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micaelabrody's review against another edition
3.75
lowish 4 but that might just be bc i had unrealistic expectations based on my memory of mermaids in paradise. i wasn’t totally sold in the beginning but definitely was by the end. this really didn’t feel like a book of separate stories to me, but it still was fun when you realized “oh it’s THAT guy!” or “ooh they bought THAT house!” etc. millet is still very good at being funny without being cheap and not taking things too seriously without being detached or ironic.
charizard_era's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
This was really more of a novel or novella than a collection of stories, I think, and I think it hangs together pretty well. I'm not sure why it's presented as a story collection.
txkikind's review against another edition
3.0
I'm hesitant to say that I really liked this book. I was turned off by the treatment of the black character in the first story. He comes back. But, while all of the other characters were able to grow and be developed, the black character in the first story was just a prop. And, the way that Nina made assumptions about his background was certainly off putting. I think that's what's hard about being a black woman and reading white authors write about black characters. They're never fully developed and they're used in the story of the "more interesting" white characters.
Now, if I wasn't a black woman, and I didn't notice how the black character was used, I would say I really liked this book. I liked the story. I liked how there was a common thread among all of the characters. I liked how dark and sad the stories were. But, I am a black woman. Always will be. And because I read the stories through the lens of my experience, I couldn't fully enjoy this otherwise nicely written book.
Now, if I wasn't a black woman, and I didn't notice how the black character was used, I would say I really liked this book. I liked the story. I liked how there was a common thread among all of the characters. I liked how dark and sad the stories were. But, I am a black woman. Always will be. And because I read the stories through the lens of my experience, I couldn't fully enjoy this otherwise nicely written book.
eileen_critchley's review against another edition
4.0
These are interconnected short stories (so much so that it's almost a novel) that revolve around a few main characters and their relationship to each other. There is also an ongoing theme in this book of real estate.
ksprokes's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hfriend33's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
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? No
4.5
These stories are intriguing and surprising. I enjoyed the characters and the care taken to develop their motives. I am looking forward to reading more Millet books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
chelseamartinez's review against another edition
3.0
Seems appropriate that I checked out this book---short stories about people intersecting with the Los Angeles real estate market---from the Palm Springs library; it seemed like the whole library itself was happy enough to cater to an LA visitor contingent, which is very nice of them (and they had a LOT of new fiction; money definitely does flow to Palm Springs via LA, but I wouldn't expect/haven't encountered the same level of friendliness with my LA driver's license in the OC, where that is also true!)
Anyhow, these stories have that format that screenwriters love (see Crash, Short Cuts, Pulp Fiction); a series of detailed glimpses into the lives of individuals with whom we cross paths one or two or three times later. I thought I was the first person to check this book out, as the dust jacket was pristine, but on one of the first pages, someone wrote, in pen, in cursive, "what a useless book this is". Rude, right? Like, what book of short stories would satisfy the person who would do this in a library book?
Anyhow, the book only veers into an Aimee Bender-ish HGTV-magical realism in one story, and when that part comes back later it reminds you how that part sticks out a bit awkwardly. Still, it was interesting to see how by the third time some characters returned I felt a real fondness toward them.
Anyhow, these stories have that format that screenwriters love (see Crash, Short Cuts, Pulp Fiction); a series of detailed glimpses into the lives of individuals with whom we cross paths one or two or three times later. I thought I was the first person to check this book out, as the dust jacket was pristine, but on one of the first pages, someone wrote, in pen, in cursive, "what a useless book this is". Rude, right? Like, what book of short stories would satisfy the person who would do this in a library book?
Anyhow, the book only veers into an Aimee Bender-ish HGTV-magical realism in one story, and when that part comes back later it reminds you how that part sticks out a bit awkwardly. Still, it was interesting to see how by the third time some characters returned I felt a real fondness toward them.
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
3-4 More a novel than a collection of short stories, not just because they are interconnected but because they progress in time and narrative. Still, I suppose I would expect more resolution in a novel. This is sharp, compassionate writing, full of questions.