Scan barcode
mymercurialnature's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
knod78's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book on the goodreads giveaway. This book was good and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. There were times I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story and the way she weaved the stories and secrets of the characters. I do like having the two stories happening at the same time between the main character, Ruth and one of the children, Midnight. They had such different paths, but intersected so well. I loved the hate and anger and jealousy emotions used in this book between Corey and Midnight, which reminded me of Othello in some ways.
However, I didn’t like Ruth’s character all that much. She did her have her moments and turned things around, but she was selfish and in a way, ignorant of the situation. She was what I call uppity. I get that it was more about the baby and why she stayed away, but you could have called more. At the same time, she was hurtful and said hurtful things to people. She didn’t seem to care, because it was all about the baby. I also didn’t like Xavier. Maybe it was because he reminded me of my ex husband, but he was seemed like one of those men who throws a fit when he doesn’t get his way. I didn’t like that he wasn’t around. I can give you a day to be upset, but get over it. I wouldn’t be so quick to be in his life, but again, this could be a backlash to my experiences.
With that, I definitely recommend reading this books, especially when you see the interactions with poor white people vs medium to upper class black people. She did a great job showing why everyone gets so angry and no one really listens. I would read another book from this author, too.
However, I didn’t like Ruth’s character all that much. She did her have her moments and turned things around, but she was selfish and in a way, ignorant of the situation. She was what I call uppity. I get that it was more about the baby and why she stayed away, but you could have called more. At the same time, she was hurtful and said hurtful things to people. She didn’t seem to care, because it was all about the baby. I also didn’t like Xavier. Maybe it was because he reminded me of my ex husband, but he was seemed like one of those men who throws a fit when he doesn’t get his way. I didn’t like that he wasn’t around. I can give you a day to be upset, but get over it. I wouldn’t be so quick to be in his life, but again, this could be a backlash to my experiences.
With that, I definitely recommend reading this books, especially when you see the interactions with poor white people vs medium to upper class black people. She did a great job showing why everyone gets so angry and no one really listens. I would read another book from this author, too.
sarahvankuiken's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 rounded up to a pity 3. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it read like the debut it is. Some great ideas and attempted nuance, but overall very underdeveloped and disjointed. The biggest struggle for me was how much potential I saw in the characters, but they all ended up being unlikable - and not in an interesting way. Trust me, I respect a good book every now and then that makes the characters unlikable for a reason, but this ain't it. Characters I was supposed to empathize and believe in (Ruth, Midnight, Mama, etc.) never reached a redemption point or a level of complexity to justify the lack of redemption.
itsmeamethyst's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully layered story about identity, race, class, family secrets and unanswered questions, sacrifices of parenthood, and carrying on the act of living when presented with impossible choices. With nods to the biblical story of The Prodigal Son, this novel feels both modern and classic.
This would be an excellent book club pick and has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. Cannot recommend The Kindest Lie more!
This would be an excellent book club pick and has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. Cannot recommend The Kindest Lie more!
ericamj12's review against another edition
4.0
The book is excellent, but I didn’t really feel like the back cover blurb accurately portrays the storyline, so I was fighting against my expectations. I kind of feel like the “traumatic incident” was a result of Ruth and Midnight’s “collision course,” and I don’t feel like the moments demonstrating racial tension didn’t really speak to the whole town so much as individuals. The gang members didn’t really seem to serve a purpose either.
rosedaug's review against another edition
4.0
Set in 2008 right after Obama’s election, “The Kindest Lie” follows young couple Ruth and Xavier living in Chicago. Ruth has entirely left her life in her small Indiana town behind, including a major secret she kept about a baby she gave birth to in 1997 when she was only 17 years old. As she navigates her and her husbands decisions about starting a family, she attempts to revisit her small town to find some answers.
I really liked this book. There were a LOT of emotions I felt with it; books about motherhood are especially sensitive topics for me. As an adoptive mom, reading a story from the perspective of a birth mom who was forced to give up her rights at birth was so far disconnected from my experience but a valuable one for me to read from. I feel like I wanted to give this book a 5, maybe it’s a 4.5. The ending is decently happy and had some form of closure.
I really liked this book. There were a LOT of emotions I felt with it; books about motherhood are especially sensitive topics for me. As an adoptive mom, reading a story from the perspective of a birth mom who was forced to give up her rights at birth was so far disconnected from my experience but a valuable one for me to read from. I feel like I wanted to give this book a 5, maybe it’s a 4.5. The ending is decently happy and had some form of closure.
sjfarrell's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thatssobook's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well written. Flat characters. Ruth is supposed to be a smart woman but there were several parts in the book where Ruth discovers the adoption didn’t go through the legal system and the next chapter, she’s talking about Indiana adoption legalities. Also Midnight going to Louisiana - who tf lives in LA?! It possibly got covered later in the book but I couldn’t continue past chapter 22. It felt like a task that I was dragging my feet to pick up.