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claraarianne's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
harleyglynn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
rivergrid's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 ⭐ read because I looked forward to reading it every night before I went to sleep.
Going through the motions of your 30s is especially challenging and this book didn't hold back — the descriptions, the experiences, the grief, and the MEN. I rooted for Casey, for the geese, for Caleb, for all the other characters, the significance in their growth reverberated throughout the book.
Life should be lived and written like this! This book was very much like a Mieko Kawakami book written in the American setting. I will come back to it a lot.
Going through the motions of your 30s is especially challenging and this book didn't hold back — the descriptions, the experiences, the grief, and the MEN. I rooted for Casey, for the geese, for Caleb, for all the other characters, the significance in their growth reverberated throughout the book.
Life should be lived and written like this! This book was very much like a Mieko Kawakami book written in the American setting. I will come back to it a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Abandonment
bmpicc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
I've never read Lily King & I was pleasantly surprised.
I read a book about about grief, anxiety, and what I believe were panic attacks. Yet, the words were beautifully written and the storytelling itself was incredibly comforting.
"It's strange, to not be the youngest kind of adult anymore."
"It's a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone."
*Read this because book was mentioned on Reading Glasses Podcast.
I read a book about about grief, anxiety, and what I believe were panic attacks. Yet, the words were beautifully written and the storytelling itself was incredibly comforting.
"It's strange, to not be the youngest kind of adult anymore."
"It's a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone."
*Read this because book was mentioned on Reading Glasses Podcast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Pedophilia
sommerblond's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Cancer and Infertility
sophk8's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Really enjoyable, but the last act felt rushed and there were some plot-points at the end that were left as loose ends / unanswered questions which left me wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer and Infertility
lkbp17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent
readbycarina's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexism, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pedophilia
aksmith92's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.0
The setup: Casey Peabody is struggling. It's 1997 - she's in debt from a prestigious school where she intended to play golf on a scholarship, but that fell through. She's now working as a waitress at a fancy restaurant where many Harvard folks go and eat and talk, which usually makes her life a bit challenging. She's also wholly unraveling from her mother's death and a rather love bomb—a fallout from someone whom she developed feelings for quite quickly and thought was reciprocated until it wasn't. On top of that, she's trying to be a writer and seems to be just scraping by.
Casey is battling with the idea that you can be a creative and live happily - she's watched many friends give up their goals and dreams to do something to earn money or continue a status quo. We watch as Casey goes through life navigating the grief of her mother's death, her very complicated relationship with a distant father, working at the restaurant to ensure she pays her bills, trying to write a novel where she seems to get stuck, and navigate dating and falling in love after a rocky relationship. We see Casey trying to get her life together, even as she begins dating two different men and begins to conclude a book. It's about Casey's fictional life; I ate this one up!
What I loved: Lilly King can write a book, that's for sure. I was engrossed in Casey's life, particularly her writing journey and the idea that even back in 1997, living creatively can be painful in America. King could intersect grief, love, family, and mental health very well while still making a realistic story. It was nice to have more of a literary and contemporary fiction novel end on a relatively good note. While this was not a happy story, this book made me feel good, and I appreciated all the nuances King gave Casey and her little bubble of a life.
Lastly, it was satisfying to read a book about a thirty-something who navigated her youth and continued working through some past traumas and journeys as someone more mature. As someone around her age, that felt relatable, and overall, it was done well.
What could've made it five stars: This novel was a trope in itself—a white, sad, broke girl who takes on the city and tries to make it. These types of stories are really hit or miss for me, and while this hit, I still kept thinking about this trope/subgenre. I can't articulate it well, but we've read this story before. However, I will say that just because it has been done before doesn't mean I hated this book by any means.
Additionally, there were times when the writing tried to be a bit too profound, and Casey would go on with metaphors, similes, and analogies. Sometimes it was just a lot.
Lastly, while there was a focus on Casey's mom and how her death impacted her and continued to impact her, I felt disconnected from that narrative a bit because we didn't get a ton of information about the memories with her mom other than a bit of abandonment. It's a minor qualm because overall, I felt that everything was done well, including Casey's grief, but at times, it felt like King put this subplot in there to make Casey even sadder. While acceptable for a novel like this, its execution didn't always feel right.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to seeing what King puts out in the future!
Casey is battling with the idea that you can be a creative and live happily - she's watched many friends give up their goals and dreams to do something to earn money or continue a status quo. We watch as Casey goes through life navigating the grief of her mother's death, her very complicated relationship with a distant father, working at the restaurant to ensure she pays her bills, trying to write a novel where she seems to get stuck, and navigate dating and falling in love after a rocky relationship. We see Casey trying to get her life together, even as she begins dating two different men and begins to conclude a book. It's about Casey's fictional life; I ate this one up!
What I loved: Lilly King can write a book, that's for sure. I was engrossed in Casey's life, particularly her writing journey and the idea that even back in 1997, living creatively can be painful in America. King could intersect grief, love, family, and mental health very well while still making a realistic story. It was nice to have more of a literary and contemporary fiction novel end on a relatively good note. While this was not a happy story, this book made me feel good, and I appreciated all the nuances King gave Casey and her little bubble of a life.
Lastly, it was satisfying to read a book about a thirty-something who navigated her youth and continued working through some past traumas and journeys as someone more mature. As someone around her age, that felt relatable, and overall, it was done well.
What could've made it five stars: This novel was a trope in itself—a white, sad, broke girl who takes on the city and tries to make it. These types of stories are really hit or miss for me, and while this hit, I still kept thinking about this trope/subgenre. I can't articulate it well, but we've read this story before. However, I will say that just because it has been done before doesn't mean I hated this book by any means.
Additionally, there were times when the writing tried to be a bit too profound, and Casey would go on with metaphors, similes, and analogies. Sometimes it was just a lot.
Lastly, while there was a focus on Casey's mom and how her death impacted her and continued to impact her, I felt disconnected from that narrative a bit because we didn't get a ton of information about the memories with her mom other than a bit of abandonment. It's a minor qualm because overall, I felt that everything was done well, including Casey's grief, but at times, it felt like King put this subplot in there to make Casey even sadder. While acceptable for a novel like this, its execution didn't always feel right.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to seeing what King puts out in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Infertility, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
vanesst's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Medical content, and Abandonment