dessa's review against another edition
3.0
I was super into this book for the first half, but slowly some of the characters began to grate on me. Add some wild time-hopping to chapters that are already mega brief, and things began to feel a little too choppy for me. Given, I’m suspicious of any book that gives me multiple viewpoints, especially so quickly back to back, so that bias is my own. Anyway, lovely reading for an afternoon.
mallorieedward's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
steelfern's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
I only wish this had been a little longer, and in a linear narrative rather than jumping back and forth between years. I wanted to linger in the moment or with a character towards the last few chapters, but there wasn't the same amount of time to really dig in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Pregnancy
annickm's review against another edition
5.0
Moving, immersive, well-crafted coming-of-age queer novel.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Such an incredible book! A family saga, snapshot of growing up in Calgary in the 70s, coming back home in the 80s & then in the 2010s, and a queer coming of age story. The characters--two sisters Bernadette and Frances, their dad (who lost two wives
livewisdom's review against another edition
3.0
This was a quick fun, read.
Late 20th Century Western Canadiana as the backdrop for a coming of age story of a family in Calgary doing their best to hold each other up, as they clumsily hold each other back.
Late 20th Century Western Canadiana as the backdrop for a coming of age story of a family in Calgary doing their best to hold each other up, as they clumsily hold each other back.
devrose's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn’t fond of this book. The dysfunctional family and fire elements reminded me of Mostly Dead Things, which felt much more well done to me. I also would have preferred more about Phoenix’s life if we were going to jump around in timelines rather than going back to 1974 for the end.
kendrabetweenthelines's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, this is a good book. I rarely have the opportunity to read books set in my home province, so I appreciated this novel for that fact alone. I also loved the way that the author explores the relationships between each of the characters, and the attention paid to each character's identity as the events unfold. The cast of characters includes individuals struggling with sexual and gender identities, as well as religious expectations and grief.
I was really hoping that this novel would explore more of the political climate of Alberta in the 1970s and 1980s. While certain chapters discuss the setting, I felt that this area was lacking and could have added more depth to the plot and characters. I also felt that some of the chapters were hard to follow or could have been left out entirely.
I still think that this book is worth reading, as it discusses important characters and themes in a Canadian context. It just felt a little underdeveloped and awkward at times.
I was really hoping that this novel would explore more of the political climate of Alberta in the 1970s and 1980s. While certain chapters discuss the setting, I felt that this area was lacking and could have added more depth to the plot and characters. I also felt that some of the chapters were hard to follow or could have been left out entirely.
I still think that this book is worth reading, as it discusses important characters and themes in a Canadian context. It just felt a little underdeveloped and awkward at times.