sarah__read's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
jennrobin23's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ljuil's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I took a while to get into the book but once I did, I could not put it down
suzannacaldwell's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a great story on what it means to be a writer or to have passion about any kind of art. It’s delicate, beautiful and totally heart wrenching at times. I loved it.
alyssagirardi's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
meghan_vdb's review
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
4.0
kirs10mcc's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
amandaclaire's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
4.5
It's a rare thing for a writer to write a book about writing without pretension, but Lily King knocks it out of the park.
"I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.”
Casey Peabody is raw, honest and struggling. For her, writing isn't some noble art or higher calling; it is something that she simply has to do amidst all of the earth shattering moments she faces in this slice of life story. She imagines herself as a "drain on the system, dragging around [her] debts and dreams" — and yet she pursues it anyway. A touching, witty and heartfelt ode to writing.
Beyond that, there is also an earnest story about grief, and trauma, and family. About how there is no going back to the past, or undoing all the strange ways that weight takes root in your body and asserts control over your life without permission or even your understanding of how it happened.
“She will want to know that. But I can’t tell her. That’s the wall I always slam into on a good morning like this. My mother will be worrying about me, and I can’t tell her that I’m okay.”
Even so, this was a refreshingly optimistic book. It's a story that sees its protagonist struggle, but allows them hope and to see their success realized. You know that moment at the end of Little Women (2019), that triumphant look on Jo's face as her book is finally being printed bound? Yeah, this book felt like that.
madisonbrooke08's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
masonjones's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0