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macierules's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book very much. There was a timeless quality about it - like a fairy tale. I had to very often shake my head to remember it was taking place in today's world and not the 19th century.
glaseramy's review against another edition
4.0
This is a lovely book about a person who is perceived to be different on the outside, but is a wonderful and caring person on the inside. I guessed one bit right away, and everything is all warm and fuzzy in the end. It's a feel-good book, and a light read. Perfect for summer.
807gmadre's review against another edition
4.0
Theoretically, this story begins in the 1950s and progresses to the 1980s, but with its setting in the backwoods of Aberdeen County and all the parochial thinking of that time and place, I kept thinking the story was unfolding in the turn-of-the-century, and then some modern scientific concept or world event would be mentioned and I would have to mentally readjust the timelines... Another oddity is use of an all-knowing first person point-of-view--I kept wondering why the author chose to make Truly omniscient?
I felt great empathy for Truly who had so many cards stacked against her from birth onwards, that she didn't have even the slightest chance of developing a healthy adult psyche. Truly endures, she survives, but she doesn't prevail. From now on, I imagined, a part of me would always be keeping in the shadows. Yep--Truly has been irreparably damaged!
Despite these inconsistencies and a rushed conclusion, an enchanting tale emerges and I was invested in getting to know the idiosyncrasies of all of the quirky townspeople, big and small.
I felt great empathy for Truly who had so many cards stacked against her from birth onwards, that she didn't have even the slightest chance of developing a healthy adult psyche. Truly endures, she survives, but she doesn't prevail.
Spoiler
I was disturbed by her stoic reaction to poisoning the Pickerton's cat and also her unjust, callous treatment of her closest female friend, leading to her friend's suicide.Despite these inconsistencies and a rushed conclusion, an enchanting tale emerges and I was invested in getting to know the idiosyncrasies of all of the quirky townspeople, big and small.
jenr98's review against another edition
4.0
A little slow starting, but I liked the story a lot. It was interesting and complex. The author did a great job creating realistic characters, especially the heroine who is likable, but clearly flawed. Also contains one of the most accurate lines ever written about parenting: She never understood that love- especially that of a child- was the most necessary weight you can endure in life, even if it hurts, even if it tugs bags under the skin of your eyes.
susanbrooks's review against another edition
2.0
Started out enjoying the whimsical writing, then identified problems I had with it, one after the other.
I noticed that the book had no sense of place and then noticed that I did not feel embodied in the bodied experience of our main character, our giant. At times of conflict and drama, sometimes Truly just shrugs and does nothing. There is a big twist at the end (supposedly) but it’s introduced by Truly explaining to us how she missed the signs of this information…. So the reader knows but then we have to pretend to go along with Truly “finding out” later?
I noticed that the book had no sense of place and then noticed that I did not feel embodied in the bodied experience of our main character, our giant. At times of conflict and drama, sometimes Truly just shrugs and does nothing. There is a big twist at the end (supposedly) but it’s introduced by Truly explaining to us how she missed the signs of this information…. So the reader knows but then we have to pretend to go along with Truly “finding out” later?
juliaparker78's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure I would have stuck with this if I hadn't been on a cross country flight. There are some interesting elements to the story, but overall, it was very sad. At the same time, it's an easy read and good for just sort of zoning out.
pips_little_library's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
alicetheowl's review against another edition
2.0
This book left me feeling very dissatisfied. It seemed to be about appearances not lending anything to the inner person, and about a strong woman who can overcome the stings and barbs. But in the end, Truly winds up just as ugly on the inside as everyone says she is on the inside, and weak, to boot. I so wanted to sympathize with her character, but, as soon as she killed a cat just to see what would happen, I lost all interest in what happened to her.
The most sympathetic characters in the story seem like mockeries of humanity, next to the parade of awful people we've seen marching past all book. Marcus is patient to the point of delusion, waiting for Truly to get over herself (for, what, 40 years?) to admit she has feelings for him. She's too busy wallowing in pity and believing what people say about her to care. I kept wishing he would just throw up his hands and walk away, or at least get a life of his own.
Bobby Morgan could've been a good character to latch onto, if he wasn't such a collection of stereotypes. He's a cross-dresser because he misses his mother? Seriously? And he's gay because he's a cross-dresser? Does the author actually know any cross-dressers, or gay people? The two often intersect, but the causality aspect hinted on in the book grated on me.
There were more things that grated than that didn't about this book: the author's unwillingness to name a rape as such, the first person omniscient narration (I mean, WTF), the implication that fat people have no sex lives, the tiny detail of naming upstate NY "New England" (much as they'd like to be, no, New England is only Maine, NH, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut), and even the cute little metaphors got on my nerves. It felt like they were tacked on to give the narrator more character.
I think there are people who can overlook all of the things that bothered me about the book. Maybe they even come across differently in written text, rather than in an audio edition. But I'm not going to read it to find out. Once was plenty.
The most sympathetic characters in the story seem like mockeries of humanity, next to the parade of awful people we've seen marching past all book. Marcus is patient to the point of delusion, waiting for Truly to get over herself (for, what, 40 years?) to admit she has feelings for him. She's too busy wallowing in pity and believing what people say about her to care. I kept wishing he would just throw up his hands and walk away, or at least get a life of his own.
Bobby Morgan could've been a good character to latch onto, if he wasn't such a collection of stereotypes. He's a cross-dresser because he misses his mother? Seriously? And he's gay because he's a cross-dresser? Does the author actually know any cross-dressers, or gay people? The two often intersect, but the causality aspect hinted on in the book grated on me.
There were more things that grated than that didn't about this book: the author's unwillingness to name a rape as such, the first person omniscient narration (I mean, WTF), the implication that fat people have no sex lives, the tiny detail of naming upstate NY "New England" (much as they'd like to be, no, New England is only Maine, NH, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut), and even the cute little metaphors got on my nerves. It felt like they were tacked on to give the narrator more character.
I think there are people who can overlook all of the things that bothered me about the book. Maybe they even come across differently in written text, rather than in an audio edition. But I'm not going to read it to find out. Once was plenty.
champagnejayme's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn't perfect but I loved the author's writing.
shar5792's review against another edition
Did not like the plot. Liked the writing style.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Pregnancy