zpuppy's review against another edition
5.0
I would like to be a little French girl. Also this book was written like butter.
marylaffey's review against another edition
1.0
I really did not like this book. It seemed to have no point other than to convey the sad life of this girl, who was very insecure and made a lot of questionable decisions. The adults around her also made questionable decisions which led to them all hating each other. Please, unless you would like to have depression, do not read this book.
aggielexi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I found this slow in the beginning, and a bit tedious and annoying, it does improve slightly as the book progresses, but I kept having to remind myself Margot is a child.
The plot was not as fulfilling as I'd hope it would be. Margot makes a childish decision. The adult she makes that decision with is a creepy man who treats her like an adult though she is 17. Maybe in France it's different and you are an adult at a younger age, but I hope regardless of the culture, adults in their 30's-40's do not treat children who are 17 as fully functioning mature adults. They have no idea what their decisions can do long term.
Do I feel like Margot is as mature as everyone around her thinks she is? No, I think she's just been left to fend for herself and learned not to draw attention to herself. Do I think that makes her mature? No, maybe just shy and/or introverted.
Do I feel that Margot learned any lesson here? Sure, did I need 9 hours of listening to realize she learned her lesson? No.
The plot was not as fulfilling as I'd hope it would be. Margot makes a childish decision. The adult she makes that decision with is a creepy man who treats her like an adult though she is 17. Maybe in France it's different and you are an adult at a younger age, but I hope regardless of the culture, adults in their 30's-40's do not treat children who are 17 as fully functioning mature adults. They have no idea what their decisions can do long term.
Do I feel like Margot is as mature as everyone around her thinks she is? No, I think she's just been left to fend for herself and learned not to draw attention to herself. Do I think that makes her mature? No, maybe just shy and/or introverted.
Do I feel that Margot learned any lesson here? Sure, did I need 9 hours of listening to realize she learned her lesson? No.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Suicide attempt
booksandboardingpass's review against another edition
3.0
As a French woman I was very excited to read this book. It was recommended to me by a friend and I am very happy to have finally read it.
I LOVED all the French cultural references throughout the book. Very real, authentic life of a Parisian girl. I just wish the characters had more redeeming qualities. I felt none of them were very likable and I found myself not necessarily rooting for the main character, Margot. Have I mentioned I absolutely love that name?
I enjoyed this quick and easy read that celebrates all things French!
I LOVED all the French cultural references throughout the book. Very real, authentic life of a Parisian girl. I just wish the characters had more redeeming qualities. I felt none of them were very likable and I found myself not necessarily rooting for the main character, Margot. Have I mentioned I absolutely love that name?
I enjoyed this quick and easy read that celebrates all things French!
jaec11's review against another edition
1.75
Very Sally Rooney-esque, trying to be deep and meaningful but just strange honestly, characters are all just unlikable
francaramen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ave_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
"I sat in silence as her words sank into a tender space, making small explosions. It hadn't occurred to me until now - how much I yearned to speak about him, after a lifetime of holding him into my chest and having to justify his affection"
Margot has spent the first 17 years of her life as a secret. The child of an ongoing affair between a rising star politician and his actress lover, she is loved deeply, but different by each of her parents.
As her relationship with her mother grows tense and her father appears more distant than ever, Margot confides in a journalist - an irreversible step that publicly exposes the affair and topples the precarious balance their illicit family has maintained with care.
This is a fantastic, very French, coming-of-age novel that explores the complicated nature of familial love and loyalty. It's packed with absolutely exquisite, tactile descriptions of Paris, food, desire, and the consequences of being a child trying to fit into an adults' world.
I adored this (debut!!) novel and already want to crack it open again.
Margot has spent the first 17 years of her life as a secret. The child of an ongoing affair between a rising star politician and his actress lover, she is loved deeply, but different by each of her parents.
As her relationship with her mother grows tense and her father appears more distant than ever, Margot confides in a journalist - an irreversible step that publicly exposes the affair and topples the precarious balance their illicit family has maintained with care.
This is a fantastic, very French, coming-of-age novel that explores the complicated nature of familial love and loyalty. It's packed with absolutely exquisite, tactile descriptions of Paris, food, desire, and the consequences of being a child trying to fit into an adults' world.
I adored this (debut!!) novel and already want to crack it open again.
margotrizzi's review against another edition
2.0
So obviously I started reading this because that’s my name but then the plot got super uncomfortable which made me no longer excited about the main character having my name lol. I just felt like so much of it was weird and not interesting enough to forgive it being so weird
shosihansen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0