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taliatalksbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Where’s You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple was far more enjoyable than I expected it to be. I think it wove together perfectly. Even though there are gaps in the narrative, it flows seamlessly, and as everything unfolds so does the reader’s understanding of characters, motivations, and intentions. This book took turns I wasn’t expecting, and though it didn’t get an audible gasp, it did get a solid “oh damn!” If you’re looking for an enjoyable, contemporary adventure, check out this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity
aus10england's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Absolutely infuriating read. Idk if I have liked characters less. Especially the daughter, oh my goddddd. A lot of things didn’t work for me; the religious themes, the pacing, the open ended ending, it just wasn’t it. Picked this up being a Seattle resident, excited to pick up on the local references, and the author spent most of the book dunking on the city which like ??? okay, don’t set your book here if you hate it. Also I really just didn’t care about these rich people’s problems. I did laugh out loud in a few random parts, a few gasps for some mystery reveals, but overall, I regret picking this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Stalking
lisdahl's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? is a book that's incredibly hard to rate. It's... a mediocre book about a family you hate from the get go. Bee, the daughter, is not a nice person, and it shows throughout the entire story. Bernadette herself suffers from a horrific experience while trying to build the Twenty Mile House, one which people told her to dust herself off and get back on the horse, all the while ignoring what happened. Then she moved to Seattle, and wasted away in a house that was literally falling apart around her ears. The sort of falling apart where it's a miracle social services hasn't been called.
The novel isn't exactly as described, since a third of the story takes part before the family trip to Antarctica, and it's a little hard to follow, at first, since it's only later revealed that it's Bee creating the story from a dossier she received about the few weeks before Bernadette disappears, causing the perspective to drastically change and the reliability of the narrator to shift from 'unreliable' to 'complete fiction'.
However, that's what makes this book work, and the fact that we lose that shifting, epistolary story exactly when Bernadette disappears, thoroughly weakening the last 50-100 pages, and causing it to lose a star.
The novel isn't exactly as described, since a third of the story takes part before the family trip to Antarctica, and it's a little hard to follow, at first, since it's only later revealed that it's Bee creating the story from a dossier she received about the few weeks before Bernadette disappears, causing the perspective to drastically change and the reliability of the narrator to shift from 'unreliable' to 'complete fiction'.
However, that's what makes this book work, and the fact that we lose that shifting, epistolary story exactly when Bernadette disappears, thoroughly weakening the last 50-100 pages, and causing it to lose a star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
violet_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
At first I really didn't care for Bernadette but as the story went on and more was said about her husband I ended up really caring about everything Bernadette was going through. It was frustrating too, that no one seemed to be able to or want to actually help her and when I say no one I mean Elgie, her husband. He just wants her to be better and not cause him stress and I don't think he actually wanted to help help her. Wow did I have some feelings during her intervention. I had to keep taking breaks, the situation was making me so angry. I did enjoy the story overall and the way the author presented the story, with emails and letters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
scottyreadsstuff's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was quite the ride!! 😊
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
rory1387's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
just good vacation vibes with a pretty decent exploration of mental illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcohol
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 Stars
Apparently I need to read more satire because I liked this way more than I thought I would. It took a little to get into the epistolary format, but I learned to love it. It definitely served the story best and couldn't have been told any other way.
This was wild. I got so sucked into these characters lives. Who knew how lively the underbelly of tech company office politics and the somehow even more dramatic school pickup line discourse could be. The view through the back-and-forth gossipy e-mails of "Seattle's Elite" was too priceless. The characters were entertaining, annoying, dramatic to the point of obnoxiousness, but believable. They all had flaws that were specific and personal and developed in ways so much more than I expected.
The crowning jewel was Bernadette herself, whose situation wavered from plausible to ridiculously absurd and back again. I loved seeing her larger-than-life personality navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, uncovering her various neuroses and the reasons behind them. Her spirited, meandering tirades were some of my favorite parts.
This book was far from perfect. There isn't some big message, and there are things I would change, but I had fun reading it, and if that's not the point, what is? I'm here to have a good time, and so is this book.
Apparently I need to read more satire because I liked this way more than I thought I would. It took a little to get into the epistolary format, but I learned to love it. It definitely served the story best and couldn't have been told any other way.
This was wild. I got so sucked into these characters lives. Who knew how lively the underbelly of tech company office politics and the somehow even more dramatic school pickup line discourse could be. The view through the back-and-forth gossipy e-mails of "Seattle's Elite" was too priceless. The characters were entertaining, annoying, dramatic to the point of obnoxiousness, but believable. They all had flaws that were specific and personal and developed in ways so much more than I expected.
The crowning jewel was Bernadette herself, whose situation wavered from plausible to ridiculously absurd and back again. I loved seeing her larger-than-life personality navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, uncovering her various neuroses and the reasons behind them. Her spirited, meandering tirades were some of my favorite parts.
This book was far from perfect. There isn't some big message, and there are things I would change, but I had fun reading it, and if that's not the point, what is? I'm here to have a good time, and so is this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To say I loved this book is an understatement. I didn’t know what to expect going into this, and I’m glad I went in blind. It is such a fun story with quirky characters and heartwarming relationships. It has mystery and intrigue, humor, and family. Multiple POVs across different media made this book a delight to listen to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
Moderate: Cursing and Infidelity
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I don't know whether to regret not reading this book years earlier, but in hindsight, I feel like I'm able to appreciate the book and its ideas more that I'm older.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a refreshingly atypical story filled with complex but ultimately humane characters. Despite its 'comedy' genre, I don't find the book that humorous, perhaps because underneath all the satire, there lies irrefutable truths. Bernadette is one-of-a-kind, and so are her drive, backstory, and motives, and her relationship with Bee is a great, nuanced one as well.
The book's unconventional format also elevates it, enabling the audience to read the story from multiple perspectives and offering an insight to each narrating character. Instantly readable from start to finish.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a refreshingly atypical story filled with complex but ultimately humane characters. Despite its 'comedy' genre, I don't find the book that humorous, perhaps because underneath all the satire, there lies irrefutable truths. Bernadette is one-of-a-kind, and so are her drive, backstory, and motives, and her relationship with Bee is a great, nuanced one as well.
The book's unconventional format also elevates it, enabling the audience to read the story from multiple perspectives and offering an insight to each narrating character. Instantly readable from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content