Book Review THE HAPPY LIFE OF ISADORA BENTLEY

Thank you to Libby for an ebook of THE HAPPY LIFE OF ISADORA BENTLEY 



Opening quote: Turns out, smiling is hard.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. That birthday party scene is completely epic. I would never have imagined a jar candle sinking through the center of a birthday, but Loesch did, and it is glorious!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The first person narration is very witty! So are many of the characters. Incidentally, I don't find full casts of witty characters to be accessible-- I need at least a token casually awkward conversationalist. 

2. The depiction of social isolation as supposedly experienced by the fmc feels inauthentic to me, at best. The descriptions are too pat to feel real.

3. This character/narrator navel gazes overly much. A great deal of the narrative is composed of internal monologue and character reflection. It makes for an extremely character driven story.

4. "I don't believe in play." Sort of like saying she doesn't believe in burping. Gas still needs to escape her body in an expressive and comforting manner, and will do so. Her faith is not required. (Isadora is a little much.)

5. I officially hate any book that explains tragedy by saying without it, joy is less meaningful.

6. The mental health rep in this book is just abysmal. Vague, noncommittal, stereotypical, and stigmatizing. Not to mention not based in scientific fact. Let me just be clear: Isadora isn't mentally ill or ND because the author slaps a bunch of quirky traits together and frosts her with a high IQ. Isadora is mentally ill or ND only if the author commits to it and forces the character to confront it in an informed and realistic way.

7. Certain phrases, sentences, even whole ideas repeat over and over. In romances, tropes provide pretty simple concepts, it's true. What separates good writers from not, at least in part, is hitting on the same trope twenty times without repeating the same language.

8. "Fumigation" is pest removal, not smell removal...

Rating: 🧌 unlikable fmc
Recommend? I don't think so...
Finished: Dec 7 '23
Format: Digital, Kindle, Libby 
Read this book if you like:
🙄 unlikeable leads
👨‍💻 work romances 
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age 
👤 (not great) mental health rep 

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