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awachen's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Abortion
jdubbs1110's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Drug use and Abortion
cassielaj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Abortion
anne_reader's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
hihicass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, and Abortion
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
amybartoli29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, Abortion, and Pregnancy
maggies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Grief, and Abortion
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
+1 for showcasing summer stock theatre, what I lovingly call the “wild west” of the theatre industry. My heart! With it always.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death and Abortion
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
4.25
The story framing was very interesting to me. I liked that it took a look at Lara’s coming-of-age through the lens of her telling her grown daughters about it. I appreciated the look at nostalgia, suffering (worldwide), legacy, contentment, and the sweet and deep love between husband and wife and family. I was also surprised by the moments of humor in a somewhat serious read.
There were a couple of plot points that seemed to come out of nowhere for me; they seemed nearly unnecessary. The pacing also seemed to slow down at a couple points and I would have preferred it staying steady. I also got confused at a couple of points because of the way the story was framed and reading by audio. I think some of these confusing moments could have been cleared up had I read it in print. And speaking of the audio, I hate to say it, but I had a difficult time with Meryl Streep. I couldn’t keep myself from picturing her instead of picturing our character, Lara, and that was a slight distraction throughout.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and appreciated the writing style and themes, but I think I may have liked the experience more in print.
— NOTES —
Genres: literary fiction
POV: first-person, singular
Content: pandemic, infidelity, death of loved ones (a couple other things that are spoilers)
Romance: mostly vague implied intimacy and a couple minor sexual situations
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 4
Craft: 5
My Gut Feeling: 4
Total Stars: 4.25
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, and Grief
Minor: Suicide and Abortion
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Abortion and Classism