault on a bus and so much pain. In the end she’s arrested and there’s some familial resolution but I was so frustrated and demoralized by the end that the paltry amount of redemption was not enough to counterbalance the misery that was this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual assault
prairieraven's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Wish this book came with reader warnings for trauma responses (which start to happen part way through the book) starts out a bit fun, but as time goes on the story becomes wildly unhinged, and switches from amusing to beyond heartbreaking.
Not sure of this story affected me more because I'm a parent of children/some now adults, or because I have my own traumas and mental health issues. The main characters are all flawed like real people and make the best and worst decisions like we all do.
I read this all in one sitting, started at 11pm and finished at 2 am. The storyline hooks start early with this one and pull all the way through. Heartbreaking all the way through to the end.
Not sure of this story affected me more because I'm a parent of children/some now adults, or because I have my own traumas and mental health issues. The main characters are all flawed like real people and make the best and worst decisions like we all do.
I read this all in one sitting, started at 11pm and finished at 2 am. The storyline hooks start early with this one and pull all the way through. Heartbreaking all the way through to the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
ehoots's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Mental illness
staylorreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming
gcarlson94's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rounding up to a four. The books starts out in a way I’m thinking is going to be cute. It’s anything but. It’s arduous, and I was annoyed for a big part of it because it seemed like everything was being dragged out too slowly between the three timelines. But when everything was finally revealed, I realized it needed to take all this time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
camchorse's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.5
Fran Littlewood's debut book uses a triple timeline format to chronicle what has led Grace Adams to the place of desperation she now finds herself in. Her daughter's 16th birthday has given her a reason to prove that she is still amazing and worthy of love. Unfortunately, despite Grace's best intentions, her journey to help her daughter celebrate her birthday is riddled with a series of unfortunate events.
The timeline jumps back and forth between 2002, four months before now and now. The previous time periods explain how Grace has ended up in her current predicament. I found the frequent jumping back and forth to be a little confusing. I could not always keep the details straight and the some of the situations Grace found herself in seemed to be far fetched.
Readers who enjoyed Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will likely enjoy this one too. I found myself feeling impatient with the chaos surrounding Grace whether it was warranted or not.
Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this one.
Thanks to the Macmillan Audio Influencer Program for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
The timeline jumps back and forth between 2002, four months before now and now. The previous time periods explain how Grace has ended up in her current predicament. I found the frequent jumping back and forth to be a little confusing. I could not always keep the details straight and the some of the situations Grace found herself in seemed to be far fetched.
Readers who enjoyed Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will likely enjoy this one too. I found myself feeling impatient with the chaos surrounding Grace whether it was warranted or not.
Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this one.
Thanks to the Macmillan Audio Influencer Program for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy
readwithsabs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Sadly this one was not for me. It was a slow long drawn out read. I had committed to 50% read before I knew I was not going to love it. I think the main reason it didn't work for me is because the author simply tried to tackle far too many sensitive themes ans in my opinion not in any great detail, therefore did not do any of them well. It was incredibly melodramatic with an unlikeable protagonist in Grace Adams and her teenage daughter Lotte. Told in present day with flashbacks to storytell how the events of Grace's past have effected her and bringing it around to her current situation.
I guess the author was trying to explore the importance of womanhood and all the nuances around being a strong woman.
I guess the author was trying to explore the importance of womanhood and all the nuances around being a strong woman.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Sexual harassment