rose_peterson's review
3.0
The longer I teach in a chaotic environment, the more I find myself reaching for books that are easy escapes from it. This perfectly fit the bill. I loved how the author mixed writing form throughout the book, and I found some characters' voices--particularly Rachel's and Ruby's--fresh and engaging. The story didn't leave me with much, but it did sufficiently distract me in the moment without being shallow.
zoet's review against another edition
5.0
A little out of my normal genre, Young Jane Young was a blast!
Right in the first chapter with Aviva's mother, Rachel Grossman, she is a riot and I'm sitting here thinking, this book is going to be awesome.
"Young Jane Young is about a young woman named Aviva Grossman, who imagines having a brilliant career in politics but instead finds herself disgraced as she slept with her boss. It's about the traps a woman in politics can fall into that her male counterpart never has to consider. A man puts on a suit and a tie and an American flag pin and that's the end of the story. He is a politician. A female politician's appearance is always a disputed territory, a matter of discussion." (Summary well put in Zevin's after story essay The Suit
The thing I liked most throughout the entire book is how witty, sarcastic, and strong the women are. Each of them to the mothers, to the young women who make mistakes and then become mothers, and then to the mothers who are left to lie in a bed with a husband who lies in several beds--they're all wonderful and wonderfully strong ladies, persistent in their drive to live their own lives.
In a world where a woman's life is marketed by men, critiqued by men, and used as a tool for a man's happiness and fulfilled life, Young Jane Young really highlights that if you are a woman scorned, don't brush the dirt off. Don't wipe the dirt from the wound. Rub it in, pull your shoulders back, and give everyone a big, fat middle finger.
Right in the first chapter with Aviva's mother, Rachel Grossman, she is a riot and I'm sitting here thinking, this book is going to be awesome.
"Young Jane Young is about a young woman named Aviva Grossman, who imagines having a brilliant career in politics but instead finds herself disgraced as she slept with her boss. It's about the traps a woman in politics can fall into that her male counterpart never has to consider. A man puts on a suit and a tie and an American flag pin and that's the end of the story. He is a politician. A female politician's appearance is always a disputed territory, a matter of discussion." (Summary well put in Zevin's after story essay The Suit
The thing I liked most throughout the entire book is how witty, sarcastic, and strong the women are. Each of them to the mothers, to the young women who make mistakes and then become mothers, and then to the mothers who are left to lie in a bed with a husband who lies in several beds--they're all wonderful and wonderfully strong ladies, persistent in their drive to live their own lives.
In a world where a woman's life is marketed by men, critiqued by men, and used as a tool for a man's happiness and fulfilled life, Young Jane Young really highlights that if you are a woman scorned, don't brush the dirt off. Don't wipe the dirt from the wound. Rub it in, pull your shoulders back, and give everyone a big, fat middle finger.
leftgrrl's review
4.0
This book was hilarious, a great feminist story from multiple feminine points of view.
I can’t wait to read her other books
I can’t wait to read her other books
cherreadssharereads's review
5.0
Zevin does it again!!!! This is my 3rd Zevin book and I am just in love. I am in awe of her storytelling skills. In YJY, I felt like the ending was missing some pizzazz…maybe I would have liked it better if we came full circle and went back to Rachel Shapiro’s POV. This is a book about mothers and daughters, in the end.
mel_burroughs's review
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
justine_reads's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nicycle's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dmwhipp's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. Well-written characters and an interesting plot that hinted at the Chandra Levy and Monica Lewinsky stories. The story explores the fall out after a sexual political scandal, as well as family dynamics and what we do to protect those we love.
saro2109's review
4.0
Gabrielle Zevin is a genius. In Young Jane Young, she crafts five unique stories - each so thorough that they could constitute their own novel - and pulls them together in a new and creative ways. Every one of the protagonists is indispensable, as they face a range of challenges that results in a range of worldviews. Their story lines interact with each other in both expected and unexpected ways, creating an intricate network of characters and plots. These intertwining narratives are complicated, but never confusing; the leading women are all individuals with distinct, well-defined voices. The themes are plentiful, but ideas around power structures, interpersonal relationships, and culture-wide misogyny serve as central threads throughout the book's numerous points of view.
Despite being packed with important messages and social commentary, Young Jane Young is a fast read. The events of the book are almost like summaries, as it covers so much time and so many perspectives in just over 300 pages. That being said, the novel as a whole is still well paced. Zevin spends minimal time with the event that initiates the plot, instead choosing to analyze the fall out and lasting consequences of that event. Readers will likely be able to predict where the narrative is heading early on, yet will likely still find themselves deeply emotionally invested in the plot as it unfolds through the eyes of the women affected by them the most.
Read the rest of this review at https://www.goldilocksreviews.com
Despite being packed with important messages and social commentary, Young Jane Young is a fast read. The events of the book are almost like summaries, as it covers so much time and so many perspectives in just over 300 pages. That being said, the novel as a whole is still well paced. Zevin spends minimal time with the event that initiates the plot, instead choosing to analyze the fall out and lasting consequences of that event. Readers will likely be able to predict where the narrative is heading early on, yet will likely still find themselves deeply emotionally invested in the plot as it unfolds through the eyes of the women affected by them the most.
Read the rest of this review at https://www.goldilocksreviews.com
msarendt's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I went into this book not knowing what it was about; it took me a long time to figure out where the title came into play; I'm glad it worked out this way; very enjoyable; I liked the different point of views; the daughter's chapters were my least favorite which is likely because I'm not a fan of kid lit and it had that vibe;