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jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
5.0
Hoping to review this for @audreymagazineau so all I will say here is I was lucky enough to read this while judging the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards in 2019. Within the first few chapters I knew it would be my pick to win the prize. When you’re very lucky, something this good is put in front of you and you just know. We judges were very lucky. Do whatever you have to do to get your hands on Kokomo out through @hachetteaus on July 28.
whatcourtneyreads's review against another edition
4.0
"Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama..." etc etc
Mina is a 32 y.o. Melbourne woman living in London, and we open on a scene that graphically describes a penis. No biggie. Pun not intended.
During the penis encounter, Mina gets a call from her BFF in Melbourne telling her to come home as her reclusive mother Elaine has left the house for the first time in 12 years.
In essence, this book is about family - both blood and chosen. It explores the secrets families keep from each other and queries whether knowing the truth is ever really better.
It is pure coincidence that I've read two books in a row set in Melbourne but was a happy surprise. It means I get sucked into the scene immediately, being able to envision the houses, the landmarks, even feeling the weather.
I identified with Mina straight away, as I always tend to do with an early 30s protagonist who has a couple of chips on their shoulder.
I loved the way the characters were written and felt like each of them could be someone I've known. I'm sure many of us have had the experience of seeing people from a previous life and finding some are the same people we loved before (Kira) and others not so much (Shelley).
The relationships between characters was also well written, and I could feel the love they had for each other. The Kira / Mina friendship and Valerie / Mina particularly warmed the cockles of my heart.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is I didn't quite buy Mina's mother Elaine as a character, and the reason she became a recluse. I was confused by the story of unrequited love and didn't find it very convincing or fully developed; it almost felt a bit rushed?
In any case, I still thoroughly enjoyed this one and would happily read anything else that Victoria Hannan writes.
If you enjoyed Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, or even Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (although Kokomo isn't as dark) then give Kokomo a go
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama..." etc etc
Mina is a 32 y.o. Melbourne woman living in London, and we open on a scene that graphically describes a penis. No biggie. Pun not intended.
During the penis encounter, Mina gets a call from her BFF in Melbourne telling her to come home as her reclusive mother Elaine has left the house for the first time in 12 years.
In essence, this book is about family - both blood and chosen. It explores the secrets families keep from each other and queries whether knowing the truth is ever really better.
It is pure coincidence that I've read two books in a row set in Melbourne but was a happy surprise. It means I get sucked into the scene immediately, being able to envision the houses, the landmarks, even feeling the weather.
I identified with Mina straight away, as I always tend to do with an early 30s protagonist who has a couple of chips on their shoulder.
I loved the way the characters were written and felt like each of them could be someone I've known. I'm sure many of us have had the experience of seeing people from a previous life and finding some are the same people we loved before (Kira) and others not so much (Shelley).
The relationships between characters was also well written, and I could feel the love they had for each other. The Kira / Mina friendship and Valerie / Mina particularly warmed the cockles of my heart.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is I didn't quite buy Mina's mother Elaine as a character, and the reason she became a recluse. I was confused by the story of unrequited love and didn't find it very convincing or fully developed; it almost felt a bit rushed?
In any case, I still thoroughly enjoyed this one and would happily read anything else that Victoria Hannan writes.
If you enjoyed Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, or even Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (although Kokomo isn't as dark) then give Kokomo a go
mellmeyer96's review
4.0
Where to even begin with this one... I went into it pretty blind and not knowing much about the storyline but for some reason expected myself to fall in love with it. Instead of falling in love I think I was more bewildered by the story. I found myself at times not knowing where it was going or how it could progress any further but this just drew me in and kept me needing to know more. It suprised me and really told a story that I haven't read before.
I found the start quite slow, but not too slow that I lost interest - the story progressed nicely and matured to show the different ways humans love each other and the nature of our relationships with loss and love.
I particularly liked how the book was split into parts giving both daughter, Mina and mother, Elaine their own voices and allowing them to tell their own sides of the story. It was a great way to reveal more details and I didn't find it repetitive. Mina and Elaine both have a burning desire to feel needed by someone and this being told from their own perspective is what made the story so powerful.
I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I put it down and I feel that another read in a few months time will be beneficial for me help really wrap my head around the story and complexities within the different characters - potentially bringing it up to 5 starts for me. Overall I enjoyed this book very much, it made me laugh, cry and showed me that stories don't need to be all love and roses to be beautiful.
Have you read Kokomo? I'd love to hear your thoughts ❣️
----
When Mina receives an urgent call from her best friend back in Melbourne her world is turned upside down. Her agoraphobic mother Elaine has left the house for the first time in twelve years. Mina drops everything to fly home only to discover that Elaine will not talk about her sudden return to the world nor why she's spent so much time hiding from it. Their reunion leaves Mina raking through pieces of their painful past in a bid to uncover the truth. Both tender and fierce heartbreaking and funny Kokomo is a story about how secrets and love have the power to bring us together and tear us apart.
I found the start quite slow, but not too slow that I lost interest - the story progressed nicely and matured to show the different ways humans love each other and the nature of our relationships with loss and love.
I particularly liked how the book was split into parts giving both daughter, Mina and mother, Elaine their own voices and allowing them to tell their own sides of the story. It was a great way to reveal more details and I didn't find it repetitive. Mina and Elaine both have a burning desire to feel needed by someone and this being told from their own perspective is what made the story so powerful.
I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I put it down and I feel that another read in a few months time will be beneficial for me help really wrap my head around the story and complexities within the different characters - potentially bringing it up to 5 starts for me. Overall I enjoyed this book very much, it made me laugh, cry and showed me that stories don't need to be all love and roses to be beautiful.
Have you read Kokomo? I'd love to hear your thoughts ❣️
----
When Mina receives an urgent call from her best friend back in Melbourne her world is turned upside down. Her agoraphobic mother Elaine has left the house for the first time in twelve years. Mina drops everything to fly home only to discover that Elaine will not talk about her sudden return to the world nor why she's spent so much time hiding from it. Their reunion leaves Mina raking through pieces of their painful past in a bid to uncover the truth. Both tender and fierce heartbreaking and funny Kokomo is a story about how secrets and love have the power to bring us together and tear us apart.
kaitlynmccully's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
aadya's review
3.0
I liked the depictions of the domestic lives in this. I get that the mothers story was supposed to be a bit whimsy but it was kind of outrageous. Sex scenes were a bit scary.
bookishrona's review
4.0
Victoria Hannan has created an intriguing read. A curious slice of life read. Where you are left constantly wondering what happened and why the characters are as they are.
Mina rushes home after a call from hee best friend to say that her mother has left the house after over 10 years in isolation. And Mina wants to know why, and why after all this time she has suddenly left home.
For the 3/4 of the book it is portrayed from Mina's POV and shows how her life has gone after her mum vacated "normal" life.
Hannan has created a descriptive world that makes you really feel as you are there with Mina, from the colours, sounds and smells its a very raw and real book.
The book goes into many themes ranging from mental health, family dynamics, misogany, the patriachy, and love. Its truely and interesting read, that puts these themes in front of you in an unrestrained and imperfectly perfect way.
Upon finishing the book I was left with many questions the main one being what do we gain from reading this book? Other than begin frustrated with peoples lack of communication and unwillingness to talk to others about aspects of their life.
Overall I liked the book, the writing style was something I've never really come across and it was a very interesting and odd story.
Mina rushes home after a call from hee best friend to say that her mother has left the house after over 10 years in isolation. And Mina wants to know why, and why after all this time she has suddenly left home.
For the 3/4 of the book it is portrayed from Mina's POV and shows how her life has gone after her mum vacated "normal" life.
Hannan has created a descriptive world that makes you really feel as you are there with Mina, from the colours, sounds and smells its a very raw and real book.
The book goes into many themes ranging from mental health, family dynamics, misogany, the patriachy, and love. Its truely and interesting read, that puts these themes in front of you in an unrestrained and imperfectly perfect way.
Upon finishing the book I was left with many questions the main one being what do we gain from reading this book? Other than begin frustrated with peoples lack of communication and unwillingness to talk to others about aspects of their life.
Overall I liked the book, the writing style was something I've never really come across and it was a very interesting and odd story.
jrmarr's review
3.0
A so-so book for me. Wasn’t particularly compelled by it. Got more interesting halfway through, but still not sure it paid off.
laurennreads_'s review
1.0
What did I just read. Dear god, if it wasn’t a book club book it would have been a DNF.
freykea's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
kten's review against another edition
could not get into the audiobook, introduced too many characters one after the other, didn't find the writing particularly funny or clever (the numerous odes to a penis just felt juvenile)