bookshelfhannah'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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Gun violence
lindsayseddon'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
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Gun violence
mahalia'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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide
mk4332's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Child death and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racial slurs
restlessreaderjay'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
4.0
This book falls into my personal Good For Her books - in terms specifically of her offing her husband. By the end of it, I was as bitter towards her husband as she was.
I thought the first few pages were a little slow. If you stick with it though, by page 20 you're into it. I think what I enjoyed most was the main character's descent into rage and despair - at times I almost wanted to shake with it myself. None of these characters are all that loveable. All of them are deeply flawed, all of them fucking suck in different ways, and all of them have chosen/been given shitty lots in life. I definitely recommend reading it, but not if you want a happy ending.
Graphic: Gun violence, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Vomit
elianawolfson'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
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, and Gun violence
milliebrierley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
cararock'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
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Child death
Minor: Murder, Vomit, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Grief, and Death
bugthebard'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Gun violence, and Child death
bookmaddie's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The narrator of the story is a very honest, straightforward young woman who hasn't experienced much in life. As she develops a relationship with a man—her husband who she kills on the very first page of the story—she begins to understand the intricacies of relationships and the difference between daydreams and reality. While she does daydream a lot, I appreciated how forthright she was in her narration and in her interactions with others.
The narrative is circular, in a way, and I loved how the story wrapped around itself as it went on. Once the initial shock of the story wears off, this story is one of relationships and offers a detailed exploration of how we interact with each other and the many ties that exist between people and bind them together. While this is a very short book, Ginzburg accomplishes a lot and I am very eager to read more of her work.
Graphic: Child death and Gun violence