pippppp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
nicole_schmidt094's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aurie1000's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
I might have rated this higher if it had been shorter and if I had read rather than listened to as I feel Annabell would have had a different less jarring voice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Addiction
jcuneo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rachaelrace's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookworme's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Charmed by all the POVs and how much I get out of this story from our different narrators, i appreciate them all. I’m a real fan of how Ruth Ozeki crafts a story and ties the bow at the end of the book! highly rec
abbyperryman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
lararomano's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
bookish_emi's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
danibee33's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what can I say?? This book came to life in front of my eyes, literally. The book itself being one of the characters/narrators of this story added such a cool dimension to an already captivating storyline and characters. Additionally, another Marie Kondo type book (Tidy Magic: The Ancient Zen Art of Clearing Your Clutter and Revolutionizing Your Life) weaves in and out of the plotline in such cool and unique ways, where the book itself, the story it tells, and the author play their own entwined yet separate roles in the lives of Benny and his mother.
The story itself is SO unique and felt Murakami-esque, but in perhaps a more relatable way. It is about grief, isolation, emptiness, and the things the human mind does to fill in the spaces left behind after loss. It is also about the nature of reality and what our society considers to be "normal" human behaviors, patterns, and thoughts. I think there is so much genius in the way Ruth Ozeki writes and how she melts metaphor seamlessly into her narrative.
I loved the vivid and bold characters in this book, the emotional frustration and pain we go through witnessing Benny and his mother's struggles, and the way the nature of love is portrayed as both a beautiful, nurturing, life-sustaining thing, while also having shades of destructive, painful, and problematic aspects to it.
Overall a very hard to describe book, but it was well-worth the time it took to read.
The story itself is SO unique and felt Murakami-esque, but in perhaps a more relatable way. It is about grief, isolation, emptiness, and the things the human mind does to fill in the spaces left behind after loss. It is also about the nature of reality and what our society considers to be "normal" human behaviors, patterns, and thoughts. I think there is so much genius in the way Ruth Ozeki writes and how she melts metaphor seamlessly into her narrative.
I loved the vivid and bold characters in this book, the emotional frustration and pain we go through witnessing Benny and his mother's struggles, and the way the nature of love is portrayed as both a beautiful, nurturing, life-sustaining thing, while also having shades of destructive, painful, and problematic aspects to it.
Overall a very hard to describe book, but it was well-worth the time it took to read.