Reviews

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

megn317's review against another edition

4.0

Now that was a good journey. I loved it…it reminded me of people that have come and gone in my own life. And I also always love a book that references Bob Dylan songs. We definitely get to choose the people we keep in our lives….family or not! I did love that April realizes this but I didn’t always love how she left people. The book was good.

ricas_library's review

4.0

The People We Keep chronicles a coming of age story about April, a 16-year old girl in a small town with a dead beat dad during the 90s. April’s passion is singing and songwriting and after a horrible fight with her father she goes out into the world alone to find herself.

As April moves through the world, meeting new people trying to find her place to call home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes, both the heartbreak and the joy.

The last part felt a little rushed. I wish we were able to follow along as she grew her music career, and those connections she created along the way. And although the ending tied everything together (no spoilers) I hoped for more.

This book is raw, emotional, and deeply complex, the kind of novel that sticks with you. It made me both laugh, cry and reflect on my personal relationships.

alicebme's review against another edition

DNF at 50%. I read a summary of the remainder of the book. I love the narrator, but the story was making me anxious AF.

katiesettle16's review

5.0

omg??? i picked this up on a whim from the employee picks section in a store in burlington in like october and i can’t believe i waited this long to read it !!!!! so good i read it in 24 hours

caitlinbaltera's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.75

This book was beautiful. I feel like it broke me and then put me back together again.

ashtonreadsstarwars's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.5

jzodo's review

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

hilaryannbrown's review

4.0

A page-turner with a heroine who is easy to root for.

emilypolle's review

3.0

Good book about making the most of the situations you have in life and how each person serves a different purpose in our lives. Didn’t fall in love with any of the characters 

lediamond4's review

emotional medium-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

3.0

The first half of this book started strong.  It was compelling, I liked all of the characters including the protagonist.  I enjoyed reading April's interactions with everyone, whether they were friends or foes.  Allie Larkin did a wonderful job grabbing my attention and tugging at my heartstrings.  April's struggles and her determination make her a compelling main character and it's easy to root for her.  You laugh and cry with her.  But she's also flawed in a realistic way.  She frustrated me the way a friend would when she made choices I didn't necessarily agree with, and at the same time I understood that she was largely motivated by fear and her history of abandonment/trust issues.

Unfortunately, it dropped off quite a bit after April left Ithaca.  It felt repetitive and she moved too quickly through a larger cast of characters that was difficult to keep track of.  It never felt settled in the second half and I understand that was part of the plot because April herself couldn't settle down, but the pacing felt off.  

*SPOILERS* I HATED the pregnancy/baby trope.