I picked this book up at my local library because I had read the author’s other book, “Bad Summer People.” Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/reviI picked this book up at my local library because I had read the author’s other book, “Bad Summer People.” Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Maybe I should have stopped there! Because the reviews didn’t appear as positive for this one, either. I wasn’t sure I would want to take the time to read it, so I didn’t put the book on my “currently reading” shelf. But as things go with books, I couldn’t help but be curious, and so I dived in, after all.
I think I should have trusted the other reviews. I know, that isn’t a great way to start off a review, right? Well…
Let me just say it began with an interesting feeling…lovely setting, drama, secrets, an unsolved mystery, lots of romance, and possibility. The book having possibility, that is.
But…if this was intended to be a “gripping, darkly comic novel,” it didn’t meet that expectation for me.
The characters were mostly unlikable, and the plot veered in so many directions because of the multiple point of views that my head began to hurt trying to follow them. By the time the story was ready to reach its climatic peak, I was too tired to climb it. This story was just tedious with a predictable mystery.
It is advertised as a dark comedy, thriller mystery, satire of Corporate America. Maybe some may feel those vibes. For me, I was just happy to move on to another book.
2.5 stars hesitantly rounded up because of the promising beginning. ...more
“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on Earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we begi“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on Earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
What if there was a way for you to know when and how you would die? Would you want to know?
“Cause of death. Age of death. It’s really very simple.”
And, having this information, would you consider or actually do anything to change the way you are living now?
“Fate won’t be fought.”
Is this information a gift or a curse to receive? Is it a gift or a curse to have this knowledge?
“She was a determinist. The idea of determinism, …is that everything that happens, and every decision or action you make, is ‘causally inevitable.’ Why? Because everything is caused by something else: a preceding action, event, or situation.”
In this story, it starts with people on a delayed plane who don’t notice her. And, then she gets up and begins to share with each passenger their fate. At first most don’t understand what she is saying, but those who finally do, how will this information change the trajectory of their lives?
“No one can see the future. Oncologists can. Oncologists, neurologists, cardiologists, hematologists. All those damned ‘ologists.’ They’re the fortune tellers. They don’t read your cards, they read your blood tests, your scans, your genetic tests, and see terrible things in your future.”
How many of us can relate to this above quote about the ‘ologists?’ I know I can, as I await my own test results after my treatments. Do I want to know? When we are invested in living, it becomes important, yes? Is this the author’s message?
Back to this book…
And, now it becomes the plane passengers’ story. And, “The Death Lady” eventually to be revealed to readers. Which then makes it our story…to read. Several characters. Several pages (495 pages).
Who is “The Death Lady” person, who has predicted these fates? Will we as readers care about her backstory? Will we as readers care about the fate of these passengers? Will some of these characters have an elevated awareness of their mortality and find a way to change their fate?
Mostly, will this be a good thriller mystery or a need for readers to keep turning pages until we find the answers as to what happens to all these people?
Interesting premise, that starts strong, but falls flat in its delivery.
Readers need to be aware that there may be some triggers: self-harm, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and domestic violence.
One of the first visuals the author wants readers to see is one of the main protagonists, named Rose, a little girl of 9, picking up a piece of glass One of the first visuals the author wants readers to see is one of the main protagonists, named Rose, a little girl of 9, picking up a piece of glass and hiding it under her sleeve. Is the author trying to portray her as sinister? Or, is she trying to put doubt in the mind about Roses’ character to our other main protagonist, Stella, who is sent in to work with her? Or, even worse, is the author, wanting us, the reader to distrust Rose?
Whatever the author has in mind, it appears to be her way of wanting to lend credence to why she chose the title of her book.
Needless to say, for this reader, there were a lot of cliches to this story. Vulnerable women. The appearances of a creepy kid. A husband sleeping with a nanny. (Who is now dead {nanny}, by the way.) A dissolving marriage. Nothing is quite as it seems. (So, readers be on your toes!) And, a lot of red herrings, that seemed to have nothing to do with the plot. At all.
And, even when everything seemed to be wrapped up, the story kept going. Why, I wondered. Was there something else to be revealed, still? Or just another way for the author to clean up loose ends?
As a reader, I found this story disappointing, and downright horrifying. To be honest, I think I have become rather tired of so-called “psychological” thrillers that use child characters in this abhorrent way. But please go read other reviews. I am probably an outlier with this one. I liked her book, “Gone Tonight” a tad better. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......more
“Curtains down. House lights dimmed. Fade to black.”
This book says goodbye to the long running Decker/Lazarus series. So, definitely don’t start readi“Curtains down. House lights dimmed. Fade to black.”
This book says goodbye to the long running Decker/Lazarus series. So, definitely don’t start reading the series with this book. Always start a series at the beginning.
This book, to be honest, was a very painful reading experience. With its graphic violence, it made it quite a difficult read.
Some chapters were told in first person, when Terry, Gabe’s mother, (Donatti’s wife), shared her story, before moving back to regular narration to share Decker’s case.
Telling both stories fell flat, and it was difficult as a reader to feel connected to either story, especially with the graphic violence, and constant repetition. I found myself just wanting to skip read to the end.
I had a feeling I would know that eventually Peter and Rina were going to make some decision about their future (which they did). And, I would feel happy for them about where they landed. But I would also feel very sad that this was a dreadfully written story. Which makes this book an awful ending to a fairly good series.
Trigger warning: graphic violence, rape scene ...more
As a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I found myself intrigued when I saw the cover and read the blurb on this book. On the cover there was alAs a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I found myself intrigued when I saw the cover and read the blurb on this book. On the cover there was also a quote from Ashley Audrain, the author of “The Push” that said, “Ominous and intimate. A gorgeous literary thriller to devour.” ‘Okay, why not?’ I said to myself, ‘I’m game.’
And so, I began to read.
Affairs. Long-held secrets by family. Sinister characters. And, an unlikable main character. Was I going to be able to survive this story?
The book begins by telling us that Nadine, is in her bathroom with a dying man, choosing not to call the police and allowing him to die. Who is this guy? And, what led her to such actions?
And, off we go reading about all sorts of different men who could fit the bill. Did this help to provide resolution for readers?
Oh, but there is more. And, for me to go into all the drama of the variety of tragedies along the way, would just be a spoiler. Let’s just say, there is something off about Nadine and her family, and it becomes harder and harder to care one way or another, when all of them are so unlikable.
Needless to say, this was not an easy read, nor satisfying. But don’t stop with my review, others may have liked this one better than I did. ...more
This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to put in my currently reading pile.
Where do I begin? Let me start with this next quThis was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to put in my currently reading pile.
Where do I begin? Let me start with this next question. How do you get in to a story where none of the characters are likable? Do you continue reading and hope that they change? That maybe something good comes out of their character?
The book starts with a young boy finding a dead body. Who is it? Who did it? And, that is when all the characters enter the story. Gossips. Cheaters. Hypocrites. Of course, any one of them, right?
The problem for readers is that with so many objectionable characters, who really cares who died or who did it?
The author considered her work, “social satire, with a sprinkling of mystery and a dash of White Lotus escapism.” (For those who are not familiar, White Lotus was a series on HBO. It was described as a ‘platonic ideal of the island getaway. A portal to a pristine, natural world, where you can forget your cares and where you can get pineapple at McDonald’s.’)
For me this book was anything but…shallow. Boring. Little substance. Difficult to connect to because of unlikable characters. Maybe other readers will feel differently. I may be an outlier....more
This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed featuring a forensic geologist, so I thought it might be an interesting read to try out.
UnfortunatThis was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed featuring a forensic geologist, so I thought it might be an interesting read to try out.
Unfortunately, this is book 2, so I was a bit at a disadvantage. I don’t know if there was more to learn about the main protagonist, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon from book 1, but I had a hard time connecting to her character in this story. She seemed hard to reach emotionally. It was if her character was so barren, she came across flat. She was dogged in her pursuit of justice, which I could appreciate, but her interaction with others was robotic, for lack of a better description.
She is involved in a missing persons case in which her supporting team isn’t quite supportive, thus not making it easy for her and causing her to be frustrated and overwhelmed. And, perhaps that was the only time emotion was observed from her character.
The pace of the story was slow. And, there was a side story with her Dad, which didn’t seem to be worked through by the end of this novel. Based on everything shared here, it is hard to feel energized about pursuing interest in the series....more
So, apparently this was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller according to some headlines about it. Why do you think that was? Did it havSo, apparently this was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller according to some headlines about it. Why do you think that was? Did it have to do with the author’s ability to write, or her own celebrity?
For anyone who isn’t aware of who this author is, she is a former Bachelorette of “The Bachelor” series. She also went on to be one of the ‘celebrity’ dancers on “Dancing with the Stars,” and won her season with professional dancer, Alan Bersten. I would imagine that many who follow ‘Bachelor Nation’ or ‘Dancing with the Stars’ may have ‘known of’ her, and thus wanted to read her book. And, to be honest, curiosity was what made me pick this one up, too.
But would it be a good read?
Premise: Emma and Finn use to be a thing. Something happens, and now they are not, and yet they are reunited for a mutual friend’s wedding. With all these unresolved feelings what do readers think is going to happen?
Road trip. With these two. Will they resolve their baggage, have fun and heal, flirt, get in trouble, or resume a romance?
Typical rom-com with predictable will-they-or-won’t-they tension. But for this reader, the romance fell a bit flat. Overall, the story plotline had potential, but it didn’t meet up to mine. I may be an outlier, so please check other reviews. ...more
I love my neighbors. Without them, I probably wouldn’t read some of the books that I do. So many books that are dropped off at my Little Free Library I love my neighbors. Without them, I probably wouldn’t read some of the books that I do. So many books that are dropped off at my Little Free Library Shed are books I never would have considered reading hadn’t they have been donated.
One of my neighbors is an actor, director, producer who also is part of a local theatre group. So, anytime there is a book with a theatrical theme she is all in, and is always happy to donate it to my LFL when she is done. Such is the case, with this book.
Premise: So, what really happened all those years ago? And, why is it so important for Joni to reveal it now? Does this story have a feel for the #MeTooMovement in Hollywood?
The book will follow Joni, a previously successful filmmaker who stepped away from her career to raise her children. But 25 years later readers can feel her unhappiness with her successful husband Paul who is the head of a major production studio in New York. What did Joni sacrifice to put him in his position? As Joni attempts to rekindle a friendship with Val, what secret from her past will she have to face?
I really wanted to love this book. There was so much about it that had a contemporary story worth following, but overall, it was slow moving, chaotic storytelling, and it was hard to connect to the characters....more
I have a love/hate relationship with this author. Well, maybe that is a bit extreme. I enjoyed his debut novel, “Trust me when I lie,” but I only thouI have a love/hate relationship with this author. Well, maybe that is a bit extreme. I enjoyed his debut novel, “Trust me when I lie,” but I only thought his “Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone” was okay. I didn’t think it was bad, and it was not enough to stop me from picking up this book. But let me just say, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to read it, either.
This is a story about a mystery writer taking a train trip with other mystery writers on their way to a mystery writers festival in Australia. And, one of the mystery writers is our “reliable narrator.” Let’s just say there are a lot of mystery writers in this story.
And, as I was reading it, I actually found myself putting it down a few times and reading other books in-between.
Why?
Because I also found myself bored.
Why?
Because as much as I love a train trip storyline, (especially one that will give a scenic view across the desert of Australia) {which I have never been and would love to go}, the author, plays a supposedly “reliable narrator” that was much too talkative, offering way too many characters to keep track of, and his “fair-play mystery” just became a bit too much for me. Phew! I know, quite the run-on sentence!
I realize I am probably an outlier here. I get it. There are a lot of Benjamin Stevenson fans out there. So, please take in other reviews. Don’t just rely on me.
I can appreciate that he utilizes his “reliable narrator” voice to give us some relevant clues like…
“It’s a staple of mystery novels that, just before the murder happens, certain conversations are overheard in the deep of night. This is to be the case here.”
And… “This may be a surprise, but everyone survives the night.”
Oh goodie. We got a reprieve. We are 108 pages into a murder mystery with no murder. Those of us who are waiting for this murder we keep reading about…well, where is it?!
“And then he died.”
Well, there you have it. Page 111. Is that a spoiler? Shame on me, if so. But I don’t think so. The author has been leading us to this point all along from the beginning. A murder was eventually going to occur. But goodness, so anticlimactic? Or is that the author’s intention? And the joke is on readers?
Of course, we don’t know the perpetrator. Or the motive? Will our “reliable narrator” reveal that to us eventually, too? Or, will he take us down twisty, dark aisles on this train ride through relentless conversations with other eccentric and conceited mystery authors, too?
And, to add to readers “pleasure” will more authors die? And/or, will there be a surprise twist at the ending? I leave it to readers to decide if you want to take this train ride to find out!
You would think I was obsessed with death. Is it my lifelong love of murder mysteries, or my recent diagnosis of cancer that has me ruminating about iYou would think I was obsessed with death. Is it my lifelong love of murder mysteries, or my recent diagnosis of cancer that has me ruminating about it these days? I don’t know. I actually feel quite calm and hopeful and grateful that living in the moment brings such a love of life to me.
Still, there is something to be said about this kind of a book that gets one wondering about how one contemplates death and living in the moment, in the same breath. Especially when the first line declares…
“Nothing brings people together better than death. …Death reminds us that life isn’t infinite and that one day, our time will come, too.”
If nothing else about this story appeals to readers, please know this…I really loved that line in this book.
What exactly is in store for readers between these pages? Maybe we should take the title of this book literally?!
Let us start with Mom Laura who passes away and leaves her things to her adult children who have been rather estranged from each other. She after all is one of the POV’s. The other POV’s are the daughters, Beth and Nicole.
As they are going through those things, what should they discover but an old VCR tape which reveals more than they had ever expected to learn about their mother and their “missing” father who had “supposedly” left many years earlier without any explanation.
“They say the truth will set you free, but they don’t tell you it can set you free in the same way death does.”
So, what really happened in this story? What is the big reveal? (No spoilers from me.)
To be honest, the premise of this book was promising, but as it progressed it was hard to enjoy. The characters weren’t particularly likable and the plot became rather predictable. And, to top it off, the end was anticlimactic. All and all…Family dynamics at its worst.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my gTo be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my genre, even if I love magical realism, this isn’t the way I love to read it or see it play out.
But it shared that this book was based on ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. I recently re-visited that one earlier this year and loved it. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So, here I am. Attempting to make sense of it. But as I read it, I was wondering where the similarity was to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I could definitely see the fantasy retelling of Antony and Cleopatra. Was that supposed to be it?
I believe fantasy lovers will enjoy this plot. It is fast paced with a competition that is key to the plot. (Think Hunger Games.) Still, if readers are interested in getting information, it is slow to be revealed leading to many twists along the way.
In many fantasy realms, power and abuse of power is key, as well as what characters will do to gain it. So, what characters are willing to do, will be the moral question of the day in a story like this.
And, as I mentioned, this is not my thing, so I found myself bored, uninterested, disappointed, and ready to close this book and be done.
I believe, I am an outlier. Please read other reviews in which fantasy lovers will most likely feel more engaged with the plot. Like my Goodreads friend, Sara Machado and her beautiful review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......more
“If you know wilderness in the way you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go.” – Terry Tempest Williams
Ellery is an emotional mess. She is su“If you know wilderness in the way you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go.” – Terry Tempest Williams
Ellery is an emotional mess. She is supposed to be at this resort vacation as an anniversary celebration, not because her husband divorced her and she didn’t want to lose the deposit. How is she going to get through this self-imposed “vacation” without her kids? How is she supposed to get over her heartbreak and loss of her marriage to Luke?
How about finding a dead body in a pool, will that help?
And thus, the adventure begins for readers as they watch Ellery navigate her experience through wedding guests, making “friends,” and figuring out who and why this person was murdered. And, hoping no more bodies show up along the way.
“Don’t you read anything? Have you ever watched a murder mystery? There’s never one body.”
Okay, so there is more than one. Body. So, why? How will Ellery, the emotional mess be able to find her way through this? Especially when all the guests get stuck because of the insistent rain, and the washed-out roads leading to the resort? And, nobody else is able to get in! Including the police. (If anybody knows Big Sur, CA, this is not an uncommon occurrence. And, this is the setting for this mystery drama.)
Would Ellery make it home to her kids? And/or, maybe find some strength along the way? How will Ellery’s past trauma play into this story?
The plot moved slowly. Although the setting was beautiful and scenic, the story felt convoluted and the character development was lacking. It was hard to enjoy Ellery as the main protagonist. Her emotional grief, although it could feel real, seemed over-indulged by the author. And, the ending was not satisfying. It felt abrupt and under-whelming. I may be an outlier. Consider other reviews of this Reese’s Book Club pick.
I remember how much I enjoyed this author’s book, “The Coincidence of Coconut Cake,” so much so I asked my husband if he would be willing Catching up…
I remember how much I enjoyed this author’s book, “The Coincidence of Coconut Cake,” so much so I asked my husband if he would be willing to make her actual recipe coconut cake. He did. After all, he is the baker in our family. And, it actually was very good.
So, when I received this book as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I was hopeful that maybe this one may also be a delicious addition. Of course, it did have recipes, Anniversary pie (lemon), lemon syrup and whipped cream. ...more
Do you ever wonder where a story is going and then when it finally gets there, you weren’t sure you should have waited around to see?
When it takes thaDo you ever wonder where a story is going and then when it finally gets there, you weren’t sure you should have waited around to see?
When it takes that much discussion to see who did what and why – and then that many flips and flops as to why about the why so that we as readers are supposed to be satisfied about the why?
Hmmm… should we be satisfied with the final outcome?
So, should I have started with the end here?
Kiki didn’t love Jamie enough to marry him, so she broke up with him. And, then she sees him at a book launch for a mutual friend of theirs. He says he is doing fine. But afterwards she discovers he has supposedly committed suicide. Kiki doesn’t believe he has, even though the police are convinced.
Now, what does this have to do with the murder of a girl that happened 4 years earlier? There is an unknown narrator here, too to provide more confusion.
So, Kiki may be an engaging main character who wants to believe that Jamie didn’t kill himself, and that he didn’t kill this girl 4 years ago. And, she will do everything to figure this out. Even putting herself in danger. Isn’t that typically what amateur sleuths do in murder mysteries?
And, that is what leads me to all those questions above.
Maybe others may find this an intriguing and complex psychological thriller. I found it a bit messy needing too much explanation to make it plausible....more
This is a family that typically evokes a lot of curiosity amongst people. A lot of tragedy and drama has been associated to the Kennedy faCatching Up…
This is a family that typically evokes a lot of curiosity amongst people. A lot of tragedy and drama has been associated to the Kennedy family because for the most part they have lived their lives in the spotlight. Mostly by choice because they are a prominent well-known all-American family. Civic-minded, politically active.
And, many have earned our gratitude for the contributions they have made as positive public servants. But there have also been the black sheep.
So, through the years, I personally have enjoyed reading anything I could get my hands on, about the Kennedys.
This book popped up on my reader list early on when my local library displayed it. When it showed up as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed recently, well, you know what that meant…
My review…
Jean Kennedy Smith was the 8th child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy. Which meant that her brothers were the infamous, Jack (John F.), Bobby and Teddy. Besides a few more kids.
Her father, Joe made a name for himself as a banker and a Hollywood financier. In Jean’s eyes, he was devoted, and would make sure that his kids knew everything that they needed to know about world events. In reality, he was hardly home or devoted.
But Jean chose to see life with her father through rose-tinted glasses.
Other examples about her father, included Jean sharing her experience of moving to London at age 10, when President Roosevelt appointed Kennedy as Ambassador. Of course, she doesn’t explain why Roosevelt ended his Ambassadorship. If anyone remembers history well, we know that Kennedy’s closeness to Hitler didn’t bode well with Roosevelt.
There is also the lobotomy that Joe put upon his daughter Rosemary. It isn’t until the epilogue that Jean recognized how “tragically wrong” the experience was for her.
Jean ends this story book on Jack’s presidency, after introducing her college roommate Ethel to Bobby.
It isn’t really until the epilogue that we read about almost everything else…, i.e., the assassinations, her father’s devastating stroke, Chappaquiddick, Jean’s son William’s rape trail, Teddy’s brain cancer, her sister Patricia Lawford’s fight with cancer and more.
In many ways, it seemed like this story book was a bunch of fluff and pictures. Was Jean living in la-la land and we were supposed to believe in her Camelot, too? I suppose she had every right to tell her story in the way she chose. It just didn’t feel “real,” compelling or engaging, to me.
It was almost like Jean was writing a child-like dream of something maybe she would have preferred to have lived, as opposed to what it was really like living under the rule of a self-absorbed, isolationist, antisemitic, patronizing, unfaithful patriarch.
What about the TRUE effect of living under her father, and the REAL impact it had on HER? Now, that kind of story might have made for an interesting read.
Still, I can’t begrudge her the life she lived. This is the father she loved. This is the memory she chose to cherish of him. This story was published in 2016. Jean Kennedy Smith died on June 17, 2020 at the age of 92. She was the final surviving, and longest-lived of the 9 Kennedy children....more
I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curioCatching up…
I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curious about how any other author would interpret him. Carr is another author who had been commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write a Holmes short story, which then grew to novel length.
Interestingly enough, it almost feels like there are more authors out there writing Sherlock Holmes stories than Conan Doyle actually wrote. (He managed 4 novels and 60 short stories.)
I won’t try and count the many authors at this point, but those of you who are Conan Doyle fans, know what I am talking about, right?
And, now that nobody needs permission from the estate (effective 2022), anybody can use the famous detective character in a story. So, who knows how many more authors will incorporate Sherlock Holmes into their storyline.
Back to this one. As a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, it was another opportunity for me to re-visit this long ago read, and write my review.
What Carr does is keep Holmes and Dr. Watson in London and Scotland during the time of Queen Victoria, same time period, more or less as Conan Doyle.
This story imagines an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. With 9 failed attempts on her life, Mycroft, Holmes, brother, is quite concerned what the German and Scottish nationalists might be up to next. Are they attempting to maneuver a war against England?
There are some parts of this book that are hard to read, because the author chooses to write as people may speak – like – “…we’ll nae let ye muhrder more Scots patriots…”
I wanted this to be purely Holmes and Dr. Watson doing simple detecting work. But it didn’t feel that way. It just fell flat.
Have I been spoiled by the original Conan Doyle, and the many television actors who successfully played Sherlock and/or Dr. Watson, i.e., Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson)?
I was even charmed by actors Jeremy Brett (Sherlock) and Basil Rathbone (Sherlock). I know I am dating myself, but they really did know how to pull off a good Sherlock.
Getting back to the book, and my attempts to stay focused (here on my review and with my reading), I think Carr’s problem was trying too hard to keep in the spirit of the original, but still trying to find opportunities for invention. I am not sure, in my opinion, he was able to meet it. At least for me. ...more
I have to admit first that I am going to be an outlier here. You probably could tell by my 3 star rating, right? But you have aOkay, where do I begin?
I have to admit first that I am going to be an outlier here. You probably could tell by my 3 star rating, right? But you have a right to know why. So, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to tell you why.
I didn’t include this book in my “currently reading” when I received it several weeks ago. Probably because I wasn’t convinced, I wanted to read it.
I felt some level of excitement about receiving it as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, because I knew my neighbors would be thrilled about having it available to them because this book is on the “hotlist” at our local public library. Which means if you are interested in reading this book, you are probably #467 on the list before the book will be available for you to check out from our library. That is how popular this book is right now.
Also, every time I receive a donation of a Kristin Hannah book, it comes and goes almost as fast as any Petersen, Connelly, Grisham, Picoult, or Baldacci book.
But I am not always a Kristin Hannah fan. And, the subject matter of this book, is not my favorite, so I wasn’t particularly anxious about reading this book.
So, when it was donated, I wasn’t all happy hooray ready about entering the pages.
Which leads me back to again why it wasn’t on my “currently reading” list of books here.
Thus, it took me awhile to make a decision to read it. Are you still wondering if I am going to offer a review? Thank you, if you are still reading this!
When I finally did begin to read, it wasn’t a nostalgia I was necessarily happy to return home to, as this book is filled with… despair – addiction – war – disrespect to soldiers – inadequate training for them – snipers – PTSD – Agent Orange.
Yes, the author does a somewhat convincing job of creating the historical scenery descriptions by taking us back to Viet Nam.
But her writing wasn’t connecting me to her story. It wasn’t capturing me. It wasn’t holding me. I didn’t feel emotionally vested.
I felt as a reader we were awkwardly stumbling a long trying to keep up. The plot twists seemed so strained. I just didn’t feel as engaged as I would have liked to have been.
The only thing that seemed to feel somewhat genuine was the way Hannah included women in the experience, especially nurses. Through her writing, she tried to show, their conviction and importance to the war story. Women – the real, unsung heroes. And since that was the title of her book, perhaps the author’s passion was met. As she shared in her author’s note, she was honored to tell their story. It just didn’t work for me....more
I believe, we can agree that communication is important to a marriage. And when it doesn’t exist within a marriage, the relCatching up…
Communication.
I believe, we can agree that communication is important to a marriage. And when it doesn’t exist within a marriage, the relationship will suffer.
In this case, this book emphasizes the crisis that exists within the relationship/marriage between Ivan and Prue because of their lack of communication.
And for university professors, especially the fact that Prue is in the emerging field of biolinguistics, which emphasizes the study of the evolution of language, how could she do so poorly with her own husband?
Even though it appears that they sustain their marriage adequately, Ivan does feel the distance. He knows that Prue talks more to his father-in-law, Frank, than to him.
So, what will help change things?
To gain insight, we as readers would need to feel connected to the characters. The author does her best to show the missteps in communication, and a fairly good job in developing Ivan and Frank’s characters.
But for this reader, Prue was hard to get close to and feel any sense of emotional closeness. And considering she was the one who was most responsible for the evolution of language, the limitations of interpersonal communication became too blatantly uncomfortable.
Let me start this review by saying I believe I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book. So, please feel free to look at other reviews.
VeLet me start this review by saying I believe I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book. So, please feel free to look at other reviews.
Very pregnant Alice and her boyfriend Joe decide to leave London and move to the suburbs where they think they will have an easier lifestyle.
No sooner does Alice settle into her prenatal class, than all the mothers-to-be are setting out to solve the murder of the proprietor of the business. This leads them to a commune, more death, far-right politicians and some other hinky individuals and secrets to be revealed.
What will Alice learn about Joe along this journey?
In my opinion, the beginning of the story tried too hard to be funny, the middle moved quite slowly, but the last third of the book, went a tad better.
Still, the story felt a bit disjointed, and took too long to get to the point, and there were way too many characters. So, the soap opera-ish drama took away from the clean-up ending conclusion.
Oh, and in due course everyone had their babies. I think. I lost track of who’s who and eventually lost interest, too.
Loading...
