Reviews with content warning for Abortion - Sandwich

I haven’t cried this hard at the mercy of a book in a long while. A story about a woman, Rocky, in the “sandwich” generation, mothering children in their 20s while also watching her parents age in their 70s/80s. Wry, realistic, and heartbreaking I adored this.

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lindseyottta's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted sad

4.0

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gena10's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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hellokaley's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, I don’t know if I read this book at the perfect time to fall in love with it, but it really hit me in the feels! The perspective and characters were so lovely and even when they were fighting or pushing each other, you could feel the love and care they had for one another. I really loved how the story was written- the casualness of the main character made it feel like she was speaking to me. The banter with the mother, her husband, her children, and her own parents was so delightful and it really made me fall in love with them as a family. The Cape Cod scene was such a perfect setting and the descriptions of the location, food, smells, and feels made it feel like I was there.

There are definitely content warnings here and it’s quite possible that a more conservative reader would not like this as much as I did- I imagine this is why it has some low reviews as well.

Overall, it was short (I read in one sitting on a plane), emotional, and delightful. There were so many quotes that resonated with me and I’ll be thinking about it for a while.

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gabbysnieto's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Sandwich isn't written like a diary, but it most certainly reads like one. Rocky's character is so three-dimensional it hurts, and being privy to her inner thoughts felt like being inside my mother's head. Catherine Newman is exceptional at detailing the conflicts and deep, deep love of motherhood, and I'm so glad to have read something so raw and real. So many people like to gloss over how hard being a parent is, but Newman isn't afraid to peel back the nuanced layers.

I do have a reason behind rating this book 4.25 though. It's clear here that Rocky is a deeply flawed character, but she seems to spend more time making excuses for her behavior than apologizing to her family for her narcissistic tendencies. The epilogue also felt too wrapped up in a bow for me to really connect with it.

Read this if:
-you want to understand your mother
-you love family dynamics more than fast-paced plots
-you need a good beach read
-you aren't afraid to cry a little

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craftyanty's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mustlovebooks77's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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