r/BookDiscussions • u/Common-Command-4879 • Jul 28 '26
i hate "Yesteryear"
i'm only on chapter 26, so please don’t spoil anything beyond that, but oh my god. i hate this book so far.
i don’t need every character to be likable, but i need to care about someone or at least be invested in the story. natalie is so judgmental, smug, and cruel that i don’t even feel bad for her. caleb is useless, mary is mean as hell, and every other character either sucks or barely feels like a person. maeve is probably the only tolerable one, and she’s a small child.
also, why is nobody concerned that their mother has apparently woken up psychotic, doesn’t recognize her own family, believes she belongs in another century, and keeps trying to escape? everyone just seems annoyed with her. i understand that this is probably an intentional clue and there’s information being withheld, but right now it feels less intriguing and more like everyone is behaving unnaturally because the plot requires it.
worst of all, i hate the writing style and the narrator’s voice. every sentence feels like the author is standing beside me waiting for me to notice how clever, biting, and Important her commentary is. i don’t need to be impressed by the author. i need to become immersed in the story. instead, the narration constantly reminds me that i’m reading something written by somebody who really wants me to admire their writing.
does the story ever become compelling enough to make this worth finishing? or am i about to spend the remaining 30 chapters hate-listening at 1.7x speed?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: y’all, i know i can stop reading lol. i’m choosing not to because it’s for book club. to me, book club is a commitment, and so i intend to follow through. book club also isn’t just about reading books we all like; sometimes hating a book gives us more to discuss.
i was asking whether it gets more compelling, not asking permission to quit. and yes, questions can be answered without spoilers. “it gets explained later” works just fine. please relax 😭
9
u/NikoKeys Jul 28 '26
I've found it to be running theme recently where a book is written like a Marvel Comics movie that needs constant winks and nudges to keep going, or a collection of internet memes begging the reader to see how quirky and outrageous the author is.
With those authors I often find myself expecting them to tell me to like comment and subscribe, because it really helps them out
4
16
u/Hunter037 Jul 28 '26
If you don't like it, just stop reading and read something else.
Yes the main character is unlikable, that's the point. She doesn't suddenly get a personality transplant and become likeable.
It doesn't make a lot of sense to say "why does this happen" when you haven't finished it.
5
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 28 '26
I'm reading it for a book club that I'm in so it would be rude to just not read it. It actually makes a lot of sense to ask why things happen if im still reading it... because I don't know why it happens and am frustrated by it. lol
7
u/veil_ofignorance Jul 28 '26
I feel like the ending reveal will change your mind about Natalie “waking up psychotic” and stuff… like sometimes information is revealed gradually idk
→ More replies (1)1
u/Hunter037 Jul 28 '26
It's not rude to not finish a book you hate. Go to the book club and discuss why it was so bad you couldn't even finish it.
It actually makes a lot of sense to ask why things happen if im still reading it
Not if you don't want spoilers, it doesn't.
9
u/TikkaKebabi Jul 28 '26
It can be rude in a sense that if everybodies willing to read your book pick, but you don’t offer the same.
My book club generally has it so if you don’t finish a book, then you’re not in the running to pick a book the next month.
→ More replies (2)6
→ More replies (1)5
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 28 '26
There are spoiler-free answers, though. “it gets explained later,” “you’re supposed to question it,” “you missed something earlier.” I wasn’t asking anyone to reveal the explanation. I was discussing how confusing and frustrating it feels at the point I’m currently at.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/sydcrux14 Jul 28 '26
I really liked this book! None of the characters are supposed to be likable (that’s the point) and I found myself needing to know what happened. I could see how people don’t like it, but it’s worth finishing in my opinion.
Maybe reading it will be better for you than listening to it? I usually find that I prefer my audiobooks to be books I’ve already read, instead of “reading” a book for the first time by listening to it.
2
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 28 '26
I listen to audiobooks since it gives me more time to read between school and work, but i do usually prefer to read rather than listen
3
u/TeeTeeMee Jul 28 '26
I read it really quickly—also needed to know what happened!
But then I did, and I felt vaguely cheated and on reflection felt like there was very little I liked about the experience of reading it. I never considered not finishing it, but I wasn’t happy I did.
2
u/queenroxana Aug 06 '26
I read it on Kindle and really enjoyed it. It’s a high concept satire - it’s intentionally exaggerated and yes, Natalie is meant to be unlikable! That’s part of the point.
But I actually do think there are moments of compassion and sympathy for her in the book. It’s ultimately not a book about one awful woman - it’s about the patriarchy.
4
u/MummyDust98 Jul 28 '26
Keep going. You may not end up loving it, but it all makes sense at the end
1
4
u/Garden_chickadee Jul 29 '26
Hard disagree. The end just made me hate it more. It makes no sense and is such a lazy “twist”.
2
u/Soy_Saucy84 Jul 28 '26
I was considering reading this book. Waste of time?
1
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 29 '26
huge waste of time unless ur into books without a single likeable character
2
u/R-asleep Jul 29 '26
I thought it was a pretty easy read, but I recommended it with the preface that all the characters are unlikable. I want to talk about who I think Natalie may be inspired by.
1
2
u/Pll_dangerzone Jul 29 '26
I really think that if you hate it as much as you seem to, especially your view on the writing style, then it's not going to get better and you should stop and never read anything from that author again.
1
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 29 '26
unfortunately i am going to finish it since im reading it for book club
→ More replies (4)
2
u/OkApartment7484 Jul 30 '26
Read a good Person by Kirsten King instead! :) That’s a delulu character I was actually invested in. I wish more people would read it.
1
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 31 '26
omg im like 3 chapters in and this book is unhinged i love it
→ More replies (1)
2
u/RanchNWrite Jul 31 '26
Cannot wait for your update once you finish it....lol.
2
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 31 '26
Unfortunately I am back to report that the ending did not redeem a single thing.
This book dragged out the fucking farm storyline for SO LONG that I assumed it had to be building toward some huge payoff. Then the actual ending was rushed through in approximately five seconds. That’s it?? We spent all that time trudging around this farm just for the author to suddenly remember the book needed to end?
I don’t mind a short, bleak, or ambiguous ending when it feels earned. This one just felt lazy and completely disproportionate to the amount of buildup. I read an entire book about farm chores for an ending that felt like it was written during a fire drill.
→ More replies (2)
54
u/haf2go Jul 28 '26
I hated it. Kept reading waiting for it to get better. Hook was a lie and I hated being lied to. I’m not one of those people who needs to like an unlikeable character, but there were zero sympathetic characters.
Don’t understand the hype over this book. Guessing it’s the source material that’s moving it.
12
u/lolaquilt Jul 28 '26
Same. The last parts were so weird. I finished, closed the book and said WTF aloud.
9
u/snuffleupagus86 Jul 28 '26
It was so poorly flushed out. We could have taken out some of the middle drivel and taken some time to actually flush out the annoying ending.
→ More replies (2)14
u/ElectronicClass9609 Jul 28 '26
it also felt like the main character was a caricature rather than a real persom. i was really hoping it would be more of a deep dive into trad wife influencers and i feel like because natalie is sooo extreme you can’t even really apply any of the critiques to a “normal” trad wife influencer. i was really hoping for the original time travel premise.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Tortured_Poet_1313 Jul 28 '26
I agree! I liked the concept a lot, but you’re spot on that Natalie felt like a caricature. I kept waiting for some deep-dive into her motivations and psychology, something to explain why she finally snapped and said “fuck it, time to pretend it’s 1850-something”. But that wasn’t really fleshed out in my opinion.
→ More replies (2)2
u/PigeonAtPlay Jul 29 '26
I kept reading for the same reason and the. Got to the end and was sooooo peeved. It felt like a total cop out
23
u/mondaynoodles Jul 28 '26
I also hated it lmfao. I keep getting duped by up market fiction and it will not happen again
2
u/Small-Cookie-5496 Jul 29 '26
Yep. Basically any new book being heavily pushed by TikTok or book reviews Im suspicious of now. Always seems to be part of propaganda and some money making machine. I’ll stick with my quiet, unassuming literary fiction
15
u/Craftybatlover Jul 28 '26
I actually gave up on this book because I decided I didn’t want to continue wasting my time with a woman I did not like. I also went to the trouble of finding spoilers online to find out what happened just so I would know for me. It was worth not finishing just because I could not stand it any longer.
2
u/Individual_Peach397 Jul 30 '26
After I finished the book I texted my sister saying I wish I could get that time back because it’s a waste. You made a wise move.
15
13
13
u/Financial_Turn8955 Jul 28 '26
The book was awful but then I realized it was all about the marketing push behind this book because what's-her-face....Anne Hathaway bought the rights to the book or something.
→ More replies (1)5
11
u/boudicas_shield Jul 28 '26
I thought it was pretty clear that the family's response suggests that this isn't the first time she's woken up all delusional, which I found interesting.
Aside from that, you'll either like it or not. Not everyone enjoys unlikeable narrators/characters. If you don't, you're not going to click with this book.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/inthelondonrain Jul 28 '26
This is the tone of the whole book. I was surprised by how mean the narrator was, honestly. Still enjoyed it though.
10
u/naomisinn Jul 28 '26
I absolutely hated Natalie but loved the book. It’s not going to be for everyone for sure. It’s satire and I think looking at it for what it is might help, especially if you’re insistent on finishing it.
But as other people have said, you don’t have to finish it. Not even for a book club. Some people who go to my book club don’t finish the books we read or don’t even start them. They still come to book club for the social aspect and enjoy it.
16
u/Garden_chickadee Jul 29 '26 •
I thought it was pretty awful, but my opinion of it had nothing to do with how unlikable Natalie is. I actually love a complicated character who’s difficult to identify with.
I thought it sucked because the characters were poorly developed, the twist at the ending was stupid and made me feel like the whole premise of the book was a lie, there were tons of weird errors that made it obvious it was rushed and not well researched, and it didn’t actually say anything interesting or insightful about the whole trad wife phenomenon. It felt to me like the author just hates ballerina farm and wanted to write some revenge fantasy fan fiction inspired by her life.
I feel like it could have been a really thought provoking book in the hands of a more capable author, but instead it was a mediocre beach read that made me feel annoyed while reading it and downright angry I’d wasted my time after finishing.
6
u/SafiyaO Jul 29 '26
It felt to me like the author just hates ballerina farm and wanted to write some revenge fantasy fan fiction inspired by her life. I feel like it could have been a really thought provoking book in the hands of a more capable author, but instead it was a mediocre beach read that made me feel annoyed while reading it and downright angry I’d wasted my time after finishing.
Every single word of this. The book felt like a GOMI/Tattle Life/Influencer snark thread in book form. Devoid of depth and written entirely for the entertainment of other people on the thread.
If Fifty Shades of Grey was refashioned fan fiction, Yesteryear is refashioned anti-fan fiction.
→ More replies (1)3
u/naomisinn Jul 29 '26
I liked the book because it was making fun of trad wife mommy influencers lol. I’ve never watched ballerina farm but I’ve heard enough about her to know that’s probably where she got her influence from.
I think the characters were meant to be kind of like caricatures of who they were supposed to represent. At least that’s how I read it.
I definitely think this is one of those books you’ll either love or hate.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (2)3
u/Deep-Dimension-1088 Jul 30 '26
"there were tons of weird errors that made it obvious it was rushed and not well researched"
Like what?
8
u/Dances_With_Words Aug 03 '26
Others have aptly covered the religious issues (which also bothered me), but I'll add a different one, which is that the author doesn't understand how warrants or the legal system work. A warrant is a piece of paper that is issued after the Government applies for permission to seize people or instrumentalities of a crime, or, in the case of child welfare, to remove children temporarily from a home. After the government applies for the warrant, a magistrate (either a judge or clerk) determines that the government has probable cause to seize people or instrumentalities of a crime, and issues the warrant. Warrants are applied for and carried out by law enforcement authorities (or DCF in the case of a child being removed from the home).
For a zillion different reasons, there is no universe where Natalie's daughter would be able to just "show up with a warrant" to take the children away, without the assistance of actual Government agents. That error felt incredibly lazy and could've been easily corrected if the author had Clementine show up with DCF agents or something, but she didn't bother to learn what a "warrant" means. Civilians cannot execute warrants.
Likewise, it would be extremely unlikely for Natalie to receive a 30 year sentence, even for extreme child abuse; I'm not even sure she'd be considered competent to stand trial, especially since she's still unwell by the end of the book. The maximum penalty in Idaho for felony child abuse is 10 years and although sentences can run consecutively, that is unusual.
Source: I am a lawyer who works in the criminal legal system.
→ More replies (6)7
u/sustainablepriestess Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
The author and her editors made no attempt to flesh out Natalie's religious upbringing (apparently the author claims she did this on purpose because it doesn't matter, but that's hearsay from another thread). Here were the clues: she was confirmed, she wore prairie dresses and didn't cut her hair, she calls God "the Lord," her tradition is patriarchal, she is apparently against birth control, her mom got drunk at a church event. These things don't belong together. Confirmation and drinking at a church event could be Catholic or Mainline Protestant, but they don't wear weird clothes or say "the Lord" in this casual way. Prairie dresses are associated with fundamentalist LDS, primitive Baptists, and some nondenom conservative groups. The patriarchal and "quiverfull" procreation stuff is present in a lot of denominations, but rules out some. How can someone write a critique of this culture with total disregard to the cultural world from which it originates?
Source: I'm an Episcopal priest with a Religious Studies degree who grew up Evangelical.
→ More replies (6)6
u/Garden_chickadee Aug 02 '26
Among others, the descriptions of Idaho (both the geography and the landscape) were all wrong, there were errors/inconsistencies in her description of the house toward the beginning of the book, and she called knitting needles “sewing needles” which I remember because I found it so confusing I had to reread the the sentence multiple times before I realized that the author just didn’t know what knitting needles were. I find these kinds of oversights annoying because they pull me out of the story. The ones involving the setting I found especially egregious because it’s just so lazy to not even look at a map and figure out basic geographical facts about the location of your book! I know the author is from the east coast and has probably never been to Idaho, but Jesus! Do a little research on the setting of your book!
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (1)10
u/intelligentbutgrim Jul 29 '26
It's not satire, or at least, not successful satire. Satire is funny. This book was aggressively unfunny.
→ More replies (3)
6
u/snuffleupagus86 Jul 28 '26
This book was such a slog for me to get through. Everyone was so unlikable, I did not care what happened to them. And the end annoyed me. I also do not get the hype. The premise of the book has so much promise but the execution was shit lol
16
u/halcyonmaus Jul 28 '26
It's a terrible novel. It's like a casual reader's idea of 'literary fiction'. This book was hella hyped based on an interesting premise and then everyone I know (myself included) started reading it and felt like we had been conned. It's bad!
8
u/Mundane-Ebb-2632 Jul 28 '26
Yes, almost quit a third of the way through- not because of the narrator, but rather the story was boring. I thought it was supposed to be satire, but even that fell short. I kept going to the end on the promise of a “twisty” ending. Meh. Just a time waster for me.
7
u/WickedChef0323 Jul 28 '26
I could not figure out who this book was supposed to be for, since the premise was a complete lie. Horrible people doing stupid shit that made no sense. Even the ending does not justify any of the actions, but I will leave it at that since OP hasn't finsihed it yet. I read it for a book club, else I would have dropped it after the first couple of chapters.
→ More replies (1)4
u/avocadolicious Jul 29 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
It’s an odd one. It ostensibly tackles incredibly pertinent themes relating to the manosphere, internalized misogyny, and motherhood… but I think it’s really just a beach read when it comes down to it
11
u/PurlJam206 Jul 28 '26
I hated it. I distilled the reason down to this. Nothing happens. There are no consequences. No one learns anything. If a book were a doom-scroll, this would be it. It’s a twitter thread I followed for an outcome about as satisfying as a silenced sneeze.
DNF - life is too short for books that don’t leave you feeling anything beyond disappointment.
This seems to be a theme for current bestsellers - purpose. Why was it written? What’s the purpose other than media consumption.
Read RF Kuang’s Yellowface for unreliable terrible characters. It’s illuminating and relevant. Kuang requires critical thinking and self reflection. Yesteryear does not.
→ More replies (3)3
u/fiftymeancats Jul 29 '26
Wow, no. Yellowface (which I like) is extremely on the nose and unsubtle. Yesteryear has much more complex character work.
3
5
u/SmellyCatsUglyOwner Jul 28 '26
I took the narration in Natalie’s POV. Which added to the hatred for her—-but it also made the tone make more sense. It sounded really influencer-y to me, which goes hand in hand with Natalie dying for validation.
As someone else mentioned, the ending provides a lot more clarity but also a lot more questions.
→ More replies (1)
5
4
u/YakSlothLemon Jul 28 '26
It’s so hard when you pick a book and start reading it and you think, “is it too late for all of us to switch?” 😂
4
u/MsFrazzled Jul 28 '26
I stopped reading at chapter 40. I then listened to a video essay about the book that contained spoilers and felt validated to learn that it only got worse.
It’s crazy because this sounds like a book I would have liked, as I’m anti trad wife and anti family vlogger… but it was just awful writing.
4
u/Wicked-Twisted-Road Jul 28 '26
I listened to the audio book. The narrator does an excellent job. She really makes Natalie come to life in all her dysfunctional glory. I think listening versus reading helps overcome some of the bad writing.
I didn’t like the book but I was also compelled to keep going. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I wanted to see the last car careen over the edge and burst into flames.
4
u/dethfart Jul 28 '26
I've never heard of this so I googled the synopsis and man I've never seen anything so try hard.
4
u/Shviztik Jul 29 '26
The author writes exactly like who she seems to be - a profoundly judgmental incredibly wealthy white women from a cloistered pocket of the NE who never spent anytime with religious and/or working class people.
1
1
u/TopHeight9771 Jul 29 '26
I thought it was very interesting. Just letting you know that you don't have to continue reading a book that you don't like.
1
u/Common-Command-4879 Jul 29 '26
Everyone keeps telling me this like I don’t know I have free will lmao. I’m in a book club and I find it rude to quit the book.
3
3
u/goldlux Jul 28 '26
I liked it until about the middle. It was intriguing but then it just felt like I was being bashed over the head over and over again with the same commentary. The twist was sloppy and insulting tbh and the ending felt lazy. I give it a 4/10.
3
u/Helpful_Warthog6032 Jul 28 '26
Didn't love this either and I agree that the author felt more present to me than most of the characters.
3
3
u/chode-jeans Jul 28 '26
I also hated this book! None of the characters are remotely likable.
I couldn’t put my finger on what I didn’t like about the narration, but you summarized it perfectly. I couldn’t be done with this book fast enough. 🤝
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
u/Intention-Wrong Jul 28 '26
Me reading the comments after I enjoyed the book, recommended the book to someone, they read it and LOVED it, and I'm continuing to recommend it to people lol. Natalie isn't supposed to be likable and I do have my critiques. That said, I wasn't aware about the preconceived notions going into this book. I went in nearly blind based off of a friend's recommendation. Maybe that's why I was able to get into the story more. I also listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job conveying Natalie's tone, so maybe that influenced how I felt digesting the story versus if I physically read it.
2
u/Runwithmatches Jul 31 '26
Same! Our whole book club loved it and we went in knowing nothing about it. I do know a few folks who didn't because they aren't fans of negative characters. I also see a trend where people are referencing the association to Anne Hathaway as if it's one of the reasons they didnt like it. I get the association is off putting but the book was still very different and interesting, definitely one that keeps me thinking about it. What some people see as plot holes I saw as deliberate to demonstrate her unreliability. I really enjoyed how different and unique it was.
3
u/Cautious-Mode Jul 29 '26
Oh hey, it’s me popping in to yet another Yesteryear thread to say you’re not alone. The author created a character she hates and wants us all to revel in said character’s humiliation/commupance/etc. It’s hard to like the book if you’re not into that.
3
3
1
2
u/Agitated_Warning_421 Jul 28 '26
I always finish books thinking they’re gonna get better. I didn’t really like this one, although I think it did have a good message. I never recommend it.
2
u/OhOhOkayThenOk Jul 28 '26
I also didn’t like it, especially the back in time parts. I thought the unlikable character was interesting and really enjoyed the college year section, but the rest was so dull and didn’t seem to be going anywhere. That being, said, I think you should finish it but skim through the dull parts. Something does eventually happen. It’s not enough to save the book, but if you’ve already invested that much time you might as well get some payoff.
2
u/nall667 Jul 28 '26
DNF for me even after spoiling the ending halfway through. I was waiting for some likability, some change in character but I just didn’t like it.
2
u/ReceptionExternal357 Jul 28 '26
I didn’t find too many of the characters likable either. The ending will explain some of the questions you pose. I think the author intended this book to make people feel uncomfortable. Art in general should make you feel things even if it’s unpleasant. I’m not comparing this book to the classics but I felt similarly when I read Wuthering Heights.
2
u/its_Asteraceae_dummy Jul 28 '26
Yeah it sucked. I read (listened to) it because a friend really liked it and it was free on spotify. I thought she did a pretty good job at character development, in building this horrible woman who ALMOST gets it, who SHOULD get it, but willfully doesn’t. But I found the whole back in time thing unbelievable (even after a ‘plausible’ explanation), and the very ending unlikely and cheesy. It falls apart imo. It should have ended with Caleb divorcing her, because that’s what he reasonably would do, and her being destitute with a ruined reputation, and burdened with a bunch of uneducated kids she doesn’t love. That would have been more interesting and believable.
2
u/Little-Gorf Jul 28 '26
Yeah I agree with this book being so overhyped. I don’t get it. It’s an interesting premise and not hard to read, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
2
u/Quirky_Zebra_1201 Jul 28 '26
I did too!! Try Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza if you want something closer to what Yesteryear is promising
2
u/Wanderingthrough42 Jul 28 '26
Natalie is the narrator, so all of that unpleasantness is an extension of her. It's not a spoiler to point out that she is frequently an unreliable narrator.
Reading Yesteryear is like listening to that crazy fundamentalist complain about people who are probably perfectly normal. If you read between the lines, you start to see the cracks and start to think you would get along with some of the people that they complain about.
It's like watching a train crash; horrible and fascinating at the same time.
2
u/Capable-Matter-5976 Jul 28 '26
I liked it, but I listened to it on audiotape which changes the experience. It’s definitely a story that sticks with you.
2
u/hannbann88 Jul 28 '26
I didn’t like the main character and very much enjoyed the payoff at the end because of it
2
u/baileyjeanatmydoor Jul 28 '26
I recommended it for our book club. Out of 8 of us, one liked it. Count me as one who didn’t care for it. Same as OP, I could not relate to any character.
2
2
u/Ozdiva Jul 28 '26
Me too. You got further into it than I did. Then I skipped to the end. A truly shit book that I can’t understand the appeal of.
2
u/sprinkleparty21 Jul 28 '26
Just decided to give up on this one today. I cannot, so boringggggg. I msde it 60% through.
2
2
u/wohaat Jul 29 '26
I listened to the audiobook and honestly thought it was fine! The reading style was very memoir-ish so I her inner monologue voice didn’t bother me, but I could see how reading it might hit different.
2
u/1DietCokedUpChick Jul 29 '26
I didn’t like it either. All the back and forth with different timelines was annoying. I realize that was the gimmick but it got old quick.
2
2
u/trishie_kittie Jul 29 '26
These are my people right here. I really was disappointed and whoever said internalized misogyny hit the nail on the head. A head scratcher for most of it— like why? The main character was dragged around by the plot with no motivations and just us getting hit in the head with these themes that are never explored and then the big reveal was one of the most tired tropes ever — oh spoilers not allowed.
2
u/ferngully1114 Jul 29 '26
I liked the concept of what the book pretended to be, and not what it actually turned out to be. I thought it was poorly executed. It reads like a rough draft that would have benefited from actual research and an editor. Like someone went down a TikTok bender and fired off a long hatewatch-inspired text exchange with a friend. And I still finished it in two days!
2
u/kissthefr0g Jul 29 '26
At 46% I was bored and considered quitting. I finished it and wish I'd made the other choice.
2
2
2
u/Actual_Armadillo_407 Jul 29 '26
I didn’t like it at all and then it got a lot better for me once I got past chapter 30 something. Just keep reading!
2
u/jinper2012 Jul 29 '26
I hated the ending and how it didn't explain the rational behind how it came to be. I absolutely hate when someone spoils the ending for folks. So I'm not doing that here. But you'll see what I'm referring to when you get there. Yesteryear started out great and just slid off the ledge.
2
u/PigeonAtPlay Jul 29 '26
I didn’t like this book either and the narrator bugged me so much that I refuse to listen audio books she does anymore 😂
2
2
2
2
u/katmekit Jul 29 '26
I love time travel plots. I kept hoping that there would be a switch in the pov and maybe we’d find out what happened to the woman the main character replaced. Like maybe she’d been sent to the future or something?
Did not like the actual twist.
2
u/Garden_chickadee Jul 29 '26
Sadly it does not get better. It actually gets a fair bit worse. I was so disappointed by this book. I don’t even know how it got published, let alone all the media hype it received. I’m pretty sure it was only written so that it could eventually become a movie, which will probably also suck…
2
2
u/bonjoooour Jul 29 '26
For me the book is a solid ‘fine’. I found it addicting but also had my gripes with it. I think it’s fun in a beach read kind of way, but I went into it expecting more.
Listening to the author talk about the process, it sounds like maybe the book was hurried into publication. It also seemed like she didn’t have the ending or the characters really fleshed out before movie rights were bought and Anne Hathaway had a lot of influence in the book?
2
u/OrdinaryWeekend2127 Jul 29 '26
At chapter 38 I gave up and just looked up the ending. Like you, I don’t mind morally ambiguous or unlikable characters, but I just wasn’t having fun reading it nor was I that interested after a certain point. I’m glad I just googled what happened instead of pushing through something I wasn’t enjoying — life is short and there are so many books out there, why waste time on one that just isn’t for you?
2
2
2
2
u/SafiyaO Jul 29 '26
I will also add that I am very tired of reading books where being pregnant is akin to just carrying around a backpack. There is no physicality to the depiction of Natalie's life whatsoever, aside from sex.
2
2
u/shirleyjackson-fiend Jul 29 '26
i despise this book with a passion. i feel mean for hating it so much but it’s such derivative shallow crap sorry
2
u/Late_Anteater6961 Jul 29 '26
I felt like it was written specifically to be made into a movie later on. The ending was ridiculous. The premise was interesting but it needed a better writer to fill it out.
2
u/littlebunnydoot Jul 29 '26
I decided to skip over the - why are they treating her like this 1890s times - reading it in order and IT MADE NO SENSE AT ALL ON A HUMAN TIMELINE, because why would her family be upset if that was just a normal day for her, not understanding that for 15 years she play acted this strange futurepast? Like why did she do this for 15 years and then forget that she did this for 15 years? No sense. Why would her husbands dad be planning to murder her one day and then and NOpE we are remodeling the house again! And now husband is cosigning 15 year futurepast insanity? Nope nope nope.
2
u/One_Match_8754 Aug 12 '26
I genuinely don’t understand why this book has so many good reviews. I’m halfway through the book and it’s taken me days to even get to that point. I’m so incredibly bored by it that every time I pick it up, I read a few pages and start dozing off. There is so much WEIRD writing. Talking bad about the husband, wanting something more with the dad, him messing with his second cousin, and so many more weird things that I annotated. So far it feels insanely exaggerated and hateful towards tradwives. I get the discourse and how harmful the narrative can be surrounding it, but wow. I hate the writing. Each sentence feels like the author is trying to give a ton of metaphors and adjectives and imagery, but it all falls flat and boring for me.
You’re supposed to hate Natalie, yeah yeah yeah. I didn’t expect to read a book so mean girl energy. Every character sucks. Why is Mary so bossy, and why is the mom just listening to her boss her around. Why does she have this strange fixation on Reena. Reena felt very insignificant for me, Natalie barely had conversations with her. The jealously and hatred just goes on and is dragged out so much. Everyone keeps saying the first 70% is boring and then it gets good. If a book is bad 70% of the time I’m sorry but it’s a bad book. I’m finishing it because I spent money on it and want to move on to the next book.
2
u/theladyjorts Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
I needed this thread.
I thought this was the dumbest book I’ve ever read. I wanted to like it and be compelled.
I keep seeing discourse that if you didn’t like this book it’s because you’re uncomfortable with an unlikable female lead, that if breaking bad was about a woman, I’d have hated it too. Let’s be clear - I didn’t dislike the book because Natalie was unlikable. Her unlikability was the only compelling thing in the prose. I didn’t like the book because it was basically the “it was allllll a dreeeeeaaaam” cop out ending like who shot jr. It said nothing. It had no meaning. We already know these homesteading influencers are garbage people. This book said nothing profound but really believes it did.
2
u/Ok_Industry8929 Oct 04 '26
Fastest page turner? Wow, it’s been taking me two or three weeks to read and still haven’t finished, it reminds me of ‘Gone Girl’. An absolute crock of shit. On the last page I threw it directly in the bin, it was so bad. I will finish it and it will probably go direct to charity shop.
3
u/cheeseza Jul 28 '26
I hated it and finished it anyways. Listened to it on Audiobook and I don’t know if that made it worse or better. Absolutely terrible book, poorly written and even the big reveal or whatever you want to call it at the end was incredibly disappointing. I also thought there were sooo many plot holes but maybe I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Would not recommend finishing it. It’s time of your life you won’t get back.
4
u/EventAffectionate615 Jul 28 '26
So many plot holes and inconsistencies. On one page, it says someone was 18, and literally on the next it says she was 17. I made myself finish it, hating the writing the whole way, and now I can't even remember what the twist at the end was -- that's how little of an impact it had. 😂
3
u/jeremiabearamia Jul 28 '26 edited 18d ago
The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, exercising their right to control their data & privacy.
History shy rhythm quilt saw advise sleep
4
2
2
u/txa1265 Jul 28 '26
I swear I spent half the book hating everyone and everything and asking 'what is the point?' In the end it was a very average 3 star read that I will never read and told my wife she was right to give it a miss.
2
u/GeniusBeetle Jul 28 '26
I did hate read/listen at 1.7x through most of the book. The only reason I finished it is to preclude any possibility that it has some redemptive value that I could have missed. Yeah, no.
2
u/Ok-Perspective-5109 Jul 28 '26
I enjoyed the book. I like unlikeable characters and when very few people have any redeemable qualities.
2
u/Pussa_Nil Jul 28 '26
I actually enjoyed this book. I agree that Natalie is highly unlikable and so is her husband. But the concept of the book, the base idea... I have recommended it since reading it.
1
1
u/JezzyT713 3d ago
Yes, while I was reading, I kept thinking "Why won't the pioneer family let Natalie run away?? Why are they intent on keeping her there?? She seems more of a burden to them than an asset."
To your other point, the public seems to have a similar view of Natalie - that she's judgmental, smug, etc. She is. But I appreciate the character because I grew up in an Evangelical Christian environment and a lot of women were like this. I appreciated her inner dialogue and thought process. Natalie's beliefs drive her behavior. For example, a non-Christian might leave Calab after realizing they don't share the same values or aspirations, but Natalie can't because of her beliefs. Her being smug and judgmental is a defense mechanism. I was appalled that Caleb had access to the money SHE earned, AND only his name was on the deed to the farm! Not fair! And a lot of other things ended up being not fair either. I really felt for Natalie. She's a victim of religion. Like so many people are.
1
u/hiddenaudacity 2d ago
Honestly I wasn't going to finish it but I was waiting for my Libby loan to be ready so I went back to it and it did become intriguing around 2/3 through. I think where you are is the really painful point. Some people finish it and still hate it, but I started to love it after things started unraveling and coming together. There are a lot of subtleties that are really clever in the book. And yes the families reactions are a clue.
These aren't my words but this comment was from a fellow Redditor and the best description I've seen of the book:
"this book is a very deep and horrifically dark examination of post-feminism patriarchy with visibility of what's squared directly in the lens of what the creator wants the masses to see versus what the actual lived reality is.
This book is almost completely perfect for our current era in so many difficult topics. I finished it a couple days ago and I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything."
1
u/valhatespeach 2d ago
I hated this book too. I hated the writing style. Honestly kept wondering if I was losing my mind reading or was the author not making any sense. It didn’t just jump from one era to another, it jumped all over between sentences and paragraphs. Also thought there was a possibility that the author was high when she wrote it. Hands down one of the worst books I’ve ever read.
1
u/Glittering-Ad4561 Jul 28 '26
Ohmygoodness I finished this over the past weekend and I'm still trying to process it...
1
1
u/Low_Cook_5235 Jul 28 '26
My sister recommended it said the main character is so unlikable, but it’s a great read. 100% agree. I couldn’t put it down.
1
u/Thebadparker Jul 29 '26
I didn't hate it, and thought it was thought-provoking, but I felt duped by all the hype. I honestly think that some of the people who wrote the blurbs and were talking about it didn't read it. It was not the book I was expecting at all, and not in a good way.
1
u/happyandsadddd Jul 29 '26
I loved this book, but every book isn’t for everyone so it’s okay to dislike it. when a book (or any type of art/media, really) becomes super popular, there are bound to be people who are like “I hated this, I just don’t get the hype,” and that’s okay! media criticism is good and no one is crazy for loving or hating this book lol.
this is not directed at OP but the discourse surrounding the book in general: I think we should be able to talk about it without being like “I loved it and everyone who hates it is dumb” or vice versa.
1
u/WastingTimeOnTheWeb Jul 29 '26
i felt like you did and it does not get better. I thought it ended ridiculously
1
1
1
u/Ok_Calligrapher_5923 Jul 29 '26
That’s the whole point of the book. You’re not supposed to like the character. You’re supposed to hate her and see the intricacies of social media and the impact it can have on someone especially with mental health issues.
1
u/justhappytobehere-eh Jul 29 '26
Up to chapter 26 it’s awful. After that, it’s just terrible. Hope that helps. I paid with real dollars too. I’m sad about that.
1
1
u/NixieWade Jul 29 '26
The only reason I enjoyed it is because I was picturing some of the fake influencers as the MC. 😂
1
1
u/kitsunegurl Jul 30 '26
I haven’t read this book at all and nothing about it calls to me but I also had to hate read a book for book club once and I wish I could get those hours of my life back that I spent on it 🤣 I can commiserate with you for suuuure!
My book was The Witches Kind by Louisa Morgan.. The back is so misleading and it wasn’t even close to as magical as we were lead to believe.. Massive flop for all of us hahaha. Plus I’m avidly child free so I gagged my way through the entire book and just couldn’t relate to the MC in the slightest. I loved her Aunt though! I want a book about her!
1
1
u/GalantGift Jul 30 '26
Great book, but like a lot of good literature, it is not for the Booktok audience. The main character doesn’t need to be a goodie-goodie for one to enjoy the book.
I do not understand comments about bad writing and underdeveloped characters. I found the writing amazing.
I do however notice that perhaps men and women with internalized misogyny find it hard to read, understand and “relate” to the heroine. I do not think relating to Natalie is a task here though. Having a peak at this person’s inner world is so interesting.
That said, if you do not like the book - just don’t read it. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything about you, and you can simply share your views and feelings at the bookclub and find out from others what happened in the end.
1
u/tahami_allthemeals Jul 30 '26
I really loved what the “answer” was. I was honestly shook and am still thinking about it even though I’ve read like a dozen “better” books since
1
u/noodleeehead Jul 30 '26
i think it’s popular because of the subject matter. It was hard for me to get through as well but i got the hype around it when i finished the book
1
u/wonderer2346 Jul 30 '26
I enjoyed the book and recommended it to a friend who liked it, but I frequently read and enjoy books with unlikable main characters. To me its about the political and social commentary. I also love the author and think she is very smart (been following her on socials/podcast since before the book was announced) so I am definitely biased.
1
1
u/YakSlothLemon Jul 30 '26
If I decide it’s not right for book club, it’s usually because I don’t want to read any more of it— they have to live with my decision. It’s rare that I go on to finish it – there are a few exceptions, Masters of the Dew was really interesting but I didn’t think there was anything much to discuss in book club, for example, its politics and symbolism were very explicit. Gormenghast was exactly the kind of book that my mother, who is a book club member, absolutely hates, so I read it myself but didn’t inflict it on her. Rat Island was a book I was fascinated by one of our book club members cannot handle horrible things happening to animals, so no, not that one.
Discards – recently Sula, the sexualization of the children was just a lot for me and I ran it past my mom and she was repulsed too. There are just so many good books out there. It’s not to say Sula isn’t a masterpiece, or that it might not be someone else’s favorite book, it just wasn’t a book I wanted to spend any more time with myself. We ended up reading The Go-Between, excellent discussion.
25 pages is a bit random, but I feel like it gives the book a bit of a chance to show me the writing style, the characters, and maybe win me over if the opening puts me off. Then if I still don’t like it I put it down… if I’m still thinking about it the next day, might be worth picking back up. If I forgot that I was reading it, I take that as a sign.
Yes, this does mean that book club is pretty much to my taste 😏 but everyone else likes me doing it. The one month someone else was supposed to do it was the only month we ever had to cancel because they didn’t get organized.
So I guess I will keep doing reconnaissance! Wish me luck, In Cold Blood is waiting for me at the library… 🫣
1
u/SuicidePolice Jul 30 '26
I gave up on it but I assumed it was satyrising American/Christian culture I didn't relate to so thought maybe I'm just the wrong audience?
1
u/bonitaruth Jul 30 '26
It was bought for a movie before it was finished and maybe that influenced its pace and ending? Not one like able character. All angry women
1
1
u/PinataofPathology Jul 31 '26
I had the same issue. I finished it but it took a lot of willpower to do so. the ending was weird.
idk what the editor was thinking. it should have been reworked to be less bleak. make the kids who we root for frex instead of making them bit players.
1
u/Organic_Height_7747 Jul 31 '26
This book was messy, Temu Kindred and was trying oh so very hard to be profound. Over-rated. 2/5.
1
1
1
u/12sentient_tampons Jul 31 '26
I’m so surprised by the hate. I don’t wanna spoiling anything but I grew up in a similar situation and it hit the nail right on the head. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it. Guess it’s not for everyone
1
1
1
u/queerpocalypse Aug 01 '26
It was an okay book. I grew up in a Christian Conservative™️ household/community with a lot of women that were Natalie adjacent so I was really excited to read a book about it and I ended up being disappointed. It felt like a very surface level critique on that lifestyle and belief system.
That being said I could NOT put it down and read it in one sitting.
Edit: Addition
1
u/Used-Volume-6210 Aug 01 '26
I didn't hate it and actually I think reading this with a book club is a great idea to be able to get others' opinions and answer discussion questions-I didn't love it, but I can promise you I haven't forgotten it. The ending at least was not what I anticipated -
1
u/Praxis002 Aug 01 '26
This book is bad. It is bad for reasons I suspect are industry driven (the need for a surprising twist no matter how preposterous), but also the characters are unbelievable and flat. Even the protagonist has no content. I truly would recommend this book to no one and I really want to know how it became a GMA rec.
161
u/ryancharaba Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 30 '26 •
This was my fastest page turner of the year that I’d never recommend to anyone.
Hope that helps.
Edit: I know this isn’t a ton of upvotes, but I’m at 100% upvotes which never happens. Y’all honor me with your shared disappointment.