girlglitch's review against another edition
4.0
Told from the guileless perspective of eight-year-old Grace, Last Things is endlessly inventive and unexpected. Grace is caught between her father's love of science and her mother's myths, and the story is vaguely structured around her mother's own version of the history of the world. Then things start to unravel...
Last Things feels like a debut novel: it's creative and engaging, but there's something missing. It's a coming of age story without a transformation: Grace watches her mother descend into madness and her world spirals out of control, but her voice remains unaltered. Her journey never seems to reach a conclusion.
That said, Last Things is a compelling, imaginative read - hinting at the future brilliance of Offill's second novel, Dept of Speculation.
Last Things feels like a debut novel: it's creative and engaging, but there's something missing. It's a coming of age story without a transformation: Grace watches her mother descend into madness and her world spirals out of control, but her voice remains unaltered. Her journey never seems to reach a conclusion.
That said, Last Things is a compelling, imaginative read - hinting at the future brilliance of Offill's second novel, Dept of Speculation.
allilikesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The way the mother acted reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle, which I also enjoyed reading earlier this year. I'm glad I found this book.
g_treads's review against another edition
4.0
- an interesting story about the collisions of genius and mental health and the reliability/relationships between parents and children
- my least favorite of Offill's novels, probably because of the age of the main character, very focused on the characters around her as opposed to her thoughts and feelings which I find more interesting
- surprising storylines and quirky characteristics throughout
- the style maintains the magical aura of her writing
- my least favorite of Offill's novels, probably because of the age of the main character, very focused on the characters around her as opposed to her thoughts and feelings which I find more interesting
- surprising storylines and quirky characteristics throughout
- the style maintains the magical aura of her writing
heyitssones's review
4.0
The farther back in her oeuvre I go, the more I like Jenny Offill's writing. Like her other books, it was a quick read in bite sized chunks, but filled with a sort of dreamlike quality, characteristic of young imaginations.
touchsomegrass's review against another edition
3.0
this book tells the childhood story of an unsettling 8 year old girl who observes the falling apart of her parents' marriage, her mentally ill, free spirited mother rooted in fantastical worldviews and her scientist father and the gulf between fact and fiction. beautiful & hypnotising prose!! this was Jenny Offill's debut novel and i'm looking forward to reading her more recent books.
spacehorse's review against another edition
4.0
Compelling narration from a child --delves into the mystical, historical & things generally beyond our realm of knowing.
dominicangirl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
chovereads's review
5.0
one of the best books I read all last year. very much captured the feeling of being an 8 year old in an unpredictable household.
audski's review
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0