Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

This year does seem to be good to me. But that might have something to do with me reading only books that have been on my TBR forever. And Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple was just one of those.

How did it turn out for me? You might have to read my book review to know more.

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About Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Where'd You Go, Bernadette book review cover

Book Name: Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Author: Maria Semple

Genre: Fiction – RomanceYoung adult

Characters: Bernadette Fox, Elgin and Bee Branch, Audrey and Kyle Griffin, Soo Lin.

Setting: Seattle, Washington, The USA

Plot Summary of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Bernadette Fox is borderline anti-social and mildly agoraphobic. She is married to a Microsoft tech-wiz Elgin Branch, who is a workaholic and barely present father to their precocious teen daughter, Bee (Bala Krishna).

Bernadette delegates most of her problems to an online concierge Manjula, something Elgin disapproves of and ignores the snotty comments and activities of the her peers from Bee’s private school.

Shortly after Bee persuades them to take a family trip to Antarctica, Bernadette’s life goes into a spin. And she disappears without a trace.

Did Bee find her mother? Is there a happily ever after waiting for them forms the rest of the story in Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

Book review of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

The first thing that will strike you when you start reading Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is that it is wacky and satirical. And that can be a make or break deal for you. You either love it or hate it.

Written mostly in an epistolary and correspondence format, it takes a bit to get used to. Understandably, the characters are so weird and such goofballs. While they may feel they are one dimensional, they work, most of the times.

AND I LOVED THEM ALL. Sure some of the things that happen are not so believable, but I found them HILARIOUS.

The Seattle rants and the “Victims against Victimhood” were particularly entertaining. The digs at the gnats and the private school culture were just perfect. I now have to see the Cate Blanchett starred movie adaptation soon!

I loved how the author spoke about mental illness without making it preachy or judging it and the effect it could have on the family as a whole.

The last few chapters felt a bit rushed and could have been more interesting. But I am gonna ignore that for now.

What worked for me

  • One of the best satirical I have read in the recent times. It had several laugh-out-loud moments and I would reread this book, hopefully.
  • The writing and the characters are zany and over the top, and I love that! Bernadette would be a character that you would love or hate, but she will be unforgettable.
  • I love how the author dealt with mental illness and its effect on oneself and one’s family. And the social stigma attached to it.

What may have been better

  • The last 50 pages turned out kinda less entertaining.
  • The writing style and characters may seem over the top and if you don’t immediately connect to them, you may never.

Content warning

Parent abandonment, Mental illness and attempt to commit to psychiatric hospital.

Bottom line

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is highly entertaining and hilarious. If you have not read it already, you should do it already.

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Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – A book review

What better way to begin a year than a hyped book that recently secured a HBO adaptation deal? Is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett worth all the hype? Read my book review to know more.

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About The Vanishing Half

Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett cover

Book Name: The Vanishing Half

Author: Brit Bennett

Genre: Fiction – Historical,

Characters: Desiree and Stella Vignes, Jude, Reese, Kennedy, Early

Setting: Mallard, Louisiana, The USA

Plot Summary of The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett follows the lives of the Vignes twins who decide to run away from their small town at sixteen. The identical twins are so light skinned that they could pass as “White”. When the opportunity presents one of them takes it.

Desiree Vignes always wanted to get away from her town, where skin color is all that mattered. But when she returns years later, with a black skinned kid in tow, she was sure she will get away again.

Stella Vignes did get away from their town once and for all. She has a well settled life and a family that will never know her previous life.

Do either of them regret their choices? Is passing as “White” worth losing your identity and past? Can the lives of these identical sisters ever reunite? Read more about them in The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

Book review of The Vanishing Half

I am glad The Vanishing Half was one of the first books I read this year as it set such a positive hope for the year. I loved it and would keep recommending it to anyone who would listen.

Set in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana, The Vanishing Half deals with several intense themes like race, class, identity, internalized colorism, abuse, melancholy and motherhood. It made me question the narratives about race and caste passed on over generations by our families.

Despite the heavy themes, the author ensures to present a narration that is so gripping I never put it down once until I finished it. This is will be a wonderful pick for your next book club read!

While we might judge Stella for her internalized racism, bigotry and selfish decisions, it is hard not to sympathize with her loneliness and trying to find an identity for her new self.

What worked for me

  • I loved how the author got me introspecting my own prejudice and issues with generations of conditioning about colorism.
  • The Vanishing Half is not a plot oriented book, but it is just the author’s writing style kept me hooked until the end.
  • I loved how each character was well written and had a part to play. From Early to Reese, I enjoyed the male characters as much as the strong female ones.

What may have been better

  • I wish there were a bit more about Reese’s struggle as a trans guy in transition and passing himself as guy for years. I guess his life was not smooth as a trans man in the LGBTQ – drag circle in 1970s too.
  • The second part moved a bit slower than the first. You might find yourself skipping a paragraphs.
  • If you don’t like books with multiple POV, you might wanna watch out. But it did work spectacularly well for me.

Content warning

Racism (internalized and otherwise), Domestic abuse, colorism, running away from home, gender reassignment surgery.

Bottom line

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a must read historical fiction that deals with intense themes like racism, colorism, abuse and melancholy. Catch this hyped book out without hesitation!

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Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – A book review

I am a bit late to review this one. I read In a Holidaze during the holidays and this is my second book by Christina Lauren, so I had some expectations. Did the book meet my expectations? Read my book review of In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren to know more.

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About In a Holidaze

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren Cover

Book Name: In a Holidaze

Author: Christina Lauren

Genre: Fiction – Romance

Characters: Maelyn and Miles Jones, Andrew and Theo Hollis.

Setting: UtahThe USA

Plot Summary of In a Holidaze

Twenty six year old Maelyn Jones is on her yearly Christmas vacation with her family and their friends. But this might be the last year for that tradition and she is heartbroken about her life.

Her job seems to be a dead end, she moved back to her hometown after her parents’ divorce, her 13 year long crush doesn’t reciprocate her feelings and her one happy place – their Christmas cabin of 17 years is about to be sold.

In a moment of desperation, she wishes that life would show how her how to be happy. And their car rams into another. AND she wakes up a week earlier to celebrate Christmas all over again.

Does she get what she wanted this time? Read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, a romantic Groundhog scenario set in a holiday background to know more.

Book review of In a Holidaze

As I mentioned already I really liked reading Christina Lauren’s other book, The Unhoneymooners and I knew what I was getting into. And that is exactly what I wanted for my holiday fervor.

In a Holidaze didn’t fail me on that. I loved their Christmas traditions. Also, I really like the Groundhog scenario in general and to do it on a holiday background made it more engaging.

I somehow thought Theo and Mae were the actual pairing initially and that he will have his redemption. And I never was able to change my mind about Mae-Andrew after that. So sadly, this friendship to love trope didn’t work well for me.

I liked Maelyn and her character was the only one fleshed out well. And the first 75 to 100 pages were really interesting and fun to read. But the middle part seemed dragging and too slow for a romance.

I love a large family, don’t get me wrong. But there were far too many characters to enjoy it and there was not just enough time for any sorta character development for each of them. All the adults kinda rolled up into one after a while.

What worked for me

  • I loved that I read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren during the holidays and it helped me stay in the holiday fervor for a longer time.
  • The set up and the characters, especially one of the adults, reminded me of the Fuller house characters – in a positive way.

What may have been better

  • There were too many characters in the family to actually like any of them in particular. I wished these characters were fleshed out better.
  • I wish there was some explanation into why this groundhog/ time travel thing was happening to Mae out of nowhere.

Content warning

PG-13, Car accidents

Bottom line

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is definitely a fun holiday read with a time travel element to it. Sadly the romance part and character development left me wanting for more.

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Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia- A book review

As the first read of the year, I picked up Mexican Gothic – a book I have been wanting to read for a while now. Read on my book review of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia to see how it worked for me.

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About Mexican Gothic

Cover Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Book Name: Mexican Gothic

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Genre: Fiction – Fantasy, paranormal, horror

Characters: Noemí Taboada, Catalina, Virgil, Florence, Francis and Howard Doyle

Setting: Mexico

Plot Summary of Mexican Gothic

When her father sends Noemí Taboada to High Palace in the Mexican countryside as a response to her newly-wed cousin’s alarming letters about her husband, she is not enthused.

Noemi, a flighty, party loving 23 year old in the 1950s, who wants to get her father’s approval to her dreams of attending university considers this as an opportunity to win him over, as well as to help her dear cousin Catalina.

When she first arrives at the ancient, crumbling mansion, the welcome from her cousin’s husband Virgil Doyle and his family is less than lukewarm. She finds out that Catalina’s health, physically and mentally is fragile and the Doyles’ family doctor doesn’t seem helpful.

With frosty and unhelpful relatives and a house that squeaks and creaks at every turn, Noemi begins to believe that her cousin was correct. And it was up to her to save herself and Catalina.

Was she able to do that? What is it about the house that does not let them escape form the rest of the story in Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Book review of Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a well written gothic fantasy thriller, leaning more towards fantasy than the thriller part. I had a huge expectations and I was left with a mixed feeling about it.

I really liked the first few pages of the book, but it took me more than fifty pages to actually get into the story. But until the last fifty pages or so, it moves really slow.

I love reading about dysfunctional families and the Doyles were definitely one of them. An aged patriarch who believes in “natural selection” and eugenics, a creepy, manipulative son, a controlling and matronly aunt and shy young man who is interested in fungus definitely wins the title.

If you like atmospheric horror like the Haunted of hill house, you are in for a treat. But being more of a “The Shining” fan, I was drifting off mentally often. Of course, it is definitely a “me” thing.

Apart from Noemi, Francis is the only other character to catch my attention and has some sort of character arc. But I am definitely not sold on their romance and strongly believe that they would be better of as friends. (I dunno why all stories have to have a romantic angle!)

What worked for me

  • I liked Noemi and her character development from a socialite who was a brat to a person to a matured young lady was interesting.
  • It was interesting to read about Marta and her stories about her ancestors and their culture. I wanted hear more from her about the colonialism and its effect on its Mexican subjects.
  • The whole creepy vibe of the mansion and the family is very well done. I felt sorry for the ladies for having stuck into the mess in the first place, even before realizing what it was about.

What may have been better

  • Mexican Gothic is definitely a slow burn, it takes about 50% of the book to garner the speed.
  • The mystery part is thinly veiled. If you paid close attention, you would stumble upon it quite easily and pretty early on.

Content warning

Sexual assault(s), incest, murder, cannibalism, death of children, stillbirth, miscarriage, death of parent.

Bottom line

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a must read for the fans of The Haunted hill house and other haunted house mysteries. But if you are someone like me, who wants more action than just the eerie atmosphere, you might find your attention wavering.

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Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – A book review

Silent Patient, The by Alex Michaelides – A book review

How often do you agree with hype and award winning titles? I had heard so much about The Silent Patient and I was reluctant to pick it up, because I didn’t want another disappointment. But how did it fare on my scale? Read my book of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides to know more.

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About the book

Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Book review

Book Name: The Silent Patient

Author: Alex Michaelides

Genre: Fiction – Mystery, Thriller

Characters:  Alicia Berenson, Theo and Kathy Faber, Christian, Professor Lazarus Diomedes, Gabriel and Max Berenson, Elif, Yuri

Setting: London, England, The UK

Plot Summary

Theo Faber, a psychotherapist can’t wait for this chance to prove himself by helping Alicia, the famed silent patient. And to do that, he has begun to work at The Grove where the artist is being treated for a while now.

About six years ago Alicia Berenson, a well known painter was arrested for murdering her husband, Gabriel. Since then she has not uttered a single word. She is suicidal and unresponsive to any sort of communication.

Theo is also fighting his own demons and for his marriage. Will he be able to save Alicia or himself for that matter? Read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides to find out more.

Book review

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a fast paced murder mystery/thriller. And it is definitely worth its hype. I definitely should be more open to picking hyped books hereon.

While the explosive climax is not novel, I didn’t see it coming. I had several other theories (a few more ingenious than the others ..cough.. cough) of course, but the red herrings worked perfectly. And that says a lot about the author’s ability to weave a web of tangles around it.

I had a few issues with how the “hospital was run” and that Theo’s approach to help Alicia was pretty much unprofessional. There are a few comments about therapy that misleading and harmful, and definitely reduced the credibility factor for me.

What worked for me

  • I didn’t see the classic twist coming at all. And that’s because I was so engrossed in the narration.
  • The short chapters worked well enough to make The Silent Patient a page turner and I couldn’t just stop reading.
  • The red herrings will keep you second guessing and hooked till the end.

What may have been better

  • Theo’s breakthrough treatment was totally unprofessional and kinda lowkey annoying for me. I hated that there were misleading and harmful comments about therapy and therapists.
  • The twist has been done and tested many a times. One of the well known example is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

Bottom line

If you are quite new to the murder mystery genre and you liked books like Girl on the train or The Woman In The Window by Finn A J, you will love this book. If you’ve read as many whodunnits as I have, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides may not surprise you. But it is still worth a read.

Content warning:

Depression, multiple suicide attempts, Drug abuse, Misleading concepts about therapy, extramarital affair,

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