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sarahgordon327's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Compelling novel - made me feel all the feels. Memories and thoughts about the past affect me very deeply, which was a big theme of the book, so I could relate to the pain of Ann’s pain of the possibility of the past, and hope with her in the healing moments.
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content and Violence
what_is_emma_reading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence and Murder
abbeysoffel's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Dementia
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide
gfalken's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Like many other reviewers note, this is a surprising and pretty well-written debut novel. The narrative structure arcs forwards and backwards in time, taking the POV of major and minor characters (including a dog?). I’d commend the author on the play with chronology. She keeps the reader engaged as the narrative moves forward while revealing an increasingly complex past.
The second half of the novel, however, really went off the rails, and the ending felt like a scramble towards a known point of resolution. As other reviewers note, the protagonist (Ann) makes a lot of almost illogical and hard-to-believe choices. Perhaps we needed a deeper depiction of her love for her husband, Wade, to really understand her motivations.
I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for something to entertain and engross you, if you enjoy reading about loyalty, love, and the disintegration and lingering connections of families.
The second half of the novel, however, really went off the rails, and the ending felt like a scramble towards a known point of resolution. As other reviewers note, the protagonist (Ann) makes a lot of almost illogical and hard-to-believe choices. Perhaps we needed a deeper depiction of her love for her husband, Wade, to really understand her motivations.
I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for something to entertain and engross you, if you enjoy reading about loyalty, love, and the disintegration and lingering connections of families.
Graphic: Violence