hheartbooks's review against another edition
5.0
What a heartbreakingly beautiful book. Once I started, I could not stop (though I did slow at about the 30% mark.) This book is character propelled but with an identifiable plot. The structure is very interesting; it shifts perspectives but with sometimes overlapping timelines, so you can see the characters' thoughts/motivations for the same situation. By the end of the book, whether you like the characters or not, you understand them. This is a book about family and how it shapes us, with the subtle nod to Little Women. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this book for a while.
Trigger warnings for depression, attempted suicide, divorce, loss of a parent, brain tumors
Trigger warnings for depression, attempted suicide, divorce, loss of a parent, brain tumors
lorbear5's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
maddysbookcase's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
mjvilela's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-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
julietye's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jilliebeen2003's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jenbsbooks's review against another edition
2.5
This was just okay for me ... I really liked the beginning (we are a basketball family, so some connection there) but then it just dragged and got so tedious. Just depressing with little/no redemption or "ahhh" moments to make me like it. I was ready for it to be over.
My boys play basketball, my youngest is hoping to play college ball. I was ready to criticize the "reality" of the storyline, but realize that back in the 1970s when this was set, things were likely different. Today - a kid getting to D1 status/getting a scholarship, without parental support, tons of leagues/tournaments outside of high school, without paying a recruiter, without actively seeking out post-high school possibilities ... it's not going to happen (even non-D1 play). Even with extreme height and talent, that William would have gone on to play ... unlikely. Still, it was fun to have the topic of basketball play such a big part in the story. I even thought about having my son read the first chapter or two, just to see what his feeling were about the presentation.
I liked the characters enough - but they were all certainly flawed, almost to the point of unlikability. I think the story just went on too long, and despite everything, I did feel things were a little "ewww" SPOILER
So - eh. While the title came into play, I don't know if it was enough for me to be featured as the title. Not that I can think of an alternative. This just didn't have anything special that I'd really recommend it, and I think my memories of it are mostly negative.
My boys play basketball, my youngest is hoping to play college ball. I was ready to criticize the "reality" of the storyline, but realize that back in the 1970s when this was set, things were likely different. Today - a kid getting to D1 status/getting a scholarship, without parental support, tons of leagues/tournaments outside of high school, without paying a recruiter, without actively seeking out post-high school possibilities ... it's not going to happen (even non-D1 play). Even with extreme height and talent, that William would have gone on to play ... unlikely. Still, it was fun to have the topic of basketball play such a big part in the story. I even thought about having my son read the first chapter or two, just to see what his feeling were about the presentation.
I liked the characters enough - but they were all certainly flawed, almost to the point of unlikability. I think the story just went on too long, and despite everything, I did feel things were a little "ewww" SPOILER
Spoiler
The mother abandoning the family, William leaving the one sister, abandoning his daughter, marrying the other sister. How intertwined the younger three sisters were, all living together for so long.So - eh. While the title came into play, I don't know if it was enough for me to be featured as the title. Not that I can think of an alternative. This just didn't have anything special that I'd really recommend it, and I think my memories of it are mostly negative.
mannnishboy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
clairemariarose's review against another edition
1.0
maddy i am praying you don’t see this before you finish the book for yourself bc i don’t want my opinion to influence your reading
but i HATED this book!!!!!
for those of you who don’t know me irl, every year i buy my bff (the aforementioned maddy) a book for her birthday and annotate it for her. she makes it challenging by only have a handful of books on her tbr list. this year i chose hello beautiful because we had both read dear edward in the past (she loved it, i thought it was good but wasn’t overly moved), and i figured this would be a solid reading experience.
i was so wrong.
i love little women. it’s one of the few classics i can stand, let alone praise. to call hello beautiful an homage to little women is so insulting. louisa may alcott is rolling in her grave.
first of all, the writing was just bad. the characters had no personality and were so flat. in my mind they are all just cardboard cutouts because they are incapable of showing emotion or forming meaningful bonds, probably because the author refuses to show me ANYTHING. she simply tells me that these characters feel certain ways.
second of all, i was never invested in these characters or their stories. they are simply bad, boring people. i don’t like any of them. i could not root for any of them. i had no reason to keep reading aside from the fact that this book was a gift for a friend and i desperately wanted to see if it got better or if my annotations were going to be miserable the entire way through (they are so mean, i’m sorry you have to read those, maddy).
and the little women thing. the character of jo march is so heavily queer coded that to portray her as such a mean straight woman is both bad writing and homophobic lol like why did you make the wrong sister gay???? missed opportunity fr
other issues i have: the pacing, the length, the absolutely wack characterization (i truly felt like the suicide attempt came out of nowhere because i knew nothing about these characters), the lack of any emotion
i’m writing this review a few weeks after finishing the book so most of my anger and frustration has left me, but all i’m left with is disappointment. i wish this book was better.
also this is applicable to me and only me, but this is literally my mother’s experience with her three sisters lmao. like down to the marriage. they used to play little women as kids, their dad died fairly young, their mom moved to florida. it’s actually creepy how similar this is. and let me tell ya, after like thirty years and a sister’s death, no one likes the shared husband!!!!!! it’s weird. imagine explaining to a small girl that her father is also her uncle. sound gross? probably because it is.
tl,dr; you will never get me to agree with an affair, i do not care how hard you try.
but i HATED this book!!!!!
for those of you who don’t know me irl, every year i buy my bff (the aforementioned maddy) a book for her birthday and annotate it for her. she makes it challenging by only have a handful of books on her tbr list. this year i chose hello beautiful because we had both read dear edward in the past (she loved it, i thought it was good but wasn’t overly moved), and i figured this would be a solid reading experience.
i was so wrong.
i love little women. it’s one of the few classics i can stand, let alone praise. to call hello beautiful an homage to little women is so insulting. louisa may alcott is rolling in her grave.
first of all, the writing was just bad. the characters had no personality and were so flat. in my mind they are all just cardboard cutouts because they are incapable of showing emotion or forming meaningful bonds, probably because the author refuses to show me ANYTHING. she simply tells me that these characters feel certain ways.
second of all, i was never invested in these characters or their stories. they are simply bad, boring people. i don’t like any of them. i could not root for any of them. i had no reason to keep reading aside from the fact that this book was a gift for a friend and i desperately wanted to see if it got better or if my annotations were going to be miserable the entire way through (they are so mean, i’m sorry you have to read those, maddy).
and the little women thing. the character of jo march is so heavily queer coded that to portray her as such a mean straight woman is both bad writing and homophobic lol like why did you make the wrong sister gay???? missed opportunity fr
other issues i have: the pacing, the length, the absolutely wack characterization (i truly felt like the suicide attempt came out of nowhere because i knew nothing about these characters), the lack of any emotion
i’m writing this review a few weeks after finishing the book so most of my anger and frustration has left me, but all i’m left with is disappointment. i wish this book was better.
also this is applicable to me and only me, but this is literally my mother’s experience with her three sisters lmao. like down to the marriage. they used to play little women as kids, their dad died fairly young, their mom moved to florida. it’s actually creepy how similar this is. and let me tell ya, after like thirty years and a sister’s death, no one likes the shared husband!!!!!! it’s weird. imagine explaining to a small girl that her father is also her uncle. sound gross? probably because it is.
tl,dr; you will never get me to agree with an affair, i do not care how hard you try.
sam_griffin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Can’t get enough dysfunctional family drama. Maybe that’s why I like the Jonas Brothers so much?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Suicide