sonireads's review against another edition
4.0
Ugh this book is terribly depressing. It is so sad and heartwrenching but despite all of it, it is full of love and hope. Having sisters of my own, that love that Yoli and Elf share is so familiar, but theirs gets tested in a very difficult way. It's like being in Yoli's mind. It is a series of rambling thoughts, kind of like this review. :'(
kristenesantos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
jeanettesonya's review against another edition
4.0
I had high hopes for this book, since Miriam Toews wrote it of course, but found they were not realized. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset for a book about a woman whose sister wants so desperately to kill herself. The aftermath was beautiful though, ie, the last three chapters or so, and perhaps that was enough to redeem it for me. I will possibly have to revisit this one in a few years.
sarareadseverything's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty heartbreaking but compulsively readable, but it's about sisters and depression (and Winnipeg), so it's really pushing all my buttons I guess.
wendoxford's review against another edition
4.0
Grief and humour sit side by side in this story of sisters, suicide and family. The intense relationship between Yolandi and Elf (Elfrieda) resonates on every page. The story is attacked full-tilt as no speech marks separate out the dialogue so we are swept along in the torrent of emotions. I thought this was really clever. At heart this is a beautifully written birds eye view on the desire to die which lies starkly beside lifelong/last-breath loyalty, love and heartache.
And..in the midst of mental illness and crisis there are amazing laugh out loud phrases
"Living with my mother is like living with Winnie the Pooh"
And..in the midst of mental illness and crisis there are amazing laugh out loud phrases
"Living with my mother is like living with Winnie the Pooh"
ryspops's review against another edition
5.0
How can a book centred around suicide be funny? Well, I just found out that it can! Whilst utterly heartbreaking, the questions it raised and the realism portrayed was nothing short of genius.
ninareadingbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Hm, I did not like this one. Though the book has received a number of nominations for literary awards in Canada, it didn’t meet the expectations I had after reading the synopsis and acclaims about it. The book lacked the suspense and tension that I needed to be invested in the main conflict. Part of the problem was that I felt the book ambled on more about Yolandi than about Elf and her suicide attempts. I hoped the book would focus more on Elf, as she was a character I found really interesting.
The writing is weighed down by heavy words, descriptions, and what felt like grime. The tone is gray and muddy, like spring in Ontario. It's not just that most of the book is set in Winnipeg or that the rest of it is set in Toronto, it's the way the author brought particularly gritty parts of town into focus. It was the long passages which harped on the snobbery of Toronto neighborhoods and the less becoming characters whom Canadian social systems have failed.
The book was long and miserable, it wore on me like a Canadian winter that just won't end. We all have ideas on the flaws of our countries, cities, etc. and this book drowned on like your squirrelly aunt. Picture it, you're cornered at a holiday gathering and are desperately trying to escape this negative conversation. Your eyes are flickering around for any means of excusing yourself so you can go back to enjoying your sanctioned leisure time and hopefully not get sucked into another conversation like this one. That was how I felt by the end of this book.
The beginning of the book was intriguing. It reads like Anne Patchett's voice and Jeannette Walls' childhood. I was excited about it. I liked the characters, I liked where it was going. Unfortunately, the writing from the early parts of the novel felt emulated and the author seemed to run out of steam. An entirely different voice emerged and it was tiring to read the rants and trials of the story.
I don't really recommend this book, unless you're already feeling particularly down in the dumps and the mildew and darkness will provide comfort to you. I think in the same vein that I believe books we love meet us at the right time and place, this book didn’t connect with me where I am at right now.
The writing is weighed down by heavy words, descriptions, and what felt like grime. The tone is gray and muddy, like spring in Ontario. It's not just that most of the book is set in Winnipeg or that the rest of it is set in Toronto, it's the way the author brought particularly gritty parts of town into focus. It was the long passages which harped on the snobbery of Toronto neighborhoods and the less becoming characters whom Canadian social systems have failed.
The book was long and miserable, it wore on me like a Canadian winter that just won't end. We all have ideas on the flaws of our countries, cities, etc. and this book drowned on like your squirrelly aunt. Picture it, you're cornered at a holiday gathering and are desperately trying to escape this negative conversation. Your eyes are flickering around for any means of excusing yourself so you can go back to enjoying your sanctioned leisure time and hopefully not get sucked into another conversation like this one. That was how I felt by the end of this book.
The beginning of the book was intriguing. It reads like Anne Patchett's voice and Jeannette Walls' childhood. I was excited about it. I liked the characters, I liked where it was going. Unfortunately, the writing from the early parts of the novel felt emulated and the author seemed to run out of steam. An entirely different voice emerged and it was tiring to read the rants and trials of the story.
I don't really recommend this book, unless you're already feeling particularly down in the dumps and the mildew and darkness will provide comfort to you. I think in the same vein that I believe books we love meet us at the right time and place, this book didn’t connect with me where I am at right now.
megolivialeup's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. A book that took me a bit to finish but mostly because I never wanted it to end. This is a beautiful story about many things and trying to narrow it down would be such a disgrace to the story. All I ask is that you read this book and enjoy the storytelling and honesty
ellawaters97's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.25
maxhimelhoch's review against another edition
4.0
A heavy read, but a beautiful one. Processing such massive and moving relationships through the family's medical struggles. Surfacing hard questions about how to love those you love, and how to live with those answers.