Welcome back to another edition of Rebecca Reads. This is where I share what I’ve been reading, book reviews, book lists, and anything else that relates to books. Occasionally, I am sent a book for review. I was sent A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl but I am not obligated to review it. All opinions are mine alone.
A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson is a multi-story book about the women in the Wise family. Each lady, the grandmother, the mother, and the daughter, all are coming to grips with their lives at different points of their lives. The grandmother, Evelyn, was forced to marry and have kids instead of pursuing her dreams. This was unfortunately more of a normal occurrence for her generation. The mother, Laura, is a bit more of a peacemaker and she tends to place blame on herself for everyone else’s problems and sadness. The third lady in the story, Grace, is simply trying to get away from her family and make a life for herself.
And I can’t say I blame her. I absolutely multi-generational stories that span over several years or generations of a family. I also really like multiple storylines that interweave into each other. The thing is, some are well done and some are not. I would say that this particular book is very well done, although it is incredibly sad. The stories of each lady were just so bleak, and I wasn’t left feeling any hope at all for them. The thing is, it felt like all the characters were just wallowing in their misery.
This was the first of Jean Thompson’s books I’ve ever read, and I can say that I like her writing style. Not knowing anything about any of her other stories, A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl is definitely character driven. It wasn’t quite a page-turner for me, because there wasn’t a lot of action. Of course, I did want to know what would happen with the characters, so that did keep me reading. Jean Thompson’s writing style was easy to read, and it felt like the situations and story lines were very realistic. It was just so incredibly sad.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes multi-generational stories and doesn’t mind a somber story. I can’t say I really mind a somber story, but this one was melancholy and without hope, if that makes sense. That being said, I will definitely pick up another Jean Thompson book. It was so well written, I enjoy multiple story lines that are interconnected, and the characters were very well developed.
Have you read A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl? I would love to hear what you think about it!
Rebecca has been writing about style, beauty, and lifestyle topics since 2011. Thank you so much for reading this post! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I love hearing from you!
