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sineadisreadingagain's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
bookishlysophie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
An incredibly emotional book overall. I knew there was something going on very early but it’s slowly teased and the reveal is satisfying. The ending leaves you with mixed feelings but it’s accurate and I loved the character development. I’d highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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 just finished Rachel Joyce’s Miss Benson’s Beetle for the second time; I think that book is just delightful. Someone in my book group mentioned the Harold Fry book so I decided I’d read it next. I was really disappointed.
Miss Benson’s Beetle has cute and quirky characters - fairly annoying but basically lovable - who really enliven the story. I had a hard time with The Unlikely Pilgrimage because I found the characters either dull or flat, and the story uninteresting. While there’s a sequel that deals with Queenie, it would have been nice to learn more about her here. As it is, I was left feeling I didn’t know her at all.
And the secrets revealed at the end weren’t interesting or compelling enough to have been worth the wait. I had to keep pushing myself to read this - it wasn’t a book I couldn’t wait to read after I’d set it down, and I didn’t spend my time away from the book thinking about the characters and their lives.
I’m disappointed to have been disappointed. And I won’t bother reading the sequel about Queenie. Maybe someone can just tell me what happens.
Miss Benson’s Beetle has cute and quirky characters - fairly annoying but basically lovable - who really enliven the story. I had a hard time with The Unlikely Pilgrimage because I found the characters either dull or flat, and the story uninteresting. While there’s a sequel that deals with Queenie, it would have been nice to learn more about her here. As it is, I was left feeling I didn’t know her at all.
And the secrets revealed at the end weren’t interesting or compelling enough to have been worth the wait. I had to keep pushing myself to read this - it wasn’t a book I couldn’t wait to read after I’d set it down, and I didn’t spend my time away from the book thinking about the characters and their lives.
I’m disappointed to have been disappointed. And I won’t bother reading the sequel about Queenie. Maybe someone can just tell me what happens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment