shimimire's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and was hoping to be transported to a magical world again with this read, but I just couldn’t relate with the characters in this book.
nativedoll's review against another edition
5.0
aimee bender is underrated period. amazing investigation of mental illness, i loved the imagery, the mother daughter dynamic, and the struggle for the main characters grasp on reality and sanity are all beautifully stated and described by aimee bender. there’s a quote on the back of this book that says something along the lines of “aimee bender makes you happy to understand language” and i completely agree. she gave me everything i didnt know i wanted out of this book and honestly its rating is unfair!!!!
sadiereadsagain's review against another edition
4.0
When I first read the premise of this book, I didn't fully understand what this book was about. What I did know was that it sounded intriguing and had a heavy mental health slant, and that was enough to pull me in.
This is the story of Francie, who is 8 years old when her mother has a psychotic break so severe that she ends up hospitalised long term. As she sleeps at the babysitter's house, while arrangements are made for her to live with her aunt and uncle across the country, she admires the lamp beside her. It is decorated with a pattern of butterflies. When she wakes in the morning, a real butterfly - which looks just like the ones on the lampshade - floats dead in her water glass. During her childhood, a couple of other instances of the illustrated becoming real, tangible but dead objects occur. As a young woman, Francie finds herself dwelling on these instances, as well as her mother's ongoing mental health hospitalisation and how it has impacted her. She withdraws from life, and we join her as she tries to make sense of her own state of mind.
This book is strange journey into Francie's perception of reality, and the generational impact of mental health issues. There is a lot of sadness in this book, both in the mother-daughter relationship and in the shadow that her earlier experiences cast over Francie's life. But neither Francie nor the book does this in a way that points the finger of blame at her mother, who had as little choice in how things developed as yer young daughter did. Instead, there is a strong sense of love and the importance of community in protecting and supporting those impacted by mental illness.
I thought it was such a powerful read, though much as I struggled to understand the premise before I read it I'm also struggling to articulate why I found this book so beautiful, hopeful and raw. I think this may need a reread at some point for me to pull my thoughts together. And I hardly ever reread, so I think that says how much of a mark this book made!
I was sent a copy of this book as a NetGalley from Random House UK, Cornerstone in return for a review. All opinions are my own.
This is the story of Francie, who is 8 years old when her mother has a psychotic break so severe that she ends up hospitalised long term. As she sleeps at the babysitter's house, while arrangements are made for her to live with her aunt and uncle across the country, she admires the lamp beside her. It is decorated with a pattern of butterflies. When she wakes in the morning, a real butterfly - which looks just like the ones on the lampshade - floats dead in her water glass. During her childhood, a couple of other instances of the illustrated becoming real, tangible but dead objects occur. As a young woman, Francie finds herself dwelling on these instances, as well as her mother's ongoing mental health hospitalisation and how it has impacted her. She withdraws from life, and we join her as she tries to make sense of her own state of mind.
This book is strange journey into Francie's perception of reality, and the generational impact of mental health issues. There is a lot of sadness in this book, both in the mother-daughter relationship and in the shadow that her earlier experiences cast over Francie's life. But neither Francie nor the book does this in a way that points the finger of blame at her mother, who had as little choice in how things developed as yer young daughter did. Instead, there is a strong sense of love and the importance of community in protecting and supporting those impacted by mental illness.
I thought it was such a powerful read, though much as I struggled to understand the premise before I read it I'm also struggling to articulate why I found this book so beautiful, hopeful and raw. I think this may need a reread at some point for me to pull my thoughts together. And I hardly ever reread, so I think that says how much of a mark this book made!
I was sent a copy of this book as a NetGalley from Random House UK, Cornerstone in return for a review. All opinions are my own.
crystaldragonst's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
brandimarinig's review against another edition
2.0
The premise seemed so unique but 90 % of the book was like white noise with relatives mumbling. I thought there would be more therapy and self discovery involved.
murve's review against another edition
4.0
TW:
This book was a very interesting look at mental illness affecting a family through the years. I enjoyed the mystical point of view and the really odd parallels to my own life.
Spoiler
intrusive thoughts and psychosisThis book was a very interesting look at mental illness affecting a family through the years. I enjoyed the mystical point of view and the really odd parallels to my own life.
azu_rikka's review against another edition
3.0
Quiet and slow burning novel. It sort of needed to grow on me.
nannyofoz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
annabelljar's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0