beatriks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
I liked this book, it is very well written (a lot of sentences and paragraphes that I highlighted), with lots of wise words. There are quite a bunch of characters that appear around the protagonist, Astrid, and for me, that change of perspective worked well. How everything fell into place and turned out.
I would recommend not stretching out the reading of this book for too long, otherwise you might forget what happened.
My favorite characters were Porter and Cecelia.
I would recommend not stretching out the reading of this book for too long, otherwise you might forget what happened.
My favorite characters were Porter and Cecelia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Transphobia
Minor: Abortion, Infertility, and Gaslighting
siobhanward's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
3.0
This was a cute read and I liked the idea of it, but like other reviewers, it almost seemed like Straub had a bingo card of all of the current hot issues she could think of and she tried to include as many as possible. This resulted in a ton of chaos in the book, with no topic getting the attention it deserved. I feel like things were either just dropped or explained away as "and then they were happy" which is a huge oversimplification of a lot of these issues. It felt almost like Straub painted herself into a corner with too many challenges and realized she wasn't going to be able to solve them all, so she just kind of made everything end happily ever after. In a YA book this would have been ok but it felt out of place in an adult book.
However, the characters were lovely and the plot was sweet when it wasn't being rushed, so I'd definitely read more from Straub.
However, the characters were lovely and the plot was sweet when it wasn't being rushed, so I'd definitely read more from Straub.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Minor: Pedophilia
kuakt's review against another edition
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia
serendipitysbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
All Adults Here is a warm-hearted family story about the Strick family. They’ve all got their flaws and secrets, plus issues with each other. But they are fundamentally good people who do their best to support each other and you can’t help rooting for them. I could especially relate to Astrid reflecting on the ways her parenting contributed to the adults her children became. There two LGBTIQA+ storylines which I wasn’t aware of turned out to be high points for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Homophobia, and Transphobia
emtees's review
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was a disappointment. I usually love family dramas and slice-of-life stories but this one felt muddled and like it was wandering all over the place without a point. The characters feel like a collection of quirks that don't add up to much and none of their arcs really go anywhere. The only characters I cared about were Cecelia and August, the teenagers who seem much more mature than any of the adults. There are vague references towards themes but nothing that feels substantial. I really feel like this book would have been better off as a short story collection.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Infidelity
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual harassment
There is one incident where a trans high school student is bullied by another student. There is a brief flashback of a teenage boy being sexually harassed by an adult man. There is a major plotline involving a main character having an ongoing and knowing relationship with a married man. There is a minor plotline involving a parent responding negatively to a rumor that her son is queer.klavanger's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
This book had a very interesting approach to family dynamics that I really enjoyed, especially as the only girl with two brothers. I thought it lacked a really strong ending, however I loved the final chapter and the epilogue!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Abortion
Minor: Deadnaming, Drug use, Infertility, and Miscarriage
linesiunderline'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is book that will spring to mind when someone asks me for a recommendation for a family drama. This is all about family, and there is all the drama you could want. Secrets galore, past hurts, layers of love and loss, complicated feelings - all of this mixed up with a reflective and humorous tone that Emma Straub does so well. You feel like you’re getting insight into a certain realm of life experiences, and everyone is imperfect, which is of course Reality, but also very entertaining.
Emma Straub manages a lot in a relatively short novel, and the writing is a pleasure.
Highly recommended on audio. It was breezy and more-ish to listen to.
Emma Straub manages a lot in a relatively short novel, and the writing is a pleasure.
Highly recommended on audio. It was breezy and more-ish to listen to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Dementia, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Transphobia, and Sexual content
flavinja's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Pedophilia
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Sexual content
rebeccameyrink's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage