(Before reading my book report, you might want to check out: In Which I Explain My Book Reports. Or not.)
Since I am not being graded on this, that I know of, I have decided I get to follow whatever form I like for my book reports[1],[2].
What kind of book is it?
I suppose I would have to call this chick-lit. It isn’t exactly a romance, although there is romance in the book. It is more one woman’s story[3] and how she moves through a pivotal time in her life. There are lots of memory scenes and lots about her impressions of her world now, then and how she wants it to be in the future.
Where did I discover it/Why did I read it?
It was my “Amazon First Reads[4]” book in June 2021. I probably didn’t read it until a month or two after I got it. What drew me to it was partially the fact that a woman of color[5] was featured on the cover. Also, once I read the description, the presence of a little mysterious magic was intriguing[6].
What did I like about it?
I was really captivated by the way Ms. Baker revealed important things about her characters, and their relationships, by description instead of stating it baldly. For example, I think we discover her brother is deaf by her describing talking to her brother with ASL and how good (or bad) other family members were at ASL.
I also really liked the way Ms. Baker’s heroine, Corrine, accepted LGBTQ+ characters and their community as facets of people but did not categorize them as outré. It is what I strive for in my interactions in life[7].
I like characters I can admire and learn from. The subtle way Ms. Baker taught me about the world through Corrine’s eyes changed the way I view the world. I also liked her spunk, her openness to the unexplainable, and her ability to examine her own flaws and foibles.
What didn’t I like about it?
Sometimes, it was just too easy to resolve the conflict for Corrine. She would narrate what the problem was, and then switch to accepting it as all right and the way it should be. This was a little jarring.
The other draw back, I think, is other than Corrine, the other characters were not as well developed, and I didn’t always think their motivations and actions as declared matched with what their action in the story.
Would I read something else by this author?
Yes, if I liked the description of the book. Or, if I had credits on Amazon for it[8]. I love good authors and go back to them again and again when I like what they write. However, I have to be interested in the story they are telling.
Other Thoughts…[9]
In my mind, as I remember it, Corrine doesn’t refer to herself as black. There are things she says about her hair, her body, and one great scene with her love interest, what what she describes makes me think she is a woman of color. She also doesn’t refer to herself as a ciswoman. Right after I read the book, when I was telling BigOne about it, they pointed out to me that I was labeling her a ciswoman based on my one projection of myself into the story. They were right. There was a quality about this book that had me relate to the heroine while letting me discover the differences between me and her[10].
I also really liked the relationship Corrine has with her dead friend. And it is a relationship. Even though the interaction is all in Corrine’s thoughts, it is evolving as she comes to terms with their shared past and how she goes on without her best friend.
There you go. My first Book Report in ages[11]. I enjoyed writing it for you, so I hope you enjoyed it too!
[1] I have made a post about the content of my book reports here.
[2] Also, I don’t promise not to reveal spoilers about the book.
[3] For more about how I categorize books here.
[4] A couple of years ago, I started reading Amazon First Reads ads I got. One free digital book per month. Incredible. It almost makes my Amazon Prime membership worth it.
[5] As I struggle with coming to terms with my white guilt and white privilege, I am drawn to seek out fiction that challenges those views.
[6] I know I should read more serious fiction to inspire more serious thoughts about race in America, but the truth is, I like a good story and try to find value in reading that gives me pleasure. Chick-Lit is a genre that brings me pleasure.
[7] I am still having some trouble with the use of the “They” pronoun for a single person. I fail a lot.
[8] Or, if I found it on Libby and liked the description.
[9] I won’t always point this out, but there are definitely Spoilers in this section.
[10] She used the pronouns she/her/hers in the narrative.
[11] I actually don’t remember having to do book reports in school. Probably I have blacked it out.