angieoverbooked's reviews
487 reviews

This is more literary than thriller. But I like literary fiction! So I liked this. The average fan of traditional thrillers might not like it as much. It’s kind of quiet and slow, not really eerie and no heart racing moments. 

There was more development of the MC’s relationships than I see in most thrillers and I appreciated that. I also liked that Reyes took on the topic of addiction as a response to trauma. Finally, I liked the details about her familial history and culture. 

I related to almost nothing in this book. 

And I still really loved it.

While I’ve watched Ina’s cooking shows for years, I never sought out personal info about her. I’m not sure what was already out there (although there’s a marriage story that she never discussed until this book) but this was filled with surprises for me. 

I most enjoyed learning about her journey with her husband Jeffery, whom she met at 16 and married at 20, their travel and food adventures and career twists. This was comforting and delightful on audio, just like her shows. 

Now I’m off to try her roasted chicken recipe also known as “engagement chicken” to see if it makes my husband re-propose. 

I chose this for my 10 Books 10 Decades reading challenge because I watched the movie adaptation decades ago in a film class and recalled enjoying it. But it turns out that without Dustin Hoffman’s compelling and comedic performance and the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack … the words alone on the page are … not very good. Particularly after the affair with Mrs. Robinson when Benjamin starts to pursue her daughter, the pacing, dialogue and plot development are shockingly absurd.

I generally enjoy Jason Reynold's writing style and the themes he addresses in his books for young adults. While this didn't completely wow me, I recognize that I'm not the target audience, and I hope it does wow teen readers. Neon is a vulnerable Black teen, and there's so much value in having characters like him as the center of a YA book. I also loved the examples of Black families and relationships that are presented. 

The format of this book, telling the story backwards, is interesting but also risky. I thought the idea was cool, but it ended up making it harder for me to follow and really fall into the story. I was tempted to go to the end and read it "backwards" meaning in order of how it really happened. 

 

Well, the title prepares you but Francine truly does crash and burn in the most spectacular of ways.  In her defense, she is mourning the death of her mother, confronting the lasting impact of childhood trauma, and navigating toxic and codependent relationships. She is on a hard and messy journey. The entire time I was thinking, “Girl, what are you doing?” and anxiously waiting for her to get into therapy, make some positive changes and turn it all around. She had no place to go but up. While the plot did go a bit too off the rails for me, I enjoyed the way her relationship develops with Davie, a little boy on the spectrum who enters her life when she is at rock bottom. He is what made this story endearing and worth the read.