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tamara_joy's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Sexism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Deportation
rieviolet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm not sure how I feel about this book, it was certainly an intricate reading and unlike any other I've ever experienced but I cannot say that I particularly enjoyed it.
I feel like the book tried to tackle too many themes (heavy and depressing themes at that) at once and it bit off more than at least I as a reader could chew. But I also think that the story dragged a bit, I felt like it became a bit repetitive at times and it wouldn't have hurt to just leave out some parts.
I'm all for exploring issues of sexism and all the double standards and hardship specific to motherhood but, oh boy, the book was really the grimest overview that I've ever encountered on the topic of having children, it could put really everyone off of it. I think at times maybe it felt like an overly exaggerated depiction and I just kept wanting to shout to the main character "Please, get off that darn island and get some help with childcare, 'cause I really think you can afford it". In general, I really struggled to connect with the characters and many times I was put off the reading by some of their reflections/actions.
I'm not so sure about the ending, it did not feel to me like a very satisfying one. A lot of things got resolved really quickly (liked the "mistery" set up at the very beginning of the story) or almost brushed aside, some story lines were just abandoned along the way. All in all, I think that after all the pages I had went through I just expected a more rounded-up conclusion.
The things that I appreciated the most were the writing style and the underlying ironic tone.
I liked the sections set in the past much more than the ones in the present time. I may try Sarah Moss's historical novels in the future because, as I said, I enjoyed her writing style (I think for example she replicated really well the manner of speech of the past), I just did not get on with this particular book.
I feel like the book tried to tackle too many themes (heavy and depressing themes at that) at once and it bit off more than at least I as a reader could chew. But I also think that the story dragged a bit, I felt like it became a bit repetitive at times and it wouldn't have hurt to just leave out some parts.
I'm all for exploring issues of sexism and all the double standards and hardship specific to motherhood but, oh boy, the book was really the grimest overview that I've ever encountered on the topic of having children, it could put really everyone off of it. I think at times maybe it felt like an overly exaggerated depiction and I just kept wanting to shout to the main character "Please, get off that darn island and get some help with childcare, 'cause I really think you can afford it". In general, I really struggled to connect with the characters and many times I was put off the reading by some of their reflections/actions.
I'm not so sure about the ending, it did not feel to me like a very satisfying one. A lot of things got resolved really quickly (liked the "mistery" set up at the very beginning of the story) or almost brushed aside, some story lines were just abandoned along the way. All in all, I think that after all the pages I had went through I just expected a more rounded-up conclusion.
The things that I appreciated the most were the writing style and the underlying ironic tone.
I liked the sections set in the past much more than the ones in the present time. I may try Sarah Moss's historical novels in the future because, as I said, I enjoyed her writing style (I think for example she replicated really well the manner of speech of the past), I just did not get on with this particular book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Excrement, Abortion, and Death of parent