gloomyboygirl's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up
I'm really into these simple sad girl litfics that eat up your brain with their weird eccentricities. This one felt a little loose and distance and I'm not sure I "got" it fully.
I'm really into these simple sad girl litfics that eat up your brain with their weird eccentricities. This one felt a little loose and distance and I'm not sure I "got" it fully.
panohchoc's review against another edition
2.0
Was not really a fan of this book. I was pretty bored and found the dialog frustrating. Instead of conversations, it felt more like one person would say something and then the other person would say something totally unrelated. It felt really unrealistic and it was hard for me follow. Other people described the book as funny and witty, which seems to have mostly gone right over my head - I probably missed stuff because I was eager to be done with the book. I guess it's just not my style.
rachel_the_managing_editor's review against another edition
3.0
3.2 stars
(spoiler)
I kind of wish this book had ended when the titular character died, which happened a fourth of the way into the book.
(spoiler)
I kind of wish this book had ended when the titular character died, which happened a fourth of the way into the book.
keepreadingbooks's review
challenging
dark
funny
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
3.0
Man, I’ve read some weird books lately. The Wallcreeper is no exception – and is a lot different from what I imagined!
I think the key to enjoying The Wallcreeper is, as one reviewer put it, to not attempt to rationalise it or to wrangle the main character, Tiff, into some shape of feminist or hero to root for. Or to take it too seriously at all, really. One of my attempts at describing it to someone else was to say that it would lull me into a sense of thinking it was being serious, only to have a dialogue or sentence indicate that it was, in fact, joking all along. Everything seems highly improbable, yet somehow Zink’s deep knowledge of bird-watching and ecological issues gave the story some level of credibility. Honestly, I had no idea which leg to stand on, and it was definitely too clever for me at times. In that regard it probably helped that I read it directly after Venomous Lumpsucker; my mindset was tuned into this kind of satirical, ambiguous, clever, eco-focused novel. That being said, I’m not sure what I was supposed to take away from this it; it felt like we were moving towards some kind of character development at some point, and some might argue that it was there, but to me, Tiff moved nowhere as a person. If you liked VL, maybe you’d like this one too, but it's definitely not for everyone! Consider yourself warned.
marinacka17's review against another edition
3.0
"La volta successiva che prendemmo il caffè, mi disse che studiava lingue slave in un'università internazionale di Cracovia e aveva abbandonato gli studi quando era arrivato il primo figlio. (...) Non aveva in programma di interrompere gli studi, ma era del tutto impossibile essere una brava madre e avere una vita, diceva. Non serbava rancore verso i suoi figli. Diceva che erano interessanti proprio quanto i verbi slavi."
colmspringer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
callmeamelia's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Miscarriage
clarkness's review against another edition
4.0
I was in a writing class once with a very funny guy who now writes for SNL, but I was surprised to find that he often let the desire to be funny get in the way of his storytelling rather than letting it service and enrich it. Nell Zink suffers from this same issue for the first half of this short novel, but mercifully finds a way to let the story shine through in the latter half. I don't want to take away from this work, which is extremely witty and enjoyable to read. The problem is that she keeps the characters at a distance early on, which makes them seem even worse than they are as people. As the characters begin to open up to one another and reveal greater depth, the terrible way that they treat one another gains more form and makes more sense. Ultimately, I found it a bit harrowing to witness this kind of relationship, but it was endearing to see an improvement in the relationship as the lines of communication opened even though they didn't necessarily begin to treat each other with greater respect. More importantly, it was nice to see Zink hit her stride as the novel progressed and find a unique, confident voice.