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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Absolute zany mayhem! I wondered to start with if it was for me... then revelation after revelation. Jaw drop after jaw drop. Crazy family member after... you get the idea.
I thought MY family was nuts. They just don't measure up to the Drummonds. While their daughter Sarah (a thalidomide baby) prepares for her first space mission, her family all gather in Florida, ostensibly to watch her take-off, but other plots take them in strange and hilarious new directions.
To reveal much about the plot would really be to spoil it. I'm glad I came to this knowing nothing at all about it. I will say that Sarah's brothers - recently-jailed Wade and Brian (and his vowel-less girlfriend Shw), her dad (and trophy wife) and mum - all take on a role in the completely crazy family story.
This just kept piling on the madness, I acutally laughed out loud at some twists and turns. This would make a wonderfully crazy film, with some juicy little character roles.
I liked the structure, though it took a little getting used to. We follow the present timeline and then suddenly are taken back in time to the Drummonds' earlier lives (both the three children's childhood and that of their parents'). A little confusing at first, but it did fall into place.
I really, really recommend this if you like dark humour, lots of craziness, funny family stories and a nice surprise. Enjoy!
I thought MY family was nuts. They just don't measure up to the Drummonds. While their daughter Sarah (a thalidomide baby) prepares for her first space mission, her family all gather in Florida, ostensibly to watch her take-off, but other plots take them in strange and hilarious new directions.
To reveal much about the plot would really be to spoil it. I'm glad I came to this knowing nothing at all about it. I will say that Sarah's brothers - recently-jailed Wade and Brian (and his vowel-less girlfriend Shw), her dad (and trophy wife) and mum - all take on a role in the completely crazy family story.
This just kept piling on the madness, I acutally laughed out loud at some twists and turns. This would make a wonderfully crazy film, with some juicy little character roles.
I liked the structure, though it took a little getting used to. We follow the present timeline and then suddenly are taken back in time to the Drummonds' earlier lives (both the three children's childhood and that of their parents'). A little confusing at first, but it did fall into place.
I really, really recommend this if you like dark humour, lots of craziness, funny family stories and a nice surprise. Enjoy!
le_steff's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
jacksontibet's review against another edition
1.0
Not at all good. Terrible. Cringe-inducing dialogue, absurdly unrealistic premises, not funny, not serious, not anything.
ellyburke's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
bahar325's review against another edition
5.0
My FAVOURITE book ever!!! Still is after a year. It’s like Shameless in a book but Canadian. Complete and utter chaos. Absolutely hilarious. Douglas Coupland found a way to make me both love and hate every character at the same time. When I read the first 10 pages I knew I would love it. Without a doubt.
And I didddd!!!!!!!
And I didddd!!!!!!!
alex60517's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
karenleagermain's review against another edition
1.0
This book was dreadful. I really liked "Microserfs" and was excited about reading another Douglas Coupland novel. The plot is so outlandish, that it is difficult to become emersed in the story. It was almost like the book was weird for the sake of being weird.
I also could not get a clear mental picture of any of the characters. They seemed to contradict themselves and their reactions to their environment and each other. I didn't feel that they were fully developed.
One bit that irked me, was the whole Disney World section. I visit WDW often and I felt it was as if Coupland had never set foot in the place. It drove me nuts, because all of his inaccuracies, took me out of the moment when reading.
I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid Coupland as an author, but definitely avoid this particular book. Awful.
I also could not get a clear mental picture of any of the characters. They seemed to contradict themselves and their reactions to their environment and each other. I didn't feel that they were fully developed.
One bit that irked me, was the whole Disney World section. I visit WDW often and I felt it was as if Coupland had never set foot in the place. It drove me nuts, because all of his inaccuracies, took me out of the moment when reading.
I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid Coupland as an author, but definitely avoid this particular book. Awful.
selinayoung's review against another edition
3.0
Closer to a 4 star. What a wild ride of a read! Entirely dysfunctional, hilarious, random, unpredictable - like all families in a way.
hoserlauren's review against another edition
4.0
The Drummond family is getting together for the first time in many years to watch daughter Sarah launch in to space at Cape Canaveral. Mom Janet is separated from husband Ted, who shot son Wade when he found out he had slept with his new wife. Wade, protecting his mom, had the bullet pass through him in to his mom, infecting her with HIV. Sarah was born with one hand due to the medications that Janet was on during her pregnancy. Youngest son Bryan has tried to kill himself more times than they can count but has now gotten his girlfriend pregnant and has found a reason to live. Obviously this is an extremely dysfunctional family. The title of the book very accurately describes what to expect.
The characters in this novel are what makes this book. They are all imperfect yet as a whole family unit it works and they support each other. The whole book is completely unbelievable but it doesn't matter because you get invested in the characters and their crazy adventures.
I've been a bit disappointed with recent Coupland books I've read. Even though this isn't my favourite by him I still enjoyed it.
The characters in this novel are what makes this book. They are all imperfect yet as a whole family unit it works and they support each other. The whole book is completely unbelievable but it doesn't matter because you get invested in the characters and their crazy adventures.
I've been a bit disappointed with recent Coupland books I've read. Even though this isn't my favourite by him I still enjoyed it.