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A review by virgilsaeneid
American Housewife by Anita Abriel
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
A Netgalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I need to preface this review with a couple of things: one, this book is a good read if you like lighter historical fiction pieces. Two, there definitely is an audience for American Housewife but unfortunately, I believe I fall outside of that demographic. Ultimately, I rated American Housewife 2.5/5 stars, but wish Abriel all the best on release day.
However, this would not be an honest review if I didn't explain my problems with this narrative. For starters, all of the underlying narrative arcs feel incredibly disjointed. Even once they all tie together, it unfortunately falls short - I think this is largely due to the incredibly low stakes of this piece. Maggie is given everything on a silver platter. Any genuine struggles she goes through as a protagonist are short-lived and resolved without consequence. At no point did I feel worried for Maggie, because the conflicts are set up in a way that suggests she'll come out entirely unscathed - which she does. The primary antagonist of American Housewife is unfortunately a walking stereotype of failing the Bechdel test, incredibly undynamic, and only emerged in the last ~40% of the book. The entire conflict of the book is tied up and resolved in a singular conversation between Maggie and her husband in the last ten minutes of the book, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste.
While I can definitely see why people of more relaxed, straightforward narratives will appreciate Abriel's writing, the dialogue and scenes felt quite blocky and interrupted the reading experience for me. American Housewife fell short of my expectations, but I can understand and respect the angle it is written from. If you want a historical fiction that is more cozy and low stakes, I would full-heartedly recommend this book.
I need to preface this review with a couple of things: one, this book is a good read if you like lighter historical fiction pieces. Two, there definitely is an audience for American Housewife but unfortunately, I believe I fall outside of that demographic. Ultimately, I rated American Housewife 2.5/5 stars, but wish Abriel all the best on release day.
However, this would not be an honest review if I didn't explain my problems with this narrative. For starters, all of the underlying narrative arcs feel incredibly disjointed. Even once they all tie together, it unfortunately falls short - I think this is largely due to the incredibly low stakes of this piece. Maggie is given everything on a silver platter. Any genuine struggles she goes through as a protagonist are short-lived and resolved without consequence. At no point did I feel worried for Maggie, because the conflicts are set up in a way that suggests she'll come out entirely unscathed - which she does. The primary antagonist of American Housewife is unfortunately a walking stereotype of failing the Bechdel test, incredibly undynamic, and only emerged in the last ~40% of the book. The entire conflict of the book is tied up and resolved in a singular conversation between Maggie and her husband in the last ten minutes of the book, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste.
While I can definitely see why people of more relaxed, straightforward narratives will appreciate Abriel's writing, the dialogue and scenes felt quite blocky and interrupted the reading experience for me. American Housewife fell short of my expectations, but I can understand and respect the angle it is written from. If you want a historical fiction that is more cozy and low stakes, I would full-heartedly recommend this book.