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juleseliasw's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
maggiefrankhsu's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A disappointment. I read this bc I’m interested in stories about mothers who “abandon” their families and all the complexity that ensues. This just doesn’t work very deeply on that level, or any other. Paper-thin characters, other than Bernadette herself, who had complexity but the author basically abandoned all that nuance in the final pages. None of the turning points/flashes of insight from any of the characters made sense to me, particularly the minor characters (Audrey and Soo-Lin). In addition to these problems this book contains a lot of weirdly racist moments that troubled me. I did like the epistolary structure. The book was very well structured and fast-paced. I just wanted the author to allow Bernadette her complexity, in the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Body shaming, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma
sinceslicedbread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
I really enjoyed all of the moving parts of this book. My only complaint is the ending. I think Sue Lynn getting pregnant was unnecessary and left a lot to be desired at the end. How would this affect the characters’ relationships?
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
scottyreadsstuff's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
This was quite the ride!! 😊
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
196ahunt's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
NO CHAPTERS. I say this first because it was so annoying to me when I started out. Luckily, it grew on me and I really enjoyed the story. However, the ending?! So much left unseen. We didn’t see her find out about the (you know what if you read the book). So, how am I supposed to know what to make of their relationship and their ultimate ending???
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
berniemcbear's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Racism
camiskye's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racism
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
I went into the book not knowing what to expect, which made it all the more fun to read! There were a lot of interesting twists that I can honestly say that I didn't see coming. I think all of the characters were fascinating messes of flaws and virtues, which made all the more invested in their stories. It kept me guessing, and it made me keep turning the pages!
I should explain why I gave it a 3 out of 5 rating (in no particular order): I think the ending was rushed and a tad sloppy. And there are a few loose ends I would've liked seen tied up(like Soo-Lin's baby!?) . There was also a completely unnecessary Christian bent to it that got shoved into the narrative in the last quarter of the book. And also some casual racism and hatred against the poor and the homeless that jarred me out of the narrative on more than one occasion. Also, the whole Russian mafia angle was never brought up after the intervention. Surely they couldnt just go about unaffected by the fact that their identities/SSNs, addresses, and account numbers, etc. were stolen? .
It was an enjoyable read, but it definitely needed another round of edits.
I should explain why I gave it a 3 out of 5 rating (in no particular order): I think the ending was rushed and a tad sloppy. And there are a few loose ends I would've liked seen tied up
It was an enjoyable read, but it definitely needed another round of edits.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Animal cruelty
sonyareadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Medical content
Minor: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Racism, and Suicide
aliciareads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Was going to give this four stars until the last 60ish pages where suddenly all the characters turn into the worst versions of themselves. I get that you're going to act out as a 13/14 year old if your mom just up and vanishes but Semple paints Bee as more of a child in the beginning of this book so the switch to teen angst seemed very abrupt to me. Not to mention Elgie's handle on the situation is just....scary
I did read this all in one day though so there is some entertainment there! I don't know if since this book is about upper-class, white suburbanites that the racist remarks in this book are there as a sort of commentary but I think that could have been a little more emphasized if that were the case. I'm not saying you have to spell it out for me but I was left wondering and maybe that's simply because this was written in 2012.
I did read this all in one day though so there is some entertainment there! I don't know if since this book is about upper-class, white suburbanites that the racist remarks in this book are there as a sort of commentary but I think that could have been a little more emphasized if that were the case. I'm not saying you have to spell it out for me but I was left wondering and maybe that's simply because this was written in 2012.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug abuse and Racism