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iridium's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
jackelz's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
85-year-old Addie is telling the story of her life to her 22-year-old granddaughter. She begins in 1915, the year she found her voice and made friends who would help shape the course of her life. I thought the format of the book was really sweet, and it read like a true memoir. It also made me nostalgic for a grandmother figure in my life.
I love that the narrative included historical events and figures — the psychological effects of World War I, the influenza outbreak of 1918, child labor laws, and the cultural impact of Betty Friedan — but only tidbits as none were the plot of the story.
There is a great mix of Jewish culture and feminism too. I loved seeing how Addie defied unrealistic standards of what a women should be like, and she stayed true to herself til the end.
“Sometimes friends grow apart. You tell each other everything and you’re sure this is a person you’ll know the rest of your life but then she stops writing or calling, or you realize she’s really not so nice, or she turns into a right-winger… But sometimes, it doesn’t matter how far apart you live or how little you talk—it’s still there.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, and Antisemitism
There is also a depiction of lynching when Addie is describing photos she looked at for an article she was writing.c13msm0m's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Blood
Moderate: Antisemitism
spellboundchapters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
There were some parts I liked but at the end, I found this book to be pretty average. The main thing I liked was the writing style because I really felt like I was Addie's granddaughter and that she was telling me about her life.
But at the same time... the writing kinda threw me off because imo it lacked emotion. I just felt like I was listening to a bunch of random anecdotes that weren't connected and that Addie never learned anything from them. Also, whenever something sad or straight up traumatic happened, as soon as we get to the next chapter, it's like everyone is already over it and continues to live their life as if it never happened.
This book is pitched as Addie telling her daughter about her "life story"... when in reality we learn about her from age 15 to 30-ish, and the story basically stops once she gets married even though she's 85 years old when telling all of this. What happened during the other 55 years? There were some major historical events (the Great Depression, WW2, Cold War) yet those were barely, if ever, mentioned. That contributed to the general feeling that everything just felt too "easy" (no I promise I don't want my characters to suffer unnecessarily). For example we're constantly being told that they're very poor but it doesn't feel like they are, Addie just acts like any other teenager/young adult. And then her and her sisters just end up each marrying a rich guy and move into a big beautiful house and live happily ever after...
But at the same time... the writing kinda threw me off because imo it lacked emotion. I just felt like I was listening to a bunch of random anecdotes that weren't connected and that Addie never learned anything from them. Also, whenever something sad or straight up traumatic happened, as soon as we get to the next chapter, it's like everyone is already over it and continues to live their life as if it never happened.
This book is pitched as Addie telling her daughter about her "life story"... when in reality we learn about her from age 15 to 30-ish, and the story basically stops once she gets married even though she's 85 years old when telling all of this. What happened during the other 55 years? There were some major historical events (the Great Depression, WW2, Cold War) yet those were barely, if ever, mentioned. That contributed to the general feeling that everything just felt too "easy" (no I promise I don't want my characters to suffer unnecessarily). For example we're constantly being told that they're very poor but it doesn't feel like they are, Addie just acts like any other teenager/young adult. And then her and her sisters just end up each marrying a rich guy and move into a big beautiful house and live happily ever after...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Antisemitism