Christine
I actually read this waaay back when it was first published, and it's always stuck in my mind. I'd been thinking about a re-read, when PopSugar's reading challenge gave me a great nudge - this can be used for “format you don't normally read” (no one reads anything but this on AngelFire anymore, right?) or for an anonymous author, and probably a few other prompts!
This was just as effective as I remembered. The thing that still makes my heart pound more than the officially “horrific” parts is the descriptions of climbing through “the squeeze.” I'm not terribly claustrophobic, but that part makes me sweat with anxiety!
The story brilliantly capitalizes on that adrenaline rush with some seriously creepy events. I love the ambiguity and the lack of resolution. This goes down as a classic of the Weird Fiction genre, in my book!
I got about 1/4 of the way in, and I just didn't care about anyone or how things would play out. Patchett's attitude seems to be, “why use 3 words when you can use 30 to convey the same thought?”
Also the descriptions of women seemed really objectifying and rooted in the male sexual gaze. It was getting gross.
Finally, the worst sin: this is like going to the theater to see Die Hard but the whole movie is every speaking character reminiscing about their childhood or relationships rather than the hostage plot being the focus. Oh. And OPERA THOUGHTS.
For such a short tale, this packs a lot of great content in! I love the use of the Himba people literally being connected to their land, and the tension between that and going out into space.
The brevity occasionally caused some drawbacks. For instance, I understood that the Khoush were a race/group who considered themselves superior, but I wasn't clear on where they came from or how that evolved (turns out Okorafor said on Twitter that they're “clearly” Arabic, but that wasn't clear for me!” All that world/culture building could have used a little more time and detail. However, Binti's own culture was totally clear, and I don't think just because I already knew a little about the Himba people.
The other “not quite five stars” thing for me was the astounding coincidence that Binti just happens to have a cure-all for Meduse wounds AND a device that lets her communicate with them. I guess it fits well with the theme, but plotwise it seems very contrived.
Still, interested to see where this goes, and heck, maybe my spoilered complaint there actually has a deep dark backstory that will be uncovered!
This had just about everything I like all wrapped up in one short story! (With the exception of Austenian romance I guess - but there's a little roguish flirtation, which will serve.)- a murder mystery (without too much noir confusion, though it definitely has a noir influence)- fantasy creatures- steampunk-ish sci-fi- religious ideas/skepticism (this echoes Gaimain's [b:Murder Mysteries 490789 Murder Mysteries Neil Gaiman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1301171696l/490789.SY75.jpg 345975] in some great ways)- a saucy rogue (who 100% has the voice of a young Shohreh Aghdashloo in my head)- Lovecraftian elements- feminism- words and concepts I had to look up (and thus learn cool new things)I'm IN for [b:The Haunting of Tram Car 015 36546128 The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (Fatma el-Sha'arawi, #2) P. Djèlí Clark https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537226167l/36546128.SY75.jpg 58277622], I tell you!
This was a lovely story. I grew to like Anne and really root for her to realize her potential. I thought I had some notion of where her life would lead, but I was happily surprised by some turns I never expected!
This was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, and it stays faithful to the facts of that story as far as it goes, though it touches only lightly on Darcy and Elizabeth. This is Anne's story through and through.
Like P&P, this story also involves romance and love, but I'd say it's much more a bildungsroman than a pure romance. The tone is also completely different from Austen's work - there's no sly and witty narrator pointing out people's foibles, and there are few examples of people acting like hilariously preposterous asses. (Yes, Lady Catherine is part of this story, but she's not laughed at much - I even felt sympathy for her more than once!)
I admit I missed the spark and verve of Austen's storytelling - this tale could have used a bit of leavening in that direction. However, the early chapters' languid feel were perfectly evocative of Anne's state of mind, and if later chapters weren't actually humorous, they did have brightness and joy that made a nice contrast.
This also has some beautiful language about nature, home, and connection, and I felt the ending wove every theme together perfectly.
I loved the concept and how dang weird this was. I also loved the point of view from African American women dealing with the mundane horrors of racism, as well as supernatural forces linked to the Klan. The monsters were admirably disturbing and Lovecraftian as well. Shudder
My complaints can be mostly boiled down to: I wanted more. This is a short read, and while it can be good not to overstay one's welcome, I felt like I wasn't super engaged with the characters because I saw so little of them outside the strictly quest/battle-related activities. Most of the characters get only a blurb of development - this one is sassy and loves to shoot; that one learned explosives in the war and is gay. The individuals aren't fleshed out, and there's almost no development of relationships between them.
The other thing is the story has an improbably cheerful conclusion that doesn't fit the tone of the setup and main conflict. I'm not against happy endings, but this felt a little forced and pat.
Still, this was well worth the read, and I would happily read a sequel!
This was a lot of fun - the introduction led me to expect a little more “found documents” frame tale, and it would have been nice to have that. But the tales and songs themselves are effectively weird and intriguing that I'm not disappointed in this book. If you like new takes on fairy tale and fable-type stories, check this out!
This is ok for a middle grade book - pretty simplistic. I admit I bristled as a Sherlock Holmes fan at the depiction of Sherlock and Mycroft, which bears zero resemblance to the original characters. But that's nit-picking. The art has a certain charm, but at times looks sloppy rather than whimsical, and it could be hard to make out what was happening. Still, this was short, free, and fulfilled a Popsugar prompt as I come down to the wire!
This was cute and had a sweet, homey feel. It doesn't really delve at length into the Big Questions, but it certainly gives them an emotional, thoughtful consideration. The central relationships are warm and touching, and this was a lovely, restorative little story to read as we head into the Bleak Midwinter of a horribly difficult year.
What if a catastrophe threatened all humanity, but a truly good, smart, decent leader happened to come to power and listened to the most knowledgeable scientists to try to deal with it? Sounds almost cozy, doesn't it?
Don't worry, there are plenty of logistical challenges, as well as scheming power brokers who have to officially kowtow to the Emperox, but who hold enough power to require careful diplomacy. Intrigue and backstabbing and mysteries abound.
I'd call this 3.5 stars, rounded up. I really liked the opening vignette, the characters are great, and the mysteries and challenges are diverting enough. But honestly, I'm mostly going to read the next one to watch Kiva Lagos fuck with people who try to put one over on her.
That really highlights the one drawback to the story - the heroes are nice and good - and kind of bland. Kiva is indisputably amoral and reprehensible, and so, so fun to read about. I want to see more of her, more space mutineers and pirates, more of Marce's so-much-more-capable sister, and a little less navel-gazing and unsureness from Cardenia.
“I don't know how much perfume that [Enjoli] commercial sold, but I guarantee you it moved a lot of antidepressants and antianxiety meds.”
This book is chock full of quotable bits like this. I can still sing that damn commercial, and yes, it's a good emblem of the problem Calhoun seems to be centering: we're the first generation that was told we could truly “have it all,” with unlimited choices and all the potential one could imagine, and it turns out that's not actually a recipe for happiness. Maybe having all the choices improves happiness, but being told constantly that you can have it all makes you feel unsure, inadequate, and unfulfilled.While that aspect is significant for GenX women entering middle age, I think this would have been more interesting book if it focused on the unacknowledged struggle for women overall during middle age, given that we go through a lot, yet don't have a handy, societally-recognized syndrome like men do. The “GenX has these unique challenges” could have been a chapter in that book.Instead, this spends a lot of time on a litany of headlines and statistics meant to demonstrate the GenX has had it especially hard. I'm not at all sure I buy that, and these chapters started to feel like wallowing if not whining. Also, if I didn't personally relate to a factor (e.g., my parents didn't get divorced), I didn't feel much interest in that section. It's like this relies too much on “poor me” nostalgia rather than research and exploring interesting questions and their possible solutions.There's still a lot of good stuff in here, though. And a proposed solution of sorts: acceptance brings peace, so try not to look at “You can have it all” as a list of failed aspirations to flagellate yourself with (career, money, romance, family, fitness, philanthropy, parenting, and - heaven help us - “wellness”).Though it's a mixed bag at best; the Paradox of Choice is real.
I love a good Girl vs. House story: [b:Rebecca 17899948 Rebecca Daphne du Maurier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386605169l/17899948.SX50.jpg 46663], [b:The Turn of the Screw 12948 The Turn of the Screw Henry James https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567172392l/12948.SY75.jpg 990886], [b:The Haunting of Hill House 89717 The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871336l/89717.SY75.jpg 3627], [b:The Silent Companions 35458733 The Silent Companions Laura Purcell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500725504l/35458733.SY75.jpg 55746774]. Earlier this year, I picked up [b:Nine Coaches Waiting 27695 Nine Coaches Waiting Mary Stewart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550784765l/27695.SY75.jpg 1122506] hoping it would scratch that itch, only to be disappointed overall. BUT! This book takes a lot of the good elements of that story and uses them to much better advantage.This isn't a book with monsters jumping out of shadows or ghostly forces making themselves obvious. This genre is about the slow burn, and the heroine's uncertainty. She arrives at the Gothic pile, at the mercy of the inhabitants through poverty, lack of connections, desperation, or the extreme physical isolation of the manse. The staff are secretive, evasive, hostile. Her hosts seem to have something to hide - or is it all in her head? The place seems haunted - or is it her imagination, lack of sleep, stress?This sort of story works for me whether the haunting is metaphorical or clearly literal, and also if it's left ambiguous. It's about atmosphere and dread. And Moreno-Garcia works that angle beautifully. In this case, Noemí isn't poor or without familial support, which is refreshing. But the story believably cuts her off from her resources. She's still active and strong, and I was rooting for her the whole way. Is she battling supernatural evil? A family's dark secrets? Or is her mind betraying her as she deals with displacement and worry? I'll leave you to take the journey with her - that's what makes this so fun.
I picked this up because the goofy title appealed to me. I was expecting something comically horrific like [b:The Mall of Cthulhu 2797251 The Mall of Cthulhu Seamus Cooper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1270796766l/2797251.SY75.jpg 2823035], but instead this is thoroughly bleak, with plenty of detailed descriptions of torture and gore. So no matter what, my enjoyment was going to be less than anticipated.Layered on top was a completely unlikable protagonist, whose minimization and secret-keeping were so frustrating and unrealistic that I just checked out completely. If not for that factor, I'd say this is a decent tale of otherworldly terrors and creeping dread. As it is, I'd say if you want bleak and creepy, just read [b:The Visible Filth 24791985 The Visible Filth Nathan Ballingrud https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422818046l/24791985.SX50.jpg 44426756] - it's much better written, and the protagonist is still unlikable, but more well-written and understandable.
I was a few chapters in when I read that some people labeled this “problematic.” At that point, I scoffed a bit, because I was finding it really valuable.
Now that I'm done, I understand better, and I had to really think about how to rate this.
The TL:DR version - it explores some vital concepts for white people who consider themselves against racism. But it undermines its own effectiveness by ignoring empathy and nuance in favor of punitive repetition.
Pros:
A white person talking to other white people. Yeah, it would be great if more white people would listen to BIPOC writers and educators, but if the point is to break down defensiveness, a white author may have more success with certain people.
Pointing out that we white people are able to move through life unconsciously thinking of ourselves as the “default.” This really rang true to me as a feminist who notices the “men are people, women are women” phenomenon.
Calling out the problem of “colorblindness.” I was raised with this point of view, and it can definitely stymie racial progress. For instance . . .
THE CRITICAL FAILURE OF WELL-MEANING WHITES - believing that you don't have racist thoughts and behaviors because You're A Good Person. The narrative that racism is ONLY expressed by KKK types really hampers progress on so many levels. You can't correct for unconscious bias if you don't think you have it! If you think “racist action” = “evil incarnate” of course you will be defensive all over the place when someone points out a problematic behavior of yours.
The idea of preparing to hear feedback with openness, gratitude, and “racial stamina” by reminding yourself that we're all soaking in it and you can be unintentionally racist. Also, how risky it is for people (especially BIPOC) to give you that feedback.
The idea to frame comments to other white people in terms of our own personal understanding - it's harder to be defensive and discount something when it's presented as a personal experience being shared rather than a “You are being racist . . . statement”
Cons:
Explicitly acknowledges that “racist” and “white supremacy” are monumentally emotionally loaded and have ambiguous meanings, and then proceeds to use them.
Hamstrings its own revolutionary unpacking of “I'm a good person” as a blocker by using charged language that denotes malicious, conscious choice: “strategy,” “choose,” “I use the system to my advantage” “aggressor” “target” “Our institutions were designed to reproduce racial inequality.” “I believe that white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color.”
Flat out discounts intent as having ANY relevance. Only impact is relevant. I get that DiAngelo is trying to get people to stop deflecting valid feedback by talking about their intent, but acting like it's totally irrelevant is crazy. We even take intent into account in homicide cases!
Doesn't say much at all about what an individual can DO to compensate for being a product of a racist system with baked-in biases. Seems to call more for self-flagellation by individuals than any action that could dismantle the system.
By the end, the tone definitely feels like, “You're a racist. You perpetrate racism against your colleagues, friends, spouses, and your own children. Nothing you can do can fix it. Your positive traits around race are irrelevant. Focus only on how much of an irredeemable racist you are.” Wait, I thought the point was to get people over their defensiveness?
I think this is best expressed in mark monday's review:
“It's like she perfectly understands white privilege but has no actual comprehension about how to reach people. Does she not understand that gathering people in a room and telling them all how wrong they are, and will always be, is not an effective mechanism for genuine change or understanding?”
This was fun and interesting, and the panel art between issues is beautiful! The story is definitely the opening act of the Hero's Journey, but this is a well-executed example, and I really enjoyed the setting of Taisho-era Japan (early 1920s or so), and the design of the demons - really disturbing and effective.
I sought out this out-of-print book because I loved the much-anthologized story “Sticks.” Turns out that's the only great story in here. One epic story, two OK ones, and four clunkers. Plus, tons of cringey descriptions of women's bodies and women having sex with each other. Like, you're trying to read it for the scary bits, but the image of Wagner typing this stuff one-handed is completely intrusive. Yuck.
This tied up the storyline quite well, but suffered a bit in the momentum department as it tried to make sure all the bits and pieces were in order.
Overall, this series is amazing, and I'm on board for future Murderbotting. I'd say my ranking of the existing volumes from best to still-great-but-not-best is 2, 1, 3, 4.
Honestly? I was really excited for this, but overall: MEH.This totally lacks texture and nuance. The characters are drawn as black & white, good and bad. The main narrator is unsure but on the side of Right Thinking; Mostar is Always Correct Despite the Doubts of the Feebleminded; The rest of the residents are at best moronically naive or at worst Selfish Narcissists. Oh, and there's an appreciable amount of fat shaming thrown in to paint one of the Willfully Blind residents as particularly gross and selfish.Perhaps worst of all, people don't act like normal humans. It doesn't make sense for Mostar to jump to all the conclusions she does (she's put in that role because she's the Always Right character.) Meanwhile, it also doesn't make sense for the rest of the residents to be as blithely unworried as they are (they're put in that role to demonstrate how Mostar is Always Right.)This is annoying on multiple levels. I love Max Brooks's other books. I can see lots of possibilities here and I did like the arcs of Unsure CPA Wife and Depressed Husband responding to a survival situation. Mostar's backstory is gestured at but never explored. There was no reason behind the perplexing actions of some key characters.I honestly thought there was going to be a surprise where the Evil Violent Ape-Creatures were going to be shown to have more nuanced motivations. But no, they're just Evil Violent Ape-Creatures and the whole point is to . . . I don't know? Demonstrate how sucky nature is? Make fun of people who venerate nature? Have an excuse for detailed battle descriptions? (Which I find incredibly boring, in contrast to the tongue-in-cheek but somehow compelling analyses in [b:The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead 535441 The Zombie Survival Guide Complete Protection from the Living Dead Max Brooks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320562270l/535441.SX50.jpg 818].)On average, it's OK. Judy Greer's narration of the audiobook and the inclusion of other great voices were a saving grace. But don't go into this expecting [b:World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War 8908 World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War Max Brooks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528312647l/8908.SX50.jpg 817]. This is better than the movie adaptation of that book, but nowhere near as good as the book itself.
Such a strong start, and such a compelling idea! Aliens come to Lagos for first contact. As Okorafor says, other places might have had an organized, government-led response. But in Lagos, the aliens can reach out to regular people, mix among them, and both wonder and chaos ensue.But then, this devolved into just more and more chaos. The closest thing to a plot is that the main characters think the alien ambassador needs to talk to the president of Nigeria. This involves uploading YouTube videos of the alien doing alien things, wading through unrest in the streets, sitting in traffic jams, etc. It's all very quotidian. Presumably if aliens wanted to talk to the president, they could have just raised their ship out of the ocean, broadcast a message, and sat back and waited.There's no in-world explanation of why they don't do that. I'm guessing the real explanation is that Okorafor wants the opportunity to show readers the tapestry of life in Lagos. And actually, I did like learning about Lagos and Nigeria from someone with strong ties and firsthand knowledge of the place.I would even have enjoyed the introduction of Nigerian gods and folklore figures, if it had felt like an organic, meaningful part of the story. Instead, it was like Okorafor crammed in a hasty pastiche of [b:American Gods 30165203 American Gods (American Gods, #1) Neil Gaiman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203.SY75.jpg 1970226]. It's too bad, because I'd love to read a full novel by a writer of African descent using that idea! But here it's just a few sentences here and there, and doesn't connect much with the rest of the story.I saw enough cool stuff here that I want to check out her other books. I just don't think this came together as a story. It's a sci-fi excuse for a love letter to Lagos.
I picked this up after watching the HBO series Chernobyl and being so fascinated I wanted to know more. This book does an excellent job of giving the details and the real facts, filling in and correcting the condensed and dramatized version from the TV show.
For a fairly long book filled with facts, this does an amazing job of telling a relatable, human story. The context about Soviet nuclear history and ambitions, the political influences, and the historical forces were illuminating. The personal stories underlined the danger and the costs, but also demonstrated the resiliency of so many of those affected. Most compelling was the illustration of the blame/cover-up culture that was the true genesis for every thread of cause, from the design of the reactor, to the actions of the controllers, to the horrifying lag in understanding what had happened.
At times this did devolve a bit into a numbing litany of names and numbers. Sometimes people are introduced who disappear after one paragraph, while others are introduced in similar ways and wind up being key players. The information about the levels of radiation were usually gripping; the catalog of building materials and dimensions as the containment was built were less so.
But that's a small gripe - this is riveting and dramatic. It tells the systemic, scientific, and human stories well. It even acknowledges the threat of radiophobia (the number of people killed and injured by conventional coal plants is far greater than victims of nuclear incidents) and some hope for a future that better balances risk through scientific advances and refocusing away from nuclear weapons.
I'm really not sure how to rate this. I enjoyed reading it, but it also took me a long time to finish. It has lots of intriguing ideas, but it takes its time setting them up. The chief characters are memorable and I formed some attachments, but too much of the main relationship is told instead of shown. Gideon is hilarious and snarky, but her lingo can also disrupt the tone.This book is inventive and confusing, textured and conflicting. It's like a Brian Lumley novel and an Agatha Christie novel had a baby, and occasionally John Scalzi babysat, and the baby's ambition is to be [b:The Final Empire 68428 The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480717416l/68428.SY75.jpg 66322] when it grows up.I think I can only give this three stars, despite having a ton of quotable lines and being incredibly bold and interesting. Three main problems: pacing, the central relationship, and unsatisfying mysteries.First, it is a bit slow, taking a long interval to set up both a totally unfamiliar setting and a huge cast of characters/suspects. I was happy to read a bit each night, but rarely felt like I needed to know what would happen next.Second, the current state of the central relationship is very clearly drawn through real-time interactions. Such as, “Nonagesimus,” she said slowly, “the only job I'd do for you would be if you wanted someone to hold the sword as you fell on it. The only job I'd do for you would be if you wanted your ass kicked so hard, the Locked Tomb opened and a parade came out to sing, ‘Lo! A destructed ass.' The only job I'd do would be if you wanted me to spot you while you backflipped off the top tier into Drearburh.” “That's three jobs,” said Harrowhark.But the backstory of how they came to hate each other, and the final development of their relationship, are both quickly told (not shown) in the midst of a bunch of action, and compared to the robust view of their real-time interactions, seem pretty thin and unconvincing. Third, the world building and central story raise many tantalizing questions, wafting the promise of revelations to come by story's end, that will make things fit together in a satisfying way. Here is a spoilered list of “ooh, what about . . .?” questions I was looking forward to learning the answer to (or at least some further, revealing clues about), which are ALL just left dangling:-they fight with swords and write with nubs of old pencils on salvaged paper, but they use words like "pizza" and "doughnuts," use modern-American slang, and have spaceships. Why the weird mix of technological prowess?- the Emperor is "the Supreme Necrolord" who saved the world 10,000 years ago and has been resurrected and become immortal, and the whole society is based around death magic/religion - wait, is this a view of Christianity off kilter by a few degrees?- nine houses; nine planets; weirdly modern references but tons of decrepit tech; is this our solar system in the far, far future?- what was Cytherea's deal? How did she relate to the stuff they discovered in the labs? There were some tantalizing hints that she was part of a team that created Teacher, but why? What did she do between then and now? What is she trying to accomplish at this point?- Who is the girl in the Locked Tomb and why is she there and what is her relationship to the Necrolord and what does Harrowhark think about all that?- Gideon has a mysterious origin. Maybe she's someone special! Her name is in an old note! Cytherea says she . . . knew someone else with the same name in the olden days. But then implies there is more of a connection! But the final answer for the reader is . . . go fuck yourself. I guess we're meant to assume there will be revelations about this stuff in the sequel, but given how little satisfaction we got in this book, I'm not feeling confident in that. It would have been more alluring to get a couple things more definitively tied up from this plot, which then opened up further questions to be explored later.
This was very readable and compelling; the writing was adroit and drew me in. However, the whole thing doesn't make much sense in the end. I'm strongly reminded of my experience watching the movie Malice. Incredible ride, delivered by talented actors, with some dialog that has gone down in history as one of the best speeches in movie-dom, culminating with “I AM God.” Alec Baldwin is really memorable and convincing as a smart, dangerous sociopath there.
Similarly, the slow reveal of a truly disturbing personality is fascinating here. Unfortunately, this is like Malice in another way: it suffers from a bad case of Fridge Logic. You walk away feeling exhilarated and surprised, but then start trying to piece together how . . . that all . . . actually worked, and it doesn't add up.
Still a fun ride, and it was the perfect “trashy concept, talented writing” story for my mental state right now!
This was good, though I didn't love it like I did [b:Horrorstör 13129925 Horrorstör Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414314217l/13129925.SX50.jpg 18306052] and [b:My Best Friend's Exorcism 26118005 My Best Friend's Exorcism Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456208235l/26118005.SX50.jpg 46065002]. It didn't seem as funny - in fact, some seriously heinous all-too-realistic bad shit happens, like rape, suicide, and child abuse (seriously, big trigger warnings here). Of course icky bad stuff happened in the other books too, but this seemed more like real life and less fantastic.Now, the more serious tone fits with the metaphors and is pretty well-executed. Horrorstor dealt with 20-something employment and commercialism, and MBFE was like a pure hit of “I was a 14-year-old girl in 1987” nostalgia and dealt with how being a teenager can be like literally being possessed, from the standpoint of parents, friends, and even self. This book takes aim at misogyny, domestic abuse, sexual assault, racism, classism, and dementia. That's . . . a lot. The nostalgia angle doesn't hit me as hard with this one - I'm not (really) southern and I haven't had a circle of friends that was both enduring and close and also kind of judgy (heh - maybe I just repeated myself?) Also, my husband isn't AWFUL, as the husbands are in this story. The most sympathetic ones were kind of non-entities/checked out. I'm thankful I can't connect to the experience of feeling both at the mercy and abandoned by the person who's supposed to support you. But that said, this does hit some perfect notes about being a primary-caregiver mother: feeling pressure to perfectly control and orchestrate your children's lives to the point where they literally don't feel negative emotions; and simultaneously resenting your kids or being irritated beyond all measure with them. I was certainly nodding along a lot of the time!