katelynelizabeth's review against another edition
5.0
Gah, 2020 is off to a great start with this book! It reminded me a lot of Jodi Piccoult books in that each chapter, I found myself sympathizing with a different character. Villains turned out to be people you empathized with and stories you thought were true turned out to be false as you realized you judged too correctly, without knowing the entire story. I couldn’t put this one down, bringing it with me on the car ride to the grocery store and trying to read by the baby’s dim night light. I couldn’t solve the mystery until the very end, which I always appreciate.
“Every human being was the result of a million different factors mixing together- one of a million sperm arriving at the egg exactly at the certain time ; even a millisecond off and an entirely different person would result. Good things and bad - every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness- resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential.” -page 348
Definitely already on my list of 2020 best reads.
“Every human being was the result of a million different factors mixing together- one of a million sperm arriving at the egg exactly at the certain time ; even a millisecond off and an entirely different person would result. Good things and bad - every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness- resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential.” -page 348
Definitely already on my list of 2020 best reads.
erica_mills3's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shutupiamreading's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What an incredible book - I cannot believe I had this on my TBR for 4 years and only read it now!
This book explores so many complex themes, including motherhood, immigration, disability, fertility, marriage, and it does so with incredible nuance. These characters were so multidimensional and complex, and while the mystery of the story definitely intrigued me, it wasn't the main point of the story. I love that this author never fell into stereotypes or cliches, and that she did the different experiences of immigration, infertility, parenthood, and disability so much justice without steering clear from the darker sides of these topics.
This book explores so many complex themes, including motherhood, immigration, disability, fertility, marriage, and it does so with incredible nuance. These characters were so multidimensional and complex, and while the mystery of the story definitely intrigued me, it wasn't the main point of the story. I love that this author never fell into stereotypes or cliches, and that she did the different experiences of immigration, infertility, parenthood, and disability so much justice without steering clear from the darker sides of these topics.
maggiegwen26's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ufcasey's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars!
This is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year! I am absolutely amazed that this was the debut novel for this author. This story reads as being very true to life and that's because it is - in the author interview at the end of the book she describes how so many parts of the book were part of her own real life experiences. And it shows, in the best way! The author struggled to integrate when immigrating to America as a child, she had experiences with using a 'miracle submarine' as an adult with her child, and she was a courtroom attorney. All of these things come into play in this story - along with an underlying mystery and characters that are painfully relatable.
This is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year! I am absolutely amazed that this was the debut novel for this author. This story reads as being very true to life and that's because it is - in the author interview at the end of the book she describes how so many parts of the book were part of her own real life experiences. And it shows, in the best way! The author struggled to integrate when immigrating to America as a child, she had experiences with using a 'miracle submarine' as an adult with her child, and she was a courtroom attorney. All of these things come into play in this story - along with an underlying mystery and characters that are painfully relatable.