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alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked the overall premise of this book and thought the execution was pretty well done, and shows the impact choices and reactions can make on people’s lives. It was a compelling exploration of motherhood and all the choice a woman can make. I enjoyed it and thought it was a fast read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, 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 / “lives” straight, but I didn’t get too hung up on it, and so it didn’t irk me, but some readers might find that irritating. In the end, I don’t think it particularly mattered if some of the details of the different lives blended into each other.
Spoilers ahead…
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 Rose’s 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 didn’t get to see Rose in a life without children. This surprised me and was a let down.
I’d be curious to learn more about the author’s 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 / “lives” straight, but I didn’t get too hung up on it, and so it didn’t irk me, but some readers might find that irritating. In the end, I don’t think it particularly mattered if some of the details of the different lives blended into each other.
Spoilers ahead…
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 Rose’s 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 didn’t get to see Rose in a life without children. This surprised me and was a let down.
I’d be curious to learn more about the author’s 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, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Alcohol
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Nine Lives of Rose Neapolitan was one of the best books about motherhood that I’ve read. It looked at it from all angles - deciding to become a mother, single motherhood, step-mothering, balancing motherhood with a career, stay-at-home motherhood, how being a mother affects being a wife and so much more. It was especially strong on the pressure society places on women to have children and the way it negates those who don’t wish to do so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Misogyny
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. I’m definitely considering buying a physical copy for my bookshelf. I just didn’t agree with some plot choices.
Also, it was extremely hard to follow the lives despite them being numbered, but I didn’t 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 didn’t, Rose died because of pregnancy complications.
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 would’ve taken a Luke and Cheryl Addie that Rose mentored but that wasn’t 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 didn’t 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 don’t 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. I’m definitely considering buying a physical copy for my bookshelf. I just didn’t agree with some plot choices.
Also, it was extremely hard to follow the lives despite them being numbered, but I didn’t 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 didn’t, Rose died because of pregnancy complications.
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 would’ve taken a Luke and Cheryl Addie that Rose mentored but that wasn’t 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 didn’t 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 don’t 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: Bullying, Chronic illness, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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