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gracemeagher's review against another edition
Denise was my fave, don’t know what that says about me
sarcasticnerdette's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
al07734's review
5.0
A phenomenal novel on American life and sickness. Every chapter was riveting from start to finish (except maybe the cruise part) and I was sobbing my eyes out at the end. This is a book that captures middle-class America to such an extent that it borders the line on satirical. Really amazing read
byp's review against another edition
4.0
I have both boundless love and hatred for every character in this book, much like my own family.
bryntauveli's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
pddkny's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jbabiarz's review against another edition
3.0
It was a great book - well written. Although at times non-essential details were fleshed out for pages, which made the book a bit more difficult to get through. But overall, worth the read.
corvuscorax's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Phew, needed something like this in a little while. Eminently readable, with some beautiful turns of phrase and solid construction. But this book isn't just... right, it's also good. The way the plot kept diverging and then folding in on itself, you kept meeting new people just to learn they had already been part of the story in some way, it all felt deeply human and it was so natural that I could really, truly get attached to all the stories without getting bored or asking myself why so-and-so got a few pages when we had been at the climax of another character's arc just paragraphs beforehand. There were a few times where I felt a little uncomfortable with wording choices, but it all seemed like it was part of the characters' worldview and it fit. Denise's story felt very real and it felt close to me, and I hope that she finally learned to get what she wanted.
The "repeating the word corrections" gimmick was funny about the first five times, then it progressively got a little more annoying each time. Still, gosh, this book was so good.
The "repeating the word corrections" gimmick was funny about the first five times, then it progressively got a little more annoying each time. Still, gosh, this book was so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Death of parent, Dementia, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Excrement, and Sexual content
Moderate: Antisemitism, Gun violence, and Racism