Reviews

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

vivwwong's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

jasmineleblanc's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

skmiles's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a beautiful, heart wrenching, gorgeous book. It makes no apologies for being tragic but reminds you of all the ways that life (and death) is comedic, ridiculous, awful, and present. 

lifeandliterature's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars

mommasreading2323's review against another edition

3.0

A Beautiful Friendship

The friendship between Edi and Ash is every girls dream come true. But this story seemed to be so randomly put together half the time I didn't know what the point was. Randomness, irrelevance made this not good for me.

sam2197's review against another edition

lighthearted

2.5

ruthab's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

ellaevelyn98's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Somewhat difficult to rate and review a book like this because it felt so deeply personal to the author and I don’t want to discredit other people’s very difficult and harrowing experiences. 

I think my main problem with this is that it just wasn’t what I was expecting. It is very much stream of consciousness, and to me seems to be almost entirely autobiographical. I felt in some way it was veering into being TOO autobiographical, in a way where I started to think why didn’t she just write a memoir about this? 

There are some really beautiful and touching lines, and I appreciated the way it presents grief and death in all their messiness and complexity. 

I just couldn’t bond with the characters, I didn’t find any of them relatable or particularly loveable. Despite the fact the protagonist claims Edi is her best friend, it was difficult to buy into because we learned almost nothing about Edi at all and couldn’t bond with her. 

I don’t know if I am being a prude but I found the constant sex with every character under the sun

and the weird reunion with the husband at the end

very odd and unconvincing…. 

anyway it was worth a read, not the kind of book I would go around recommending but some bits here and there were great, and it has a fantastic title and cover art at least

pnphomm's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

lsswan's review against another edition

emotional funny 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