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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Everything Beautiful Began After was one of the most affecting books I read in 2011. I was in a weird place in my life when I stumbled across it and picked it up based solely on the title. It hit all the right nerves inside my body in the right way and I truly connected to it. It didn’t hurt that Simon Van Booy knew how to do flowery prose in an effective and not overly syrupy way.
Sooooo, I picked up this ARC off of Edelweiss based solely on the fact that I loved that first book so much.
I wanna start by saying that you shouldn’t read the marketing copy for this book because it kind of killed most of the suspense for me. I didn’t even look at the marketing copy until I was maybe 30 pages in and was really disappointed that I had. It gave away a plot point that I suspect van Booy wanted to be a little more of a surprise.
This book is about a young girl, Harvey, who grows up, moves to Paris, and prepares for a special visit on Father’s Day. The narrative bounces back and forth, exploring Harvey’s difficult childhood as present-day Father’s Day nears and Harvey plans a few surprises of her own.
This is meant to be a touching examination of what it means to be a father, as well as a rumination on topics such as forgiveness and second chances. But, for me, it was one giant cliché after another after another. The characters felt so very cookie-cutter, the situation they were in felt so overdone, and the writing itself didn’t sparkle the way I’d expect Simon Van Booy prose to sparkle. Reading this book was a bit of a drag, and I found myself disappointed, struggling to keep going. My interest honestly petered out about 2/3 of the way through the e-galley. Sorry, Simon.
Sooooo, I picked up this ARC off of Edelweiss based solely on the fact that I loved that first book so much.
I wanna start by saying that you shouldn’t read the marketing copy for this book because it kind of killed most of the suspense for me. I didn’t even look at the marketing copy until I was maybe 30 pages in and was really disappointed that I had. It gave away a plot point that I suspect van Booy wanted to be a little more of a surprise.
This book is about a young girl, Harvey, who grows up, moves to Paris, and prepares for a special visit on Father’s Day. The narrative bounces back and forth, exploring Harvey’s difficult childhood as present-day Father’s Day nears and Harvey plans a few surprises of her own.
This is meant to be a touching examination of what it means to be a father, as well as a rumination on topics such as forgiveness and second chances. But, for me, it was one giant cliché after another after another. The characters felt so very cookie-cutter, the situation they were in felt so overdone, and the writing itself didn’t sparkle the way I’d expect Simon Van Booy prose to sparkle. Reading this book was a bit of a drag, and I found myself disappointed, struggling to keep going. My interest honestly petered out about 2/3 of the way through the e-galley. Sorry, Simon.
Have you ever felt your heart swell in your chest until it bursts and then have the ensuing dark flame of sorrow slowly cremate you from the inside out? If you have, have you then ever thought to yourself, 'Gosh, that was fun. Let's do it again!" If you haven't, you should read Father's Day. Then you'll understand.
Why are so many great premises wasted with poor execution? A girl raised by the rough-and-tumble uncle her mother didn't even want mentioned in her house? Yes please. Think of the conflict. Think of the coming-of-age drama.
But no. We're going to use two-dimensional characters. We're going to use dry prose with short, choppy sentences. And most egregious of all, we're going to make it boring.
But no. We're going to use two-dimensional characters. We're going to use dry prose with short, choppy sentences. And most egregious of all, we're going to make it boring.
I loved this so much!! So wonderful and a super easy read.
Full review at http://www.everydayiwritethebookblog.com/2017/12/fathers-day-by-simon-van-booy/
I stumbled upon Father's Day by Simon Van Booy on the remainder shelf at the bookstore. It caught my eye, I made note of it, and ended up picking it up at the library last week. It was (probably) my last book of 2017, and it ended my reading year on a very high note.
Father's Day is about a girl named Harvey (yes, weird name choice) whose parents died when she was a little girl. With no other family around, she ends up living with her uncle Jason, a violent ex-con who served time for beating up another man and blinding him. At first, Jason is reluctant to take Harvey, but a persistent social worker wears him down until he can't bear the thought of her going into foster care. Harvey and Jason form a little family, with him learning how to be a father and her helping him learn how to love. It sounds corny, but Van Booy shies away from sentimentality here. Jason is a damaged man, and Harvey has her own bursts of anger and frustration. They don't have a lot of money, but they get by. Jason sells his beloved homemade motorcycle to pay for Harvey's orthodontia, but it isn't until Harvey is grown up that she truly understands his sacrifice.
The book goes back and forth between flashes from Harvey's childhood (and even earlier) and the present, where Harvey is now living in Paris and Jason has come out to visit for Father's Day. There is one plot gimmick that I didn't love - Harvey presents him with little gifts throughout his visit that have meaning to the two of them and trigger more flashbacks and explanation. I don't think Van Booy needed those presents to tell his story and the whole construct ends up feeling contrived. Because Jason is so flawed, but such a decent man, the story is realistic and very compelling on its own without those triggers.
I really, really enjoyed Father's Day. It's a gentle but not saccharine, suspenseful but not stressful, and very well-written. Excellent way to end the year of reading.
I stumbled upon Father's Day by Simon Van Booy on the remainder shelf at the bookstore. It caught my eye, I made note of it, and ended up picking it up at the library last week. It was (probably) my last book of 2017, and it ended my reading year on a very high note.
Father's Day is about a girl named Harvey (yes, weird name choice) whose parents died when she was a little girl. With no other family around, she ends up living with her uncle Jason, a violent ex-con who served time for beating up another man and blinding him. At first, Jason is reluctant to take Harvey, but a persistent social worker wears him down until he can't bear the thought of her going into foster care. Harvey and Jason form a little family, with him learning how to be a father and her helping him learn how to love. It sounds corny, but Van Booy shies away from sentimentality here. Jason is a damaged man, and Harvey has her own bursts of anger and frustration. They don't have a lot of money, but they get by. Jason sells his beloved homemade motorcycle to pay for Harvey's orthodontia, but it isn't until Harvey is grown up that she truly understands his sacrifice.
The book goes back and forth between flashes from Harvey's childhood (and even earlier) and the present, where Harvey is now living in Paris and Jason has come out to visit for Father's Day. There is one plot gimmick that I didn't love - Harvey presents him with little gifts throughout his visit that have meaning to the two of them and trigger more flashbacks and explanation. I don't think Van Booy needed those presents to tell his story and the whole construct ends up feeling contrived. Because Jason is so flawed, but such a decent man, the story is realistic and very compelling on its own without those triggers.
I really, really enjoyed Father's Day. It's a gentle but not saccharine, suspenseful but not stressful, and very well-written. Excellent way to end the year of reading.
Lovely tale of what really makes a father a father. Didn't care for how Van Booy chose to end it though - it detracted from a beautiful story.
Simply elegant and luminously crafted this story of the family that finds us amid life and takes us in at a time of great loss. This story will remind you that there is good in this world!