Scan barcode
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
"They were lovers, who didn't love each other, and that made talking easier" (118).
This is the second book of hers that I've dnfed. I really wanted to like this! The storyline seemed right up my alley but it just didn't hit for me. For one, if the author was trying to convince me that these two had a friendship that would stretch through every lifetime, she did an extremely poor job of showcasing that. I feel like the author did a lot of telling the reader that these girls are "best friends" and not a lot of showing it. I was not convinced that these two were best friends at all. Even how they met didn't seem significant or life-altering in any way. And when they did meet you could already feel a power imbalance between them. Kate was so desperate for a friend that she literally had no agency when it came to Tully. It's like she could never say "no" to her and the same pattern trickles on throughout all the pages that I read.
Another instance: Kate decides she wants to be a reporter just because Tully wants to. And this stretches out for sooooo long that she literally ends up going to college to study broadcast & journalism and even gets a job where Tully works even though she literally isn't passionate about any of it.
I did like Tully at first. I really felt for her in terms of her upbringing and the things she had to go through. Weirdly enough I think it's her backstory that made her tolerable for me, but with Kate, I just found her super annoying from the get-go. She lives in this perfect little bubble where she's never had to face a single tragedy in her life and seems clueless about the struggles of the real world (which I understand is a part of her cliche, but I still found it annoying). She's so disrespectful to her mom in the beginning and I just don't get why. She's so desperate for friendship that she befriends the first person who gives her a little bit of attention. I just found her so pathetic.
Her thoughts: "Maybe she could get him to forget Tully or change his mind, maybe tonight she didn't care if she would be his second choice, or if it would be because of the booze. Love could grow from drunken passion, couldn't it" (157)? Like HOW PATHETIC CAN YOU BE?!đĽ´
This is also another quote from the book where Kate even admits that she plays second fiddle to Tully:
"If only she were like her friendâconfident and sexy and willing to make a grab at whateverâand whomeverâshe wanted. Then she might have a chance, but the thought of Johnny's rejection, of a blank-eyed, Huh? kept her standing in the shadow. Tully's shadow to be precise. As always, Kate was the backup singer who never stepped into the spotlight........... Kate knew she should say no. The last thing she wanted to do was sit at the table and watch Johnny watch Tullyâbut what choice did she have? She was the sidekick. Rhoda Morgenstern. And wherever Mary went, Rhoda had to follow, even if it hurt like hell" (152-153).
And I'm supposed to believe their "best friends"?! Get real!
Back to their "friendship". To me, it seemed like a thing of convenience because both of them were desperate for companionship when they were teenagers and it just stretched out for years because they've tricked themselves into believing that their friendship will transcend time or something. In real life, these girls would not be friends. Of course for the obvious reasons I've listed above, but also because Kate seems to hide herself from Tully and seems lowkey afraid of her. Like she's afraid of how Tully would view her.
Oh, and when Katie does get some agency and tells Tully how she feels (about Tully having an affair with her professor) it's this whole fight. Tully just can't handle Katie's truth. And I don't think that's sold ground for a friendship. I know hiked on Kate a lot in this review, but honestly, Tully is no better. She usually isn't interested in the things Kate likes and is too self-absorbed to take Kate's opinions seriously. Their friendship is just so forced and you can't convince me otherwise.
Overall this isn't a bad book, but it also wasn't anything phenomenal so I don't see any reason to continue if I wasn't enjoying it. If I had to give it a rating based on the portion that I did read, I'd give it a 3-star âââ/5. (also, I thought the Firefly Lane Street would've served more significance and maybe it does later in the book, but if not the title it really does render the title of this book redundant)
spice rating: đśď¸.5/5
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: War
sarahfeller's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
sarah_amy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol
stevienielson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, and Alcohol
lucymae0515's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Blood
Minor: Vomit
ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Tully is the beautiful, ambitious, career driven, outspoken one and Kate is the understated, self conscious, motherly one. Each of them looks at the otherâs life with envy of the things they donât have. For Tully, thatâs a family who loves her unconditionally. And Kate wishes for Tullyâs boundless freedom.
TullyandKate pull each other through everything from boys and fashion to heartbreak and sickness.
I have always been a fan of Kristin Hannahâs writing and this was certainly no different. I cried my way through this book! Just when I thought I had been wrecked for the last time something else happened.
I loved the characters- I related to Kate so much! She is just a girl trying to stay afloat.
TW: rape, terminal illness, critical injury, some usage of the f word
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, and War
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Physical abuse
rysreadingcorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kameko's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
This was well written. It made me want to know everything about these characters, I cared for them and got pissed at them as if they were real. I only gave this 3.5 stars because I was left feeling as if life just sucks. No matter which road you choose.
But, the author tries to not make you feel that way within the last 30 pages.. but for the first 440 pages youâre taught life just sucks. 30 pages couldnât redeem the feeling.
Graphic: Cancer and Rape
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
chelseasbookshelf2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Minor: Rape