badmom's reviews
503 reviews

My Mama, Cass: A Memoir by Owen Elliot-Kugell

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

A loving & lovely telling of the too-short life of Cass Elliot by her daughter, creatively using details gleaned from family archives, interviews, publications and other artifacts. Clearly there was more to Cass Elliot than being 1/4 of The Mamas and The Papas, and this memoir details all of her accomplishments beautifully though always with the underlying bittersweet notion that all of our lives would be richer had she been with us longer. 

The numerous connections to notable & significant players in the music industry are intriguing and offer depth to Elliot-Kugel’s stories. The curt mentions of her father were puzzling but overall her exploration is pertinent - particularly involving the incessant & disrepectful remarks about Cass’s body - and reflections thoughtful. 

Some chronological jumps/incongruities and sections that could use tighter editing would take me out of the otherwise marvelous narrative. 

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Stunning imagery accompanying an historical account of Bui’s family, incorporating the timeline of Vietnam’s occupation by colonizers and subsequent wars & unrest. Beautifully crafted, blending past + present and future. 

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Fascinating first person character study - the thoughtful yet often self-deprecating (and angry) reflections of the narrator mix with her detailed recollections of a brief but intense relationship with a family. Nora, a thirtysomething third grade teacher, is often heartbreakingly honest about her life so far; she has always aspired to be an artist but never quite found a way into that world. Meeting Sirena, the mother of one of her students, brings her closer while also awakening other longings. 
Messud’s writing allows us to empathize and sometimes identify with Nora, though we’re also a little wary of her intentions. There is a continuous underlying tension as we know Nora is retelling her story from a future beyond her interactions with the Shahid family. 

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Classism

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This lovely, loving, and poignant study of friends & family (exploring definitions + expectations of each) also offers an unexpectedly fascinating study of video game/gamer history. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives throughout, helping us to better understand the characters and making their relationships feel deeper & richer. Occasionally scenes felt rushed or abrupt, leaving me wishing for more insight though that could also be a reflection of real life - we don’t always get the detail & closure we hope for. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

Unexpectedly humble, thoughtful, reflective, and kind-hearted - the public persona of RuPaul has typically been loudly confident & brash but this memoir reveals + unwraps his real self, often gently & tenderly but also with a necessarily harsh eye. It felt like a gift, being invited in to know his journey. 
I also appreciated all of the pop cultural & historical references that he found himself immersed in. 
RuPaul’s writing was surprisingly poetic at times, though occasionally a bit overdone. In general, I enjoyed the way he focused on + developed the theme of uncovering personal meanings of his life events & choices. 

Oxygen by Carol Cassella

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Enticing narrative, told in strikingly poetic language - the intricacies of medicine & anesthesia blend with the nuances of relationships alongside maddening details of the American health system to create an intriguing, worthwhile story.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Abortion, Gaslighting, and Classism

The Bittlemores by Jann Arden

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

An interesting premise offering multiple points of view - including quirky bits with astute farm animals a la Charlotte’s Web. The pacing is good overall though some parts seem startlingly abrupt while others feel unnecessarily detailed. The characters felt thin & predictable despite some hints at backstory that would have been enriching & more satisfying if deepened. The tone was uneven, switching from dark & disturbing to wistful and even whimsical at times, which unfortunately shook me out of the story.  I appreciated the imaginative plot and the elaborate scope but there was ultimately a lot more telling than showing in many places. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0