courtney

Written by a poet

Revisado: 09-21-23

It is so clear the Acevedo is a poet. The writing is beautiful, bearing the cadence and language of poetry. She weaves such a beautiful web of this family of women, telling each of their stories with depth, honesty, and grace. I love books that follow family generations with perspectives from multiple characters. This is no exception. Loved it.

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Stunning commentary on several topics

Revisado: 06-30-23

I am still reeling from this book. I read the first third and really liked it, but I’ve really struggled with motherhood, so it felt too personal. I picked it back up after a couple months, and I could not put it down.
The main character (Frida) rides such an interesting border of “bad vs good” mom— where others are clearly on one side or the other. But I think that makes her a much more compelling character. You cannot help but judge her, but her experience of motherhood is so familiar and real and raw.
Such an amazing commentary on so many interwoven and intersectional things: motherhood, incarceration in America, CPS, etc.
Hard recommend this book.

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Pretty flat

Revisado: 06-16-23

The whole time I read this book I kept asking myself “do I like this?” And felt pretty unsure until the end. It lacked the depth needed for a truly great story, and I found the characters lacked dimension as well. Even Sister Holiday felt a bit one-note. I figured out the mystery pretty early on but held out hope there would be some cool twist… alas. No.

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Stunning

Revisado: 06-07-23

This was a book unlike any I have read. I was completely lost and immersed in the world of the Chains, and I will be thinking about this for a long, long time.

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Narration ruined it

Revisado: 04-12-23

I can’t even finish this book the narration is so distracting. From the get go I found the main character incredibly grating and arrogant. Then I realized it wasn’t the words. It was the narration. Also the women’s voices are high and breathy and sound completely ridiculous. I felt like I couldn’t take them seriously. This isn’t a Murakami problem. This is a narration problem.

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Stunning, Devastating, Beautiful

Revisado: 03-21-23

The detail of this story is unparalleled. I learned so much about Partition and memory and love

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Stunning

Revisado: 02-26-23

I have never read or heard such a brutally honest portrayal of motherhood. Some people call this “boring,” and it is much more of a cerebral read (though there are amazing plot development points). The intricate view into nightbitch’s psyche was enough to keep me pressing play every time I had a free moment.

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Raw and real

Revisado: 10-20-22

As someone who has cptsd, I can vouch that this book is legit. It’s so thorough in the way it describes how insidious cptsd can be on relationships and the self. I frequently found myself rewinding to listen to sections and mark down quotes and notes from what I heard. I was not triggered by the book despite the accounting of her abuse; it was not superfluous, glamorized, or graphic, despite being upsetting and severe. Chapter 38 was stunning; I’ve already relistened to it.

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