So many twists and turns! Great plot development and use of multiple POVs. The audiobook has a narrator for each character, complete with the Boston aSo many twists and turns! Great plot development and use of multiple POVs. The audiobook has a narrator for each character, complete with the Boston accent and all. ...more
4.5 stars. This is exactly my type of YA contemporary, complete with biting humor and flawed characters. It reminded me of Please Ignore Vera Dietz, wh4.5 stars. This is exactly my type of YA contemporary, complete with biting humor and flawed characters. It reminded me of Please Ignore Vera Dietz, which I read years ago and adored. Both books deal with grief, although it is less apparent in Pizza girl, which focuses more on teenage pregnancy. Both main characers are actually pizza delivery girls!
The mood in both of the books can only be described as feeling empty in a room full of people who love you. Everyone is laughing and hugging, but you feel as if you are not really there. You have suffered losses and difficulties, and go through your daily life with a mask on. It is much easier for me to talk about the feeling of this book than the actual plot, because not much happens in these 200 pages. In that short time, the story ended but it did not leave me.
The unnamed narrator (only known as Pizza girl) has a loving mother and boyfriend, who both support her unexpected pregnancy. But Pizza girl feels detached and indifferent to her future child, and tries to avoid thinking about her future. After the loss of her dad she has resorted to drinking in his shed in the yard, and looking back on her memories with him. One day she meets a new customer named Jenny, a woman who orders pickles on pizza for her son. They form an unlikely bond, where Pizza girl becomes slightly obsessed with Jenny. It is impressive how the author convinces you that this relationship could work out, despite Jenny's marriage to her husband who we know nothing about, but we assume he is a jerk.
It is hard to say more about this plotline without spoilers, but I was so engaged in Pizza girl's life that I wanted to agree with her on everything. Her bad decisions, her dream scenarios, her avoidant tendencies. The author creates this perfect picture of Jenny by only showing us how Pizza girl sees her. We have no idea if this is true, but you want to believe it so badly, because damn it if this narrator doesn't get everything she wants, I will weep. There are so many layers to a relationship that gets rather little time to develop on the page. Jean Kyong Frazier shows rather than tells, and I love that we can't pinpoint exactly what draws Pizza girl to Jenny. Is it the fact that Jenny is a 15 year older version of herself, living in a nice house with her son and her spouse? That she despite these differences seems to care for Pizza girl and identify with her? Based on these deliveries every week, Pizza girl creates an image of Jenny that expands beyond those small moments, but truthfully they barely know each other. This makes more sense if you have read the book, but I loved how the author challenged me to question what I thought of all the characters. It became hard to disconnect my personal opinion from Pizza girl's narration. Her goofy and humble boyfriend is an absolute gem, but his safe presence paled in comparison to Pizza girl's crush on the hot mom.
Lastly, I have to appreciate the small bits of Korean culture weaved into the story. The quote below carries that same feeling of restlessness that is apparent throughout much of the book. The wonderful humor and believable characters lift the mood, but I think this part showcases the honest, powerful writing that makes the book so engaging and made me think about it even after I had finished it.
“Han was a sickness of the soul, an acceptance of having a life that would be filled with sorrow and resentment and knowing that deep down, despite this acceptance, despite cold and hard facts that proved life was long and full of undeserved miseries, “hope” was still a word that carried warmth and meaning.”
Imagine the most captivating scene of any fiction book, the climax that is fuelled by so much emotion that you can not put the book down. When the herImagine the most captivating scene of any fiction book, the climax that is fuelled by so much emotion that you can not put the book down. When the hero has to face their struggles, when the author's commitment and love for their characters shine through the page. You are rooting for them, because the book has reeled you in and every sentence is hitting you like a train. This whole novel reads like that scene, stretched out for 300 pages. Elizabeth Acevedo writes with a passion and intensity that many authors can only dream of. The themes of first love, identity struggles, friendship and family dynamics, religion... Acevedo tackles it all in this book in a completely convincing way. It felt like listening to a biography, the characters as real as if they were standing beside me.
I highly recommend the audiobook, which is narrated by the author herself. She made the story come to life and I think this is my new preferred way of reading books in verse. Can't wait to read more from her!...more
How had it begun? Like everything: with mothers and fathers. Because of Lydia’s mother and father, because of her mother’s and father’s mothers and faHow had it begun? Like everything: with mothers and fathers. Because of Lydia’s mother and father, because of her mother’s and father’s mothers and fathers.
If you have ever wondered why some parents seem to live vicariously through their children, this book answers that question. I suspect Celeste Ng has studied the family systems theory. To me, this book is the most fitting example to describe this philosophy, which is used in many research fields, including social work (which is where I've learned it). It is ''a theory of human behavior that defines the family unit as a complex social system in which members interact to influence each other's behavior. Family members interconnect, making it appropriate to view the system as a whole rather than as individual elements.'' If a dramatic change happens to one of the system's units, it causes a ripple effect that throws the whole system off balance. This is what happens when the golden child of the Lee family is found dead.
The story is told through each family member's perspective, where we see their life before Lydia passed away and how her death affects their family dynamic. Ng describes these changes in a subtle way, and it becomes clear that Lydia's death was the final blow to this already fragile home. As we go back and forth in time, we start to see the signs of the deteriorating Lee family. It is the father ridiculing his son's interest because he wishes he would spend time with friends instead of reading. It is the youngest child practicing how to say surprise at a birthday party, repeating it under her breath until it sounds perfect. It tenderly describes how adults see reflections of themselves in their children, and the pressure that they put on their kids.
It took me nearly a month to finish this book, not for lack of enjoyment but because I wanted to savor this story, these words that so perfectly explained a family in crisis, while intertwining the struggles they faced as an interracial Asian-American family. I think it was absolutely stunning and heartwrenching....more
There is not much I can say about this book that other reviewers haven't already expressed. The Push is a gutpunching, disturbing and devastating noveThere is not much I can say about this book that other reviewers haven't already expressed. The Push is a gutpunching, disturbing and devastating novel. Yes, it centers around motherhood, but it also provides a glimpse into generational trauma. I will read anything Audrain writes....more
This book charmed me. The characters have undeniable chemistry and witty humor. The caricatures of the broody hero and the shy leading lady are explorThis book charmed me. The characters have undeniable chemistry and witty humor. The caricatures of the broody hero and the shy leading lady are explored beyond the surface-level, and I came to love both Izzy and the Duke. The dual narration made both their intentions clear, and it was hilarious to see the same scene from each of their perspectives. Dare builds romantic tension and even leaves you hanging a few times! It seems that whenever things get steamy between the characters, something interrupts them.
Besides the entertaining romance, I found the conflict to be very convincing and the dual perspective helped me understand both Izzy and the Duke's intentions. The author focused on few characters with thorough backstories, which made them all very sympathetic. I need the next book! ...more
Loading...
