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mbenzz's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely loved 'A Girl Named Zippy', and was thrilled to see Ms. Kimmel had written a follow-up to it, but something about this book just didn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, it was a very good book, and I laughed out loud quite a few times, but there was also this underlying feeling of pity/grief.
It's hard to explain...'Zippy' was a very upbeat and funny book, but 'She Got Up...' (while also funny at times) had many more serious moments. Like Zippy's brother...it sounds like he has a very strained relationship with the family, and it seemed like it really bothered Zippy. And Bob Jarvis, her father...while she told some stories that were happy memories of him, there were also a bunch that weren't so good. And the ending?? That just solidified my feeling of not liking him at all, and of him being an awful husband (the anniversary scene also helped out with that).
On the other hand, I did love all stories including her sister Melinda and mother. Good for Delonda for getting off the couch and bettering herself! Even with no support from her husband, she found the will and the way (as well as the transportation) to finish school and get a good job.
In the end, Zippy's a girl I really enjoy reading about, and I'd love to see Ms. Kimmel continue her story with a book about the teenage years. While I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her first, I still look forward to her future novels (or memoirs!).
It's hard to explain...'Zippy' was a very upbeat and funny book, but 'She Got Up...' (while also funny at times) had many more serious moments. Like Zippy's brother...it sounds like he has a very strained relationship with the family, and it seemed like it really bothered Zippy. And Bob Jarvis, her father...while she told some stories that were happy memories of him, there were also a bunch that weren't so good. And the ending?? That just solidified my feeling of not liking him at all, and of him being an awful husband (the anniversary scene also helped out with that).
On the other hand, I did love all stories including her sister Melinda and mother. Good for Delonda for getting off the couch and bettering herself! Even with no support from her husband, she found the will and the way (as well as the transportation) to finish school and get a good job.
In the end, Zippy's a girl I really enjoy reading about, and I'd love to see Ms. Kimmel continue her story with a book about the teenage years. While I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her first, I still look forward to her future novels (or memoirs!).
nickscoby's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the book, but also found it vaguely unsatisfying. A lot of it has to do with pacing. Some of the chapters are really lonnnnng and don't really need to be. I suppose it's the author's style to meander, but I just felt annoyed. The absolute best parts are the stories about her mother, who really is a hero. Wish the book was streamlined more to focus on that part.
deetour8's review against another edition
2.0
If you don't like rat infestations just skip this one, please.
suesinop's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a terrific follow up to A Girl Named Zippy. Haven Kimmel is funny and poignant and insightful. The story of her childhood was at times, heartbreaking but mostly just inspiring. She is a talented writer and I hope to read more of her work.
mcleanliz's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't like it as much as "[b:A Girl Named Zippy|15171|A Girl Named Zippy|Haven Kimmel|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166671570s/15171.jpg|17077]', but Kimmel has a way of telling ordinary stories that make you laugh out loud...and who doesn't like a book that makes them laugh?
sarahenn's review against another edition
4.0
DANG, I so badly wanted to give this 5 stars, but again, the ending just... happened. I don't know, maybe I'm too finicky? I LOVED this book, Zippy is such a special little lady.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
3.0
Wow. Zippy goes through so much in her young childhood. The final chapter was like a small though expected punch in the stomach.
asurges's review against another edition
5.0
I never thought I'd like Haven Kimmel's two nonfiction books all that much. I pictured them as an "aw, shucks" kind of storytelling--Garrison Keillor as woman and growing up in Indiana.
They're not. They're dryly funny and extremely insightful. Deceptively simplistic in their storytelling, they're good stories with many layers about her family falling apart, but it's never told with weight and heaviness. They're told, instead, from the point of view of a child who has an idea her parents aren't happy (and it's nothing huge--it's more that her mother got up from the couch and went to college, and the father wanted his wife to stay the same). Highly recommended, especially for people who like creative, original storytelling.
They're not. They're dryly funny and extremely insightful. Deceptively simplistic in their storytelling, they're good stories with many layers about her family falling apart, but it's never told with weight and heaviness. They're told, instead, from the point of view of a child who has an idea her parents aren't happy (and it's nothing huge--it's more that her mother got up from the couch and went to college, and the father wanted his wife to stay the same). Highly recommended, especially for people who like creative, original storytelling.
momji's review against another edition
4.0
Just like “Zippy,” this memoir is full of wonderful stories of growing up as a poor girl in a small Midwest town in the ‘70s. Touching and funny, and overall well written. I wish Haven Kimmel would write another book.
knbee's review against another edition
5.0
and again... never stopped laughing. except when i was crying.