sleeson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. The main character Abigail is hilarious. Her sarcasm and honesty is what keeps the book lighthearted and entertaining. All of the supporting characters are worth adding into the storyline. Learning about each one of them as the story continued was heartfelt. The connection that they made in their friendships brought out the envy in me.
It was a little too long of a book for me. But I got the closure I needed. Mild sexual content.
It was a little too long of a book for me. But I got the closure I needed. Mild sexual content.
kmichele591's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
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? No
4.75
slighte's review against another edition
5.0
I was a bit hesitant as to how Jaclyn Moriarty’s second adult novel would go after loving her YA and kids books so much, but I was not disappointed!! The same humour, voice, and weirdness is definitely there, just with more adult characters. An absolutely weird and wonderful read that is whimsical, light, and different. I loved this book so much!!
There are dark and unhappy aspects to the story that will definitely resonate with anyone who’s lost someone close to them, but at the same time that part of it isn’t too heavy and doesn’t overtake the rest of the story. It’s still a fun book with a bunch of other stuff going on.
Some people would probably say there’s not a lot of action in the book or it’s a bit slow, but to me the magic is in the unique narration/voice and the main character’s observations/reflections on life, loss, grief, self help books, womanhood, single parenthood, etc that had me laughing a lot and eventually crying.
Not much else to say here, it was an exceptional read!!
There are dark and unhappy aspects to the story that will definitely resonate with anyone who’s lost someone close to them, but at the same time that part of it isn’t too heavy and doesn’t overtake the rest of the story. It’s still a fun book with a bunch of other stuff going on.
Some people would probably say there’s not a lot of action in the book or it’s a bit slow, but to me the magic is in the unique narration/voice and the main character’s observations/reflections on life, loss, grief, self help books, womanhood, single parenthood, etc that had me laughing a lot and eventually crying.
Not much else to say here, it was an exceptional read!!
kristensonlyhobby's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
So funny, so strange, so captivating. I’ve read her YA novels and her writing translates beautifully to adult fiction. I can safely say I will read anything by Jaclyn Moriarty for her writing style alone.
yoneb_26's review against another edition
2.0
There were a few parts to this book that really drew me in, particularly about Abi’s family and brother. I didn’t enjoy the parts of the plot around The Guidebook, I pretty much read to half way and skimmed to the end to see what happens. It just wasn’t for me...
d_nice_'s review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
I've been reading Jaclyn Moriarty since her first novel, Feeling Sorry for Celia showed up in my local bookshop in 2001. I loved that book, and can still recite pieces of it by heart -- it was one of the first young adult books I read, and I loved the mixture of wittiness and sorrow, and the epistolary style. I can see a number of connections between that novel and Gravity is the Thing. Both delve into the subject of self-help: What is self-help? Can it help us? How does self-help change the way we view the world? Both books also touch on the idea of someone who has disappeared, and on grief, and both also discuss on the subject of flight, and wonder whether humans can fly under their own power. I've seen these themes in various other books by Moriarty, but it's interesting to see the same subjects and motifs crop up over and over in her work.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing at all: I enjoy the variety of different approaches she takes with the subjects, and the ways in which her perspective and her wit have changed over time. This novel is told from the perspective of Abigail, and includes a large cast of characters -- Abigail's four-year-old son, two prospective boyfriends, an ex-husband, friends and acquaintances, and it is also full of the presence of Abigail's brother, Robert, who vanished without trace when she was sixteen. The book opens with Abigail attending an extremely quirky self-help seminar: she is a former lawyer, café owner, and single mother. The book feels both zany and extremely grounded in reality: the incidents are sometimes dreamlike, but the emotions are raw. I found it compelling and warm-hearted, and it's definitely a book I would recommend, particularly if you need something to distract during COVID-19.
One thing I found slightly odd is that this book is described as her debut novel for adults, but Moriarty wrote an adult novel in 2005 called I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing at all: I enjoy the variety of different approaches she takes with the subjects, and the ways in which her perspective and her wit have changed over time. This novel is told from the perspective of Abigail, and includes a large cast of characters -- Abigail's four-year-old son, two prospective boyfriends, an ex-husband, friends and acquaintances, and it is also full of the presence of Abigail's brother, Robert, who vanished without trace when she was sixteen. The book opens with Abigail attending an extremely quirky self-help seminar: she is a former lawyer, café owner, and single mother. The book feels both zany and extremely grounded in reality: the incidents are sometimes dreamlike, but the emotions are raw. I found it compelling and warm-hearted, and it's definitely a book I would recommend, particularly if you need something to distract during COVID-19.
One thing I found slightly odd is that this book is described as her debut novel for adults, but Moriarty wrote an adult novel in 2005 called I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes.
kellysmith72's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Funny, a little bit mysterious, very sad. Though this is not the main thrust of the plot, it captures motherhood - its mundane frustrations and unexpected, beautiful moments.
jenessaellis05's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Weird story actually about