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elyserood's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
I really liked the characters and the split perspective. Kinda spoiler:
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I called the ending and I was stressed about it for the last quarter of the book.
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Moderate: Child abuse and Self harm
wellreadmegs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This one took me a while to get through and I couldn't tell how I felt about the book until the end. The first chapter really caught my attention and then I struggled as the chapters went on. I was expecting the book to go back and forth between current day and the past but the book went back in time almost 20 years and then every year brought you closer to the present day.
After finishing the book I realize now that it was always counting down to an event but I have to say I didn't see it coming. It was frustrating to read through all the struggles and then see this book end the way it did. I was caught off guard - in not a good way. As someone who was on the fence about the book while reading it, the ending really frustrated me and made my quest to read the book less fruitful. Maybe I am just being unrealistic though.
I really think I would have been able to keep track of the timeline of the book a lot better if the scenes switched back and forth. It was hard for me to conceptualize ages and timeframes which made the book drag.
After finishing the book I realize now that it was always counting down to an event but I have to say I didn't see it coming. It was frustrating to read through all the struggles and then see this book end the way it did. I was caught off guard - in not a good way. As someone who was on the fence about the book while reading it, the ending really frustrated me and made my quest to read the book less fruitful. Maybe I am just being unrealistic though.
I really think I would have been able to keep track of the timeline of the book a lot better if the scenes switched back and forth. It was hard for me to conceptualize ages and timeframes which made the book drag.
Moderate: Death and Abortion
Minor: Child abuse and Violence
mrsboomreads's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
2.0
I’m not sure I’ve ever DNF a book at 99% read.
I initially thought this was an impressive, and ambitious debut. There are so many interesting observations on marriage, cultural expectations, and the weight of expectations put on woman to be mothers, then on mothers to take on multiple roles often to loss of self.
I know that in life we do not always get happy endings but, this one felt particularly cruel. What had been an emotionally charged novel suddenly turned Grimm Fairy Tale, or perhaps a cautionary tale of what happens to women who do not bend to societal norms. It made my blood run cold and left me incredibly angry.
I initially thought this was an impressive, and ambitious debut. There are so many interesting observations on marriage, cultural expectations, and the weight of expectations put on woman to be mothers, then on mothers to take on multiple roles often to loss of self.
I know that in life we do not always get happy endings but, this one felt particularly cruel. What had been an emotionally charged novel suddenly turned Grimm Fairy Tale, or perhaps a cautionary tale of what happens to women who do not bend to societal norms. It made my blood run cold and left me incredibly angry.
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Abortion, and Abandonment
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