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oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fast, fun read that served as a great palette cleanser for me after a few books where I had to slog through.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol
themichellegray's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Yet another interesting concept that wasn't explored to its full potential with an unsatisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity
elderwoodreads's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one! Reminded me of the Sylvia Plath poem about the fig tree. I enjoyed the thought experiment and the story generally, a bit slow in the middle but not bad.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
tayreads10's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I heard about "this book where the husband goes up to the attic and a new one comes down" and I was like well.. I've got to find that and see what it's about! The book really dragged at points, but overall was good. I was kind of disappointed with the ending. She spent the whole book being picky and then decided without even meeting the guy first that he'd be the last one?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
maggies's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This to be one of the most interesting setups I've read recently. With that title, it's easy to imagine The Husbands is a romance, but it is emphatically not. A little bit parallel universes, a little bit philosophical examination of the power of choice and fate. I never connected with Lauren, or maybe I connected too much, since I can see myself behaving similarly (if my attic ever started producing an endless supply of husbands) and it's not a flattering image. Highly recommended, just the same!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
kathleenivy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Alcohol, and Classism
kmdowling90's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
baileyanabella's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really really enjoyed this when I really didn't expect to! The girls were right, it's a banger. I was immediately so invested in the story. Lauren comes home from a night out drinking with friends to a strange man in her house claiming to be her husband, but she's never met him before and when she left for the outing, she was single and living alone. What would you do??
One of my favorite things about this book was Lauren's authenticity. I felt like her reactions to these crazy magic scenarios were very real, whether it works out for the best or not. She cycles through husband after husband testing the limits of her suddenly magical attic's ability to start her world right over while time continues to pass. She tries on many different lives and versions of herself. It's fascinating and very fun, sometimes stressful to go through those experiences with her, and it's fascinating to watch her figure out what she truly wants. It raises questions like 'How do we learn to be happy with what we have rather than concerned with the things we want to change? How can we be certain those changes would truly make our lives better?'
Good read. Enjoyed the audiobook a lot, the narrator did a fantastic job with the many accents and expressive speech that I think added a lot.
One of my favorite things about this book was Lauren's authenticity. I felt like her reactions to these crazy magic scenarios were very real, whether it works out for the best or not. She cycles through husband after husband testing the limits of her suddenly magical attic's ability to start her world right over while time continues to pass. She tries on many different lives and versions of herself. It's fascinating and very fun, sometimes stressful to go through those experiences with her, and it's fascinating to watch her figure out what she truly wants. It raises questions like 'How do we learn to be happy with what we have rather than concerned with the things we want to change? How can we be certain those changes would truly make our lives better?'
Good read. Enjoyed the audiobook a lot, the narrator did a fantastic job with the many accents and expressive speech that I think added a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy
kirstenw's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A very clever and unique plot. Lighthearted and funny at times, but also dealing with serious relationship issues that make you think.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity and Violence
shelbae_smirth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail