kmpodgorski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Cancer
tsodeur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Death, Self harm, Abandonment, Grief, and Mental illness
morganw33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity and Abandonment
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent
lavatea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Abandonment
graceboyd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
cakeroo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The originality of the plot of One Italian Summer appealed to me quite a bit, but nothing else lived up to my expectations. The characters were boring and their experiences read a bit like wish fulfillment (with the exception of the mother's death). Who wouldn't want to spend a summer in Italy eating amazing food, drinking wine all day, going dancing, falling for a handsome & wealthy stranger? The heavier aspects of the novel were overshadowed by the romantic ideal of an Italian summer. In addition to being boring, I found some of the characters' actions to be reprehensible.
Spoiler
The main character cheats on her husband but it isn't treated as such. The main character's mother abandons her infant daughter to party in Italy for a summer and everyone excuses this behavior after the initial (and very short lived) feeling of betrayal. Personally, I think it's dangerous and reductive to contribute to the narrative that a woman's life and sense of self stops the moment she has a child. Women continue to be individuals after becoming mothers. They can also continue to change and grow without having to abandon their families. I think there is much more to be gained in having children than lost, and it would have been nice if the book had explored that moreI think the author's writing really shined when she wrote about grief. The passages about Katy's depression during her mother's illness, and the subsequent anger and grief, were really moving. She didn't shy away from the dark thoughts that can come from grieving. I also enjoyed her descriptions of setting. In the end, I think this author is probably a decent writer and I will likely give her another chance.
Edit: I knocked this down from 2.5 to 2 stars because I remembered that Katy unironically mentions shopping at Erewhon.
Moderate: Abandonment and Cancer
This book contains cheating in a marriage.butle2em's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment and Infidelity
reasek's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Abandonment
ktv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
The spicy scenes weren't even spicy but I was still in shock, jaw dropped, hand over my mouth and everything. I think it was mostly due to it being narrated to me.
6/6/23 edit: this wasn't as good as i thought immediately after reading. i decided to change my rating because i recently finished tfgsc. i didn't take that much off the original rating (4.25) because of the fact that it was my first audiobook and i had a good experience with it.
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Cancer, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment