Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
This was a beautiful book, just not what I expected. I think I expected a romance, but it’s not that. It reads like a coming of age, YA/New Adult, but the character, Grace Porter, is 28-29. So overall: gorgeous prose, confusing tone.
Grace Porter is on the cusp of finishing her Plan. She has her doctorate of astronomy in hand, she just needs the best job. One a celebratory trip to Vegas, she marries Yuki, a waitress in New York. Marriage wasn’t the first deviation from her Plan, and it sends Grace on a journey of self-exploration and betterment.
This book has a slew of incredible side characters on both coasts and we definitely need more books with token white people. This book is rich with positive racial, ethnic, and cultural portrayals. -Ford
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I am so unsure of how to feel about this book. The plot is centered around Grace Porter, a 29-year-old who just defended her PhD, and while celebrating that milestone in Vegas, gets married to a perfect stranger.
The book is not specifically a romance and part one of my confusion is based on the fact that it was marked as one. There is a romantic plot between Grace and Yuki, but it takes a backseat to Grace's other journeys.
Part two of my confusion has to do with, maybe a generational difference between me and Grace, or maybe that is the point and I missed it. But I had such a difficult time relating to her feelings of inadequacy and perfectionism while running away from the world. I also have never had the financial opportunity to take a year off to find myself, so maybe I'm just jealous of her financial ability to take the time to find peace.
Perhaps that is what the novel is really about, what we are lead to believe is the right path for us vs what is really the healthiest choice. Having never had the opportunity to put everything on-hold while finding myself, I couldn't feel glad for Grace.
Mental health matters, taking care of yourself matters, I just found the way she was able to do so to be enviably unrealistic.
I love that there is a conversation about equity in academia or the current lack of it, for women, for people of color, for LGBTQ+ community. I appreciate the complex conversation about that.
Mostly, this book made me feel old and tired and like I'm doing it all wrong, but not like I am one of the lovely creatures Yuki was hunting the whole time. -Sky
