roselaina
Major TW for the birth story told from the father's POV. I'm not normally one to give away spoilers, but putting a story of infant death in the middle of a collection of positive birth stories is a horrendous move. It triggered some major anxiety for me, as I have epilepsy, and the baby died as a result of complications from the mother seizing during childbirth.
Other than that, I didn't like some of the dated language and the condescending attitude (and frankly, some of her takes on medical things are flat-out wrong -- her insistence that gestational diabetes doesn't exist, for instance). However! I did enjoy the birth stories and the positive perspective surrounding vaginal birth. There was some great information about the birth process. It's a useful book if you are preparing for an unmedicated birth, as I was.
Contains spoilers
Nina LaCour's writing is beautiful, as always, but it could not save this book. To be fair, my opinion is probably impacted by the fact that I read it right after Pachinko, so I really just wasn't in the mood for another lots-of-bad-things-happen-in-a-row book. But like...it wasn't even *just* that. But throw in my mortal enemy instalove, and a bunch of weird, deep conversations and interactions like no one actually has, plus requiring an incredibly deep suspension of disbelief regarding Emilie's whole storyline...eh. Overall, very much a disappointment and a waste of a beautiful cover.
Contains spoilers
I just want to start by saying that I appreciate this book's critique of the criminal justice system and police bias. That was not my issue with it at all. In fact, it's pretty much the only thing I did like.
Baldwin has some great turns of phrase here and there, but overall, I do not understand the popularity of this book. The characters are shallow, some to the point of being caricatures, and most of the few existing plot points are completely unbelievable. The book drags despite its short length. I usually enjoy books that are more character study than plot, but that only works if you actually flesh out your characters. I felt like I barely knew Tish by the end, even though the entire book is told from her perspective. The only character who actually feels like she has some substance is Sharon.
Some specific issues:
- Why, exactly, are we supposed to love the guy who abuses his wife?
- What the actual heck is this quote?
I think, in fact, that she was raped and that she has absolutely no idea who did it, would probably not even recognize him if he passed her on the street. I may sound crazy, but the mind works that way. She'd recognize him if he raped her again. But then it would no longer be rape. If you see what I mean.
- Pretty sure Baldwin never talked to anyone who has actually been pregnant in the course of writing this.
- The unnecessary sexual scenes (Specifically, the gratuitous masturbation scene and the disturbing sexual encounter told through the eyes of the couple's child. Just...why?)
- The depiction of Puerto Rico (or, as Baldwin likes to refer to it, the home of trash, garbage, refuse, and more garbage, where everyone looks like they're related but somehow not in a racist way)
- The super misogynistic opinions, gay slurs, and antisemitism. Obviously you can't hold an older book to the standard of the current day, but when I was already struggling to continue reading, these definitely didn't help.
- The abrupt ending
Some things I did like: the Spanish restaurant, getting to see more of Sharon's character during her portion of the story, the fact everyone believes Victoria is telling the truth about what had happened to her even if she is mistaken about Fonny's identity
All in all, I love Baldwin's essays, but this definitely should not have been my introduction to his fiction. Not every book can be an author's best, so I hope that the next one I try lives up to the hype.
I have been looking forward to this book since the cover reveal, but unfortunately, it fell a bit short of my expectations. If I were rating it purely as a checklist, it would be a 5 star read, but as a book, it was a little lacking. I read a lot of middle grade, but the tween angst in this book was truly on another level. A lot of it was completely justifiable and fit the story, but there was a portion of the book that honestly would have been better removed. It slowed the pacing unnecessarily and made the MC about 300% more annoying. I won't go into the others because they're just more personal pet peeves than anything. Overall, though, it was cute and a good story and definitely worth the read! Also, I'm a Beth fan for life. <3
3.5 stars.
This is a very important book, and I'm glad I read it! While I did not agree with 100% of the author's points, I absolutely support her main idea and think more people should read this book and others like it to raise awareness of anti-fat bias and strategies for dealing with it.
I will say, it was frustrating that the author didn't apply the same rigorous critical thinking to the studies she liked as to the ones she didn't. It seemed unbalanced at times.
But overall, I would still recommend it.
DNF @ ~80%
Most disappointing book of 2024. I listened to the audiobook on a roadtrip and probably would not have made it as far as I did if I'd had options. I got the ebook multiple times after, planning to power through the rest just to be able to count it toward my goal. Unfortunately, by the time I finally forced myself to pick it up (9 months later), I didn't remember enough to make sense, so I DNFd anyway.
Specific points I do remember: First and foremost, this should have been YA. It was clearly written with a YA audience in mind, and the characters read so much like teenagers that any reference to their actual age is jarring. The romance is forced, boring, and weirdly paced. I was 10x more invested in the romance between their parents, to be honest. Also I know the ending from looking at other reviews, and I'm not a big fan of that, either. I remember being bugged by the anachronisms, but I can't say anything specific.
Anyway, overall, a waste of a terrific sapphic song reference (yes, it's sapphic, and I will die on this hill) and cute cover.
I genuinely loved this book so much. It's so easy to relate to Shaindy, to understand her thought process as she falls further into the spiral of pranks. Overall, it's a story of choices, the kinds of choices we make every day – choices to follow or to lead, to forgive or hold a grudge, to lash out when we've been hurt or to find a way to heal.
Of course, there are always more fun choices to be made – to go to sleep or keep reading, for example. But with this book, I always wanted to know the next twist, so that choice was easy to make: keep reading!
5 stars.
