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kylalala's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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.
I liked the more open-form ending too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
sinceslicedbread's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed all of the moving parts of this book. My only complaint is the ending. I think Sue Lynn getting pregnant was unnecessary and left a lot to be desired at the end. How would this affect the characters’ relationships?
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
bee_interrupted's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Bernadette Fox used to be an award-winning architect, but after one of her creations was deliberately destroyed she moved away, became a recluse and fell into
depression.
Her husband is worried about her
increasingly erratic and anti-social
behavior and stages an intervention
to have her commited to a psychiatric hospital. Bernadette
isn't having it and vanishes without a trace. Her daughter Bee starts retracing her mother's steps by reading old email, notes, articles etc. in an attempt to figure out what happened to Bernadette and find her.
This book is light-hearted and funny
despite the seemingly serious plot.
However, I didn’t like the style. Bee
tells her mother's story in
present tense but most of the book are just the notes and emails
she read copy-pasted. This doesn't
make for a fluent read and parts of the content of these emails just seem superfluous and annoying to me, I would have preferred Bee just
telling the story in her own words. As it is, I wouldn't recommend this book.
depression.
Her husband is worried about her
increasingly erratic and anti-social
behavior and stages an intervention
to have her commited to a psychiatric hospital. Bernadette
isn't having it and vanishes without a trace. Her daughter Bee starts retracing her mother's steps by reading old email, notes, articles etc. in an attempt to figure out what happened to Bernadette and find her.
This book is light-hearted and funny
despite the seemingly serious plot.
However, I didn’t like the style. Bee
tells her mother's story in
present tense but most of the book are just the notes and emails
she read copy-pasted. This doesn't
make for a fluent read and parts of the content of these emails just seem superfluous and annoying to me, I would have preferred Bee just
telling the story in her own words. As it is, I wouldn't recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
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