Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Silly little book but if you asked me on a deeper level it was a surprising pick for me. I didn’t expect it to go the way that it did because in a way, the book is marketed as a “family vacation gone wrong type” but it goes deeper into a misunderstood agoraphobic mother/artist and her daughter who idolizes her. I enjoyed it a lot. I always enjoy books written in the pov of a child because you have to read between the lines to further understand what is actually happening since children perceive things differently. Complex family dynamics veiled by a child’s perspective and desire to have a perfectly happy family.
I liked the more open-form ending too.

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mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Bernadette doesn’t belong in Seattle, but her husband is a big shot at Microsoft, so there she is. So different from all the other moms at her kid’s (Bee) school. In a wild series of events in which everyone acts without actually discussing anything with each other, Bernadette goes missing. Now it’s up to Bee to think like her mom to try to find her even though everyone else has given up hope. This book was hilarious and I loved it!

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221bpinkst's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Some language

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juleseliasw's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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calliedoo's review against another edition

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funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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missgrangerr's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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maggiefrankhsu's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

A disappointment. I read this bc I’m interested in stories about mothers who “abandon” their families and all the complexity that ensues. This just doesn’t work very deeply on that level, or any other. Paper-thin characters, other than Bernadette herself, who had complexity but the author basically abandoned all that nuance in the final pages. None of the turning points/flashes of insight from any of the characters made sense to me, particularly the minor characters (Audrey and Soo-Lin). In addition to these problems this book contains a lot of weirdly racist moments that troubled me. I did like the epistolary structure. The book was very well structured and fast-paced. I just wanted the author to allow Bernadette her complexity, in the end

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cawaza's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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