sonjaelisee's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
baguettekelly's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
2.5
I absolutely love Jennifer Egan’s prose, and this is a beautifully written novel.
I was intrigued by and invested in Charlotte Swenson’s story of moving though the world with a new face, and the, but the parallel stories taking place in Rockford didn’t hold my attention. I think this book would be equally effective without Charlotte Hauser, although I get what Egan was trying to do with . This point was made several times in several points in the story and I don’t think it was a worthy payoff for an entire half of the book.
I was intrigued by and invested in Charlotte Swenson’s story of moving though the world with a new face, and the
Spoiler
commentary on how this great trauma was co-opted and capitalized upon by a social media companySpoiler
the two Charlottes’ experiences stepping outside who others perceived them to be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, and Violence
hannakutlu's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Car accident
namizaela's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"He felt a sudden peace. We are what we see."
A lot of this book went over my head. This is the kind of book that if I spent a lot of time analyzing I could appreciate more, but on a first read-through, the metaphors and themes didn't resonate as deeply as I'd hoped. Also, I couldn't shake the feeling that Egan was very self-satisfied with her own writing when making this book. Basically, this book is slightly too pretentious for my tastes, although technically very good.
I will say that the themes explored in this book are very interesting to me, and the characters are written realistically. Egan definitely can come up with varied and interesting personalities!
A lot of this book went over my head. This is the kind of book that if I spent a lot of time analyzing I could appreciate more, but on a first read-through, the metaphors and themes didn't resonate as deeply as I'd hoped. Also, I couldn't shake the feeling that Egan was very self-satisfied with her own writing when making this book. Basically, this book is slightly too pretentious for my tastes, although technically very good.
I will say that the themes explored in this book are very interesting to me, and the characters are written realistically. Egan definitely can come up with varied and interesting personalities!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cancer, Racism, and Sexual content
abithereader's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Car accident, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
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