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prachidayal's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- Medium read (8 hours)
- I had really high expectations for this book considering the glowing reviews, which is why it was a letdown. It started off great but the discussion surrounding wearing the dog was circular which made it a drag to finish the book. Every one of Judy's thoughts and experiences felt so repetitive, and there is no subtlety in getting her feelings across. Further, some plotlines were very odd and redundant (for example, the animal activists.) Due to all of these side plots, the book became less and less cohesive and I had no idea where it was going.
- The idea was very new and quirky. I'm very impressed with Zigman's creativity. I liked how it followed the lives of rather average people and explored relatable struggles. In a lot of books, struggles like aging, separating, disconnecting from children, and more do not get picked for the main plotline, so I can appreciate the consistent focus on a few themes. I also really liked the "bird on my head" motif which made Judy's character very well thought out.
I like how the book didn't end on a perfect note; it's not like Judy wrote another extremely successful book. Her understanding of the things that are important to her was not a perfect ending, it was a realistic one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Mental illness
menomica's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Wow this book was so underwhelming, if I was anymore indifferent I would say that I actively didn’t like it. I pray to god I never get this kind of midlife crisis because holey hell, wow pathetic.
The characters where. So unlikeable. Either very pathetic and sad or just very annoying and Caucasian™. Every character gave off that general white person who thinks they’re enlightened but is really fucking annoying and makes themselves everyone else’s problem vibes. The only character I liked was Teddy. He was barely around but he was tolerable, and actually at times, relatable. I think the author wanted to tap into feelings of inadequacy and isolation, but on everyone else, (especially Judy) it was just very cringey. I think the thing that made them annoying was how they actively repeated bad habits, in terms of mental health, even though they were of these habits not really being good?? A really glaring example of this is Judy and Gary’s entire relationship. They say they’re relationship is dead, but habitually leave therapy early???? First off you both need individual therapy to sort your personal bullshit, cause there’s tons to unpack. Second, y’all are poor, why are you actively wasting your money like this??
Also they just do not respect each other, at all. There are several times where they just refer to the other in a mean way as if they’re not there. It’s just. Yikes.
I honestly feel like the author themself was going through a midlife crisis and just heavily projected all their insecurities onto the characters without any nuance or grace.
All in all, this book was very dull and not enjoyable. The characters were not likable and though the writing wasn’t the worst, it wasn’t the greatest either.
The characters where. So unlikeable. Either very pathetic and sad or just very annoying and Caucasian™. Every character gave off that general white person who thinks they’re enlightened but is really fucking annoying and makes themselves everyone else’s problem vibes. The only character I liked was Teddy. He was barely around but he was tolerable, and actually at times, relatable. I think the author wanted to tap into feelings of inadequacy and isolation, but on everyone else, (especially Judy) it was just very cringey. I think the thing that made them annoying was how they actively repeated bad habits, in terms of mental health, even though they were of these habits not really being good?? A really glaring example of this is Judy and Gary’s entire relationship. They say they’re relationship is dead, but habitually leave therapy early???? First off you both need individual therapy to sort your personal bullshit, cause there’s tons to unpack. Second, y’all are poor, why are you actively wasting your money like this??
Also they just do not respect each other, at all. There are several times where they just refer to the other in a mean way as if they’re not there. It’s just. Yikes.
I honestly feel like the author themself was going through a midlife crisis and just heavily projected all their insecurities onto the characters without any nuance or grace.
All in all, this book was very dull and not enjoyable. The characters were not likable and though the writing wasn’t the worst, it wasn’t the greatest either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Terminal illness, Excrement, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Dementia, and Cultural appropriation
stayathomereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Excrement
Minor: Dementia