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sophiecountsclouds's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism
mswarning's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
3.25
It was really sweet, but not a lot happened. It's definitely a slowburn with little payoff. The ptsd portrayal was nice to see and pretty realistic so at least there's that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Vomit, and Alcohol
jennysometimesjen's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This was a re-read after re-reading The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.
I really enjoyed the story of Laura. Through the book she dealt with a lot of trauma, horrible ex and finally dealing with her mental health. The romance with Impossibly Handsome Bob is slow - they are lovely as friends but it's nice to have a happily ever after.
Nina and Polly appear in this book (both introduced in Bookish Life...) and their characters develop more. Nina has her backstory and I love how she interacts with Laura. Polly is a key player in Laura's new life, but it's great to see more of her.
I'd love a story focusing on Polly (with more Nina and Laura) but I think the series is finished.
Abbi Waxman is a fantastic writer (and introduces me to new words - not so many that it's difficult to read but just enough that you want to make sure you definitely have the right definition from the context). She's so funny and the writing is immersive.
I really enjoyed the story of Laura. Through the book she dealt with a lot of trauma, horrible ex and finally dealing with her mental health. The romance with Impossibly Handsome Bob is slow - they are lovely as friends but it's nice to have a happily ever after.
Nina and Polly appear in this book (both introduced in Bookish Life...) and their characters develop more. Nina has her backstory and I love how she interacts with Laura. Polly is a key player in Laura's new life, but it's great to see more of her.
I'd love a story focusing on Polly (with more Nina and Laura) but I think the series is finished.
Abbi Waxman is a fantastic writer (and introduces me to new words - not so many that it's difficult to read but just enough that you want to make sure you definitely have the right definition from the context). She's so funny and the writing is immersive.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Vomit, and Medical content
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
First all, I love Abbi Waxman's work and was really looking forward to this one and all in all it delivered. I loved the "found family" feeling, but I did find myself frustrated with the omniscient narrator. This isn't an uncommon narration style for Waxman, but I just felt like it bounced around to so many people and there are so many asides for comic relief that are cute, but I felt a bit pulled away from who I was supposed to care about.
I also found myself frustrated with how slow Laura's character development happened. She's clearly dealing with a lot and I absolutely love how Waxman approached what she's facing, but I would have loved to see glimmers of growth throughout the story, rather than it all just being suggested at the end.
I also feel like the clearly toxic and frankly abusive relationships that Laura deals with are glossed over in exchange for just saying that Laura doesn't like confrontation.
It was nice for all of the characters from Waxman's previous LA books to come together, I just felt like by focusing on everyone else, I lost my focus on Laura who I was hoping to really partner with throughout the story. But the romance was sweet, the friendships are top-notch, and Waxman is a master of writing animals which is a skill that should be more appreciated.
I also found myself frustrated with how slow Laura's character development happened. She's clearly dealing with a lot and I absolutely love how Waxman approached what she's facing, but I would have loved to see glimmers of growth throughout the story, rather than it all just being suggested at the end.
It was nice for all of the characters from Waxman's previous LA books to come together, I just felt like by focusing on everyone else, I lost my focus on Laura who I was hoping to really partner with throughout the story. But the romance was sweet, the friendships are top-notch, and Waxman is a master of writing animals which is a skill that should be more appreciated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
kayyphan's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Vomit, and Pregnancy
rebeccap's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism
theespressoedition's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
Typically, I wait a few days before writing a review after I've finished reading a book. However, I'm making an exception for Adult Assembly Required because I loved this book so much I couldn't wait longer than five minutes before putting my thoughts into words.
First of all, Abbi Waxman never fails me. I have absolutely adored every book I've read by her so far (and I only have one left to catch up on from her backlist). This is a feat that not many other authors have been able to accomplish - yes, even my favorites. So thank you, Abbi, for always knowing exactly what to write. Your books feel like a giant hug or comforting mug of tea or something else equally cozy and heartwarming.
While Laura may be portrayed as the protagonist of this book, I'd vouch that there is no true "main character" and that's what makes this book so lovely. Unlike so many other books that follow just one person per chapter, Adult Assembly Required was like standing in the middle of a room filled with people and being able to hear all of their thoughts at once. Okay, terrible example because that sounds like an awful experience. I'm trying to say something good here!
The book is written in the third person, but no singular individual is the focus of any chapter. Instead, at any given moment, you have the chance to understand what's going on from Maggie's perspective, or Polly's, or even Bob's, and it's lovely. It provides a really atmospheric feeling to the entire book and makes you feel like you're just one of the many members of the household. Rather than reading about lounging by the pool, I was dipping my toes in as well. Instead of just reading about a car ride, I was in the passenger seat. It was so immersive and unique and I loved every minute of it.
In addition to the creative method of storytelling, I loved that we were able to sneak a peek into the lives of characters from Abbi's other books! Oh, how this made my heart jump for joy. Whether it was the first moment of hearing the name "Impossibly Handsome Bob" again or witnessing Nina in passionate fact-vomiting mode or even hilariously outspoken Claire introducing herself for the first time, it just made me feel the warm fuzzies all over. This wonderful cast is so precious and no matter who you are, you'll find yourself relating to at least someone!
Of course, as always, I appreciated the wonderful representation of anxiety and how it was navigated. While it was super frustrating to hear the way that the people in Laura's previous life talked about her, belittled her, gaslighted her, and generally made her feel as though she wasn't worthy of feeling her feelings, I was grateful for how other stood up for her and helped her get to a better place. Everyone had their own struggles throughout the book, whether it was social anxiety, alcoholism, estranged relationships, or something else - they were, each and every one of them, so real and relatable. The camaraderie in the house and the support of each person was so special and made me tear up while laughing aloud. The best combination, if you ask me!
I could truly go on forever about how sweet this book. Do yourself a favor and give it a read!
First of all, Abbi Waxman never fails me. I have absolutely adored every book I've read by her so far (and I only have one left to catch up on from her backlist). This is a feat that not many other authors have been able to accomplish - yes, even my favorites. So thank you, Abbi, for always knowing exactly what to write. Your books feel like a giant hug or comforting mug of tea or something else equally cozy and heartwarming.
While Laura may be portrayed as the protagonist of this book, I'd vouch that there is no true "main character" and that's what makes this book so lovely. Unlike so many other books that follow just one person per chapter, Adult Assembly Required was like standing in the middle of a room filled with people and being able to hear all of their thoughts at once. Okay, terrible example because that sounds like an awful experience. I'm trying to say something good here!
The book is written in the third person, but no singular individual is the focus of any chapter. Instead, at any given moment, you have the chance to understand what's going on from Maggie's perspective, or Polly's, or even Bob's, and it's lovely. It provides a really atmospheric feeling to the entire book and makes you feel like you're just one of the many members of the household. Rather than reading about lounging by the pool, I was dipping my toes in as well. Instead of just reading about a car ride, I was in the passenger seat. It was so immersive and unique and I loved every minute of it.
In addition to the creative method of storytelling, I loved that we were able to sneak a peek into the lives of characters from Abbi's other books! Oh, how this made my heart jump for joy. Whether it was the first moment of hearing the name "Impossibly Handsome Bob" again or witnessing Nina in passionate fact-vomiting mode or even hilariously outspoken Claire introducing herself for the first time, it just made me feel the warm fuzzies all over. This wonderful cast is so precious and no matter who you are, you'll find yourself relating to at least someone!
Of course, as always, I appreciated the wonderful representation of anxiety and how it was navigated. While it was super frustrating to hear the way that the people in Laura's previous life talked about her, belittled her, gaslighted her, and generally made her feel as though she wasn't worthy of feeling her feelings, I was grateful for how other stood up for her and helped her get to a better place. Everyone had their own struggles throughout the book, whether it was social anxiety, alcoholism, estranged relationships, or something else - they were, each and every one of them, so real and relatable. The camaraderie in the house and the support of each person was so special and made me tear up while laughing aloud. The best combination, if you ask me!
I could truly go on forever about how sweet this book. Do yourself a favor and give it a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism and Vomit
readwithvirginia's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an eARC in exchange for a review.
This one was a treat! A classic coming of age, discovering what it means to be an adult read. Laura has moved to LA from New York leaving behind an over-bearing and protective family, ex-fiancé, and the picture of a life they all had for her. She is stepping out on her own for the first time and well a few days in her apartment catches fire and she has no where to go. So what does she do? Head to a bookstore (that girl had the right thought process there). From there we meet a parade of wonderful characters that help Laura discover who she is and help her find her place in this crazy world.
Being an adult makes NO SENSE and this book helps you see a young woman learning that for the first time. It’s okay to ask for help and try new things. None of us have any idea what we are doing so we have to lean on each other to get anywhere.
Also the airport scene was so worth the wait 🥰
The only thing that kept me from making this 5 stars was that I did get confused while reading a few times since you can hear all of the characters thoughts at once. It was odd being in everyone’s head. I ended up appreciating it but it took awhile for me to get used to especially since there were so many individual characters.
I haven’t read any other Abbi Waxman but trust that I cannot wait to go find out more about these characters especially Nina!
This one was a treat! A classic coming of age, discovering what it means to be an adult read. Laura has moved to LA from New York leaving behind an over-bearing and protective family, ex-fiancé, and the picture of a life they all had for her. She is stepping out on her own for the first time and well a few days in her apartment catches fire and she has no where to go. So what does she do? Head to a bookstore (that girl had the right thought process there). From there we meet a parade of wonderful characters that help Laura discover who she is and help her find her place in this crazy world.
Being an adult makes NO SENSE and this book helps you see a young woman learning that for the first time. It’s okay to ask for help and try new things. None of us have any idea what we are doing so we have to lean on each other to get anywhere.
Also the airport scene was so worth the wait 🥰
The only thing that kept me from making this 5 stars was that I did get confused while reading a few times since you can hear all of the characters thoughts at once. It was odd being in everyone’s head. I ended up appreciating it but it took awhile for me to get used to especially since there were so many individual characters.
I haven’t read any other Abbi Waxman but trust that I cannot wait to go find out more about these characters especially Nina!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism