The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
ettbokland's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Infertility, and Cancer
Moderate: Abortion and Infertility
aina21's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Very cute, the mother-daughter relationship is so cute. It made me cry.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, and Infertility
lisasplans's review against another edition
4.5
I have never read a book like this before. This book is fiction but it spoke to me very personally about my own life experiences while reading the story of Rose Napolitano. It follows nine different versions of life Rose could have had depending on whether she became a mother or not. We so rarely hear stories of women who choose not to become mothers. It is so often just stories of the ājoysā of pregnancy and how great being a mother is. But not all women are born with a desire to become a mother nor do we all love being pregnant.Ā Thank you Donna Freitas for bringing your words to life and sharing the other side of this coin.
Thank you to @momadvice for picking this book for our January book club.Ā
Thank you to @momadvice for picking this book for our January book club.Ā
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Death of parent
linesiunderline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
As a childfree woman, I expected to connect deeply with this one. I appreciated a reading a book where the challenges of navigating society as a woman without children took centre stage. I feel like the world needs more stories about this experience, more variety, more openness, more representation.
Freitas delves into this subject and conveys aspects of the experience with nuance and clarity. She has a direct writing style, which gives the reader a strong sense of connection to Rose.
At times it was tricky to keep the different narratives / ālivesā straight, but I didnāt get too hung up on it, and so it didnāt irk me, but some readers might find that irritating. In the end, I donāt think it particularly mattered if some of the details of the different lives blended into each other.
Spoilers aheadā¦
I was disappointed that none of the lives presented an option where Rose ended up living contentedly without children. I appreciated that Freitas showed the complexities in each one of Roseās lives, no matter the resolution, but to me, it felt like something was lost, that some of the potential for even greater thematic richness was lost, because we didnāt get to see Rose in a life without children. This surprised me and was a let down.Ā
Iād be curious to learn more about the authorās process in writing this book and I think it adds important ideas to a topic of conversation that does not take center stage often enough.
Freitas delves into this subject and conveys aspects of the experience with nuance and clarity. She has a direct writing style, which gives the reader a strong sense of connection to Rose.
At times it was tricky to keep the different narratives / ālivesā straight, but I didnāt get too hung up on it, and so it didnāt irk me, but some readers might find that irritating. In the end, I donāt think it particularly mattered if some of the details of the different lives blended into each other.
Spoilers aheadā¦
I was disappointed that none of the lives presented an option where Rose ended up living contentedly without children. I appreciated that Freitas showed the complexities in each one of Roseās lives, no matter the resolution, but to me, it felt like something was lost, that some of the potential for even greater thematic richness was lost, because we didnāt get to see Rose in a life without children. This surprised me and was a let down.Ā
Iād be curious to learn more about the authorās process in writing this book and I think it adds important ideas to a topic of conversation that does not take center stage often enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
darkmattersoybean's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spoiler text for my whole review just to be safe.
Not spoiler version: This was a good book on the battles of being a childfree person in a society that thinks people with uteruses have to have children to be worth something. Iām definitely considering buying a physical copy for my bookshelf. I just didnāt agree with some plot choices.
Also, it was extremely hard to follow the lives despite them being numbered, but I didnāt particularly care as I just tried to get the gist of the life and not bother with the exact details.
Major spoiler review:
I really thought this was going to be a five star book for me. I really wanted it to be as someone who is very childfree themselves. I could see myself in a lot of the iterations of Rose. My heart ached through the entire book for her because I understood the pain.
BUT the ending ruined it for me. I understand the author was trying to make a point about motherhood. I respect that. People who chose to be mothers or parents are messy and complicated but do it out of love. But that sort of ending made me feel left behind. Like once again my experience was being invalidated. Because all roads led to Addie and motherhood, and the only one that didnāt, Rose died because of pregnancy complications.Ā
I wish there had been a Life 10. Just a brief glimpse of a life without an Addie. Just to make the point that people can live full and fulfilling lives without being a parent. Heck, I wouldāve taken a Luke and Cheryl Addie that Rose mentored but that wasnāt her child. I just wanted one life where Rose lived a completely childfree life (with or without Thomas) and got a Noble or something for her research. (I realise we got a glimpse of that with her aunt Frankie, but I didnāt connect with Frankie like I did Rose.)
I really had hope for this book and I still really enjoyed it and will probably buy a physical copy. I just donāt agree with how every iteration led to the same result in one way or another.
Sorry if my review offends anyone. I just have a lot of feelings about this. Thanks for reading.
Not spoiler version: This was a good book on the battles of being a childfree person in a society that thinks people with uteruses have to have children to be worth something. Iām definitely considering buying a physical copy for my bookshelf. I just didnāt agree with some plot choices.
Also, it was extremely hard to follow the lives despite them being numbered, but I didnāt particularly care as I just tried to get the gist of the life and not bother with the exact details.
Major spoiler review:
I really thought this was going to be a five star book for me. I really wanted it to be as someone who is very childfree themselves. I could see myself in a lot of the iterations of Rose. My heart ached through the entire book for her because I understood the pain.
BUT the ending ruined it for me. I understand the author was trying to make a point about motherhood. I respect that. People who chose to be mothers or parents are messy and complicated but do it out of love. But that sort of ending made me feel left behind. Like once again my experience was being invalidated. Because all roads led to Addie and motherhood, and the only one that didnāt, Rose died because of pregnancy complications.Ā
I wish there had been a Life 10. Just a brief glimpse of a life without an Addie. Just to make the point that people can live full and fulfilling lives without being a parent. Heck, I wouldāve taken a Luke and Cheryl Addie that Rose mentored but that wasnāt her child. I just wanted one life where Rose lived a completely childfree life (with or without Thomas) and got a Noble or something for her research. (I realise we got a glimpse of that with her aunt Frankie, but I didnāt connect with Frankie like I did Rose.)
I really had hope for this book and I still really enjoyed it and will probably buy a physical copy. I just donāt agree with how every iteration led to the same result in one way or another.
Sorry if my review offends anyone. I just have a lot of feelings about this. Thanks for reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
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