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A review by oxfordcommas91
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
A fast, fun read that served as a great palette cleanser for me after a few books where I had to slog through.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol