benita's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.5
heyashjp's review against another edition
4.0
Emma Straub is an expert in telling intricate family stories that are described so beautifully. In All Adults Here we get to know the Stricks, a family with roots in a small Hudson Valley town, through the matriarch Astrid. After witnessing something horrific, she’s compelled to be more open with her three children: Elliott, a rigid businessman struggling to find his way to succeed; Porter, her daughter whose adulthood is flecked with residue from her big choices; and Nicky, the charismatic big city son with a daughter in need of a new start after a scandal at her Brooklyn school.
Straub masterfully weaves together individual stories and forms these descriptive tapestries that hit on so many themes while also just telling stories really well. Her ability to bring dimension to her characters makes them feel familiar, and her descriptions of the fictional Clapham made me nostalgic. If you need a satisfying leisurely read, this is an excellent option.
Straub masterfully weaves together individual stories and forms these descriptive tapestries that hit on so many themes while also just telling stories really well. Her ability to bring dimension to her characters makes them feel familiar, and her descriptions of the fictional Clapham made me nostalgic. If you need a satisfying leisurely read, this is an excellent option.
cassiepf's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the in-depth characterization, but I think that this book left a lot to be desired as far as plot. I enjoyed reading it, but will probably not pick it up again.
anniemackillican's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a really good snapshot of what happens when a family decides to start living for themselves and stop trying to become what the rest of the family wants for them.
We see this kind of transformation with every character in All Adults Here, from the young teenagers to Astrid and Birdy. Everyone decides that they’re no longer interested in playing into expectations about their lives, and start just living. And of course, this creates conflict within the family, but it also creates understanding.
This book was also gayer than I expected which I have to love. I think ultimately I really related to this idea of needing to break away from familial expectations and just wanting to become an adult with a separate life that doesn’t exist purely for the approval and satisfaction of others.
This was a fun book!
We see this kind of transformation with every character in All Adults Here, from the young teenagers to Astrid and Birdy. Everyone decides that they’re no longer interested in playing into expectations about their lives, and start just living. And of course, this creates conflict within the family, but it also creates understanding.
This book was also gayer than I expected which I have to love. I think ultimately I really related to this idea of needing to break away from familial expectations and just wanting to become an adult with a separate life that doesn’t exist purely for the approval and satisfaction of others.
This was a fun book!
amgbgirl's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mariagarnett's review against another edition
3.0
At the macro level, I think this novel tries to do a bit too much, making the glimpses into any given character's situation feel shallow and unsatisfying more often than not. I also didn't particularly care about most of the characters or what happened to them. (And that bums me out to say, because I adored Modern Lovers and really, really liked The Vacationers.) At the micro level, however -- the sentence level -- Emma Straub is once again a god.
ambernicolebromet's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 meh
You know how a literary fiction book generally takes about 100 pages to get to know the characters? I felt like this was the entire book. I got to know the characters until the end and the real “story” never started. I was honestly racing through the last 50 pages and wanted to just give up.
You know how a literary fiction book generally takes about 100 pages to get to know the characters? I felt like this was the entire book. I got to know the characters until the end and the real “story” never started. I was honestly racing through the last 50 pages and wanted to just give up.
thebookiniste's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the characters and the writing. I was invested in their issues early on but felt disappointed at the end because the story didn’t go anywhere. It was as if someone had told the author about 85% through: “all right, time to wrap up.”Even though she was just done with familiarizing the reader with the characters.