ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
I preferred this to Secrets of Happiness. Compelling story, rich & deep. I can only grasp at why the relevance of the title.
acorn192k's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nicolaparty's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Car accident
anika_bush's review
4.0
I loved this book. It was a Turkish rug in words, knotting together different colors/stories to reveal a gloriously patterned work of art. Some of the stories were stronger than others, though I think each was necessary for the final product. I started it before heading to bed one night and ended up staying up all night until I'd finished it.
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up to 4. I really like her writing and I liked this story, but this is a collection of short stories disguised as a novel. That's not entirely true, but it had the same effect (i.e. I'm reading, getting into the characters, starting to care about what happens to them and the story they're telling) and then it abruptly shifts to new people. I don't want to start over and invest in new people! The first few chapters are written in the first person, and I really liked the character and her voice, then the rest of the chapters were told in the third person. They were all well written, but I kept wanting to get back to the main character. So my critique is less about the meat of the book and more on the structure I guess. Still worth reading though!
melissakuzma's review against another edition
3.0
I get why people like this book but it just didn't do it for me. I liked some of the characters and storylines better than others, but none of them really blew me away.
jfbfsf's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it, but it's a bit of a meandering story, full of pieces that only tangentially connect. There are messages here about luck, and character, and the choices we make... but it's not a particularly hard driving story, and there were times when I found myself wondering why I was reading about a particular person or time.
The writing is thoughtful, and the characters richly drawn. But ultimately the book is a series of (drawn out) snapshots of lives - which didn't all connect for me.
The writing is thoughtful, and the characters richly drawn. But ultimately the book is a series of (drawn out) snapshots of lives - which didn't all connect for me.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
4.0
These connected short stories take place in contemporary NYC and 1970s Turkey; mostly they center around relationships but there is also a tragedy of a young man who dies, but he is not a main character. I was interested in all the stories, each relationship was unique and felt real. When the relationship failed or endured, that felt real too.
ksprokes's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
danilanglie's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really liked the narrative rhythm of this book, where a secondary character in one chapter would then get a chapter to themselves next. It made for a really interesting way of telling a story. Some of the individual characters I didn't care much for, but I liked Reyna and Kiki and Oliver and Boyd, and the narrative kept me on my toes the whole way through.
I think the reason this isn't getting a five star rating from me is that at the end of the day, I felt a sense of "so what" come over me. I think I was waiting to feel that goosebumps feeling when I finish a great novel, and I didn't quite get that. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself, it's just that the whole was less than the sum of its parts.
I think the reason this isn't getting a five star rating from me is that at the end of the day, I felt a sense of "so what" come over me. I think I was waiting to feel that goosebumps feeling when I finish a great novel, and I didn't quite get that. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself, it's just that the whole was less than the sum of its parts.