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Reviews
Breaking and Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called "Alien" by Jeremy N. Smith
dr_logen's review
1.0
DNF @ 40%
There is not one likable character in this book. I almost started to like Aubrey and then she ruined it.
Both Aubrey and Lena were dating Charlie, which they find out at his funeral. But Lena doesn't think he's actually dead so they team up to try to find him. Charlie is awful. I could not understand why either girl liked him. Lena admits that she always thought he was cheating on her. Even beyond the cheating, Charlie is just weird. He's constantly reinventing himself. For example, the Charlie that's with one girl doesn't like olives, but the one that's with the other love them. What is this? Is this supposed to be quirky and cute? Because it's not. It's just fucking weird.
Lena's annoying - she's the stereotypical rich girl. No depth whatsoever. And just when I think Aubrey might be tolerable, no - she spent most of her relationship with Charlie cheating with his friend. WTF?
So I guess I'll never know if Charlie is actually alive or not since I abandoned this book. But I am totally okay with that. Some things are not worth knowing.
There is not one likable character in this book. I almost started to like Aubrey and then she ruined it.
Both Aubrey and Lena were dating Charlie, which they find out at his funeral. But Lena doesn't think he's actually dead so they team up to try to find him. Charlie is awful. I could not understand why either girl liked him. Lena admits that she always thought he was cheating on her. Even beyond the cheating, Charlie is just weird. He's constantly reinventing himself. For example, the Charlie that's with one girl doesn't like olives, but the one that's with the other love them. What is this? Is this supposed to be quirky and cute? Because it's not. It's just fucking weird.
Lena's annoying - she's the stereotypical rich girl. No depth whatsoever. And just when I think Aubrey might be tolerable, no - she spent most of her relationship with Charlie cheating with his friend. WTF?
So I guess I'll never know if Charlie is actually alive or not since I abandoned this book. But I am totally okay with that. Some things are not worth knowing.
dar_muzz's review
4.0
It IS a nostalgic peek at decades' worth of fitness trends (with an amusing running series of LL Bean and Patagonia "fashion" choices) but ultimately it is about Bechdel finding herself, being in right relationship, and exploring philosophies of how to "be" as an artist and as a person. Like her last two works, quite serious, but she knows how to gently poke fun at herself. The literary sub-stories woven through are an extra treat.
txbooklover's review
4.0
This is a quick read (young adult fiction) that deals with the drama and bullying in high school. Although there are no real surprises in the plot, anyone who wasn't one of the popular crowd in high school will be able to relate to the themes. 4/5 stars.
lola425's review
5.0
Prepub. Due out in October.
I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I read it. Attenberg is skillful at capturing dysfunctional family dynamics and the Tuchmans are as dysfunctional as they come. Victor Tuchman is toxic masculinity defined and Attenberg guides us through the effects of that toxicity as daughter Alex tries to figure out the “why” of her family’s history. Asks the question: Is forgiveness the only option at the end of a bad person’s life or are there other ways to heal?
Recommended for fans of Jennifer Egan and Meg Wolitzer and readers who like examinations of dysfunctional family dynamics. Great book group choice.
I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I read it. Attenberg is skillful at capturing dysfunctional family dynamics and the Tuchmans are as dysfunctional as they come. Victor Tuchman is toxic masculinity defined and Attenberg guides us through the effects of that toxicity as daughter Alex tries to figure out the “why” of her family’s history. Asks the question: Is forgiveness the only option at the end of a bad person’s life or are there other ways to heal?
Recommended for fans of Jennifer Egan and Meg Wolitzer and readers who like examinations of dysfunctional family dynamics. Great book group choice.
emmakatebooks's review
5.0
Huge thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book.
My favorite things about this book:
1. The relationship between Lucille and her sister. I have a little brother who's almost 6 years younger than me (Lucille and her sister were 7 years apart, I think?) and I can only imagine what it would have been like to have to take care of him when I was a teenager. But this book comes close to what I would imagine. The shifting role from older sister to guardian was well done and Lucille's reaction to that shift was realistic.
2. Lucille's community. Throughout the book, someone in the neighborhood is secretly stocking their kitchen and fixing their falling-apart house. In the scene where their benefactor is revealed, I almost wanted to cry. I also loved Lucille's boss and coworkers and Eden and Digby and their parents. Probably the best part of this book is seeing how people come together to help them, the humanity of their community.
Things I cared less about:
1. The romance. This is a weird statement for me, because usually I'm all about the romance. And I still enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed the book just as much without it. And some of Lucille's internal monologue about how much she wants Digby felt overdone to me. Most of the reason I took one star off was because the romance didn't make me swoon as much as I wanted to.
2. The path the plot took towards the end. There's a big accident and suddenly the whole focus of the book shifted from their mother's disappearance to the results of the accident. And if the accident had happened to one of the sisters, maybe it wouldn't have felt so off, but it just seemed like the focus of the book changed very suddenly.
Overall, though, it was enjoyable. It's a good weekend read when you want something quick, but also something that has some substance. I'll definitely be interested to see what else Estelle Laure produces in the future.
My favorite things about this book:
1. The relationship between Lucille and her sister. I have a little brother who's almost 6 years younger than me (Lucille and her sister were 7 years apart, I think?) and I can only imagine what it would have been like to have to take care of him when I was a teenager. But this book comes close to what I would imagine. The shifting role from older sister to guardian was well done and Lucille's reaction to that shift was realistic.
2. Lucille's community. Throughout the book, someone in the neighborhood is secretly stocking their kitchen and fixing their falling-apart house. In the scene where their benefactor is revealed, I almost wanted to cry. I also loved Lucille's boss and coworkers and Eden and Digby and their parents. Probably the best part of this book is seeing how people come together to help them, the humanity of their community.
Things I cared less about:
1. The romance. This is a weird statement for me, because usually I'm all about the romance. And I still enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed the book just as much without it. And some of Lucille's internal monologue about how much she wants Digby felt overdone to me. Most of the reason I took one star off was because the romance didn't make me swoon as much as I wanted to.
2. The path the plot took towards the end. There's a big accident and suddenly the whole focus of the book shifted from their mother's disappearance to the results of the accident. And if the accident had happened to one of the sisters, maybe it wouldn't have felt so off, but it just seemed like the focus of the book changed very suddenly.
Overall, though, it was enjoyable. It's a good weekend read when you want something quick, but also something that has some substance. I'll definitely be interested to see what else Estelle Laure produces in the future.
jdiedrichs628's review
2.0
I kept wanting to really like this book. I liked the premise and the characters. I just felt like it dragged a bit. Maybe that was because the author had to take time to introduce the characters. I kept envisioning the book as the pilot for a new series. I think the story and characters would lend themselves well to television.
mrjonathan's review
4.0
Standouts:
*White Horse: Eliese Colette Goldbach weaves together her brutal rape as a young woman with her childhood view of sexuality, posing the question whether she was victimized as an adult because she was previously abused.
*We Are Orphans Here: Rachel Kushner visits the walled-in Palestinian refugee camp in Jerusalem, meeting the unofficial mayor prior to his murder.
*What Came Before the Big Bang: A mind-blowing exploration of theories of the beginning of the universe, including the idea that the dense particle that contained all of matter could have appeared from nothing, which would mean that all of our established facts regarding time and matter could be just mere perceptions not yet disproved. (Alan Lightman)
*Cost of Living: Emily Maloney works as an ER tech, undercharging people because of her sympathy for them following her own expensive suicide attempt.
*If I Only Had a Leg: Greg Marshall aspires to grow up to be an actor, but others’ view of his cerebral palsy relegates him to bit parts in the background.
*Last Taboo: Wesley Morris points out how the black penis is still hypersexualized and either seen as dangerous or reduced to a joke.
*Haywire: Heather Sellers remembers leaving the home of her paranoid mother to live with her mentally ill, alcoholic father who wore women’s clothes and watched porn at the dining table.
*White Horse: Eliese Colette Goldbach weaves together her brutal rape as a young woman with her childhood view of sexuality, posing the question whether she was victimized as an adult because she was previously abused.
*We Are Orphans Here: Rachel Kushner visits the walled-in Palestinian refugee camp in Jerusalem, meeting the unofficial mayor prior to his murder.
*What Came Before the Big Bang: A mind-blowing exploration of theories of the beginning of the universe, including the idea that the dense particle that contained all of matter could have appeared from nothing, which would mean that all of our established facts regarding time and matter could be just mere perceptions not yet disproved. (Alan Lightman)
*Cost of Living: Emily Maloney works as an ER tech, undercharging people because of her sympathy for them following her own expensive suicide attempt.
*If I Only Had a Leg: Greg Marshall aspires to grow up to be an actor, but others’ view of his cerebral palsy relegates him to bit parts in the background.
*Last Taboo: Wesley Morris points out how the black penis is still hypersexualized and either seen as dangerous or reduced to a joke.
*Haywire: Heather Sellers remembers leaving the home of her paranoid mother to live with her mentally ill, alcoholic father who wore women’s clothes and watched porn at the dining table.
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