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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
This one was interesting. It was not told in the normal narrative, but rather through documents like emails, report cards, etc with a little narrative thrown in. It took some getting used to but was also unique. I was not in the majority that found it hilarious - I guess most of that must have gone over my head. But it was entertaining enough and there were times when I related to Bernadette
3.5 stars - I really wanted to like this book, and there was lots to like. Bee is an adorable, precocious character and I enjoyed her. The main story about Bernadette, who she used to be and who she became was cute and fizzy and fun. I LOVED the way it was written, that you learned different pieces of information about the same event through multiple sources and character dialogue. But there were about 4 too may characters and about 4 too many side plots for this to be a satisfying read. I'd like to try more by this author to see if this is just a flaw in this book or if it becomes a pattern or habit.
The first half was an audiobook that I listened to in the car and the second half I flew through in e-book format.
What I enjoyed: I loved how a lot of the story was told using emails, documents, faxes, etc. I have never read a book like that before and it was really neat. The overall story was really good too. Humorous, fast-paced. I adored Bee and a lot of the secondary characters were awesome, including Audrey Griffin, even though she annoyed me most of the time. Bernadette was certainly interesting and by the end of the book, I had come to like her.
Why not more stars? That ending, ugh. It just left too many things unanswered. When I got to the end, I thought "Wait, what?!" ... I shouldn't have to think that at the end of a book! A bad ending will definitely downgrade a book's rating for me.
What I enjoyed: I loved how a lot of the story was told using emails, documents, faxes, etc. I have never read a book like that before and it was really neat. The overall story was really good too. Humorous, fast-paced. I adored Bee and a lot of the secondary characters were awesome, including Audrey Griffin, even though she annoyed me most of the time. Bernadette was certainly interesting and by the end of the book, I had come to like her.
Why not more stars? That ending, ugh. It just left too many things unanswered. When I got to the end, I thought "Wait, what?!" ... I shouldn't have to think that at the end of a book! A bad ending will definitely downgrade a book's rating for me.
This is the story of how a woman named Bernadette went missing. Bernadette is an ex-architect and she is married to Elgin who is an executive at Microsoft. They live in the Seattle suburbs and when a scandal develops involving Bernadette she up and leaves. Her daughter, Bee, a precocious 15-year-old goes searching for her.
This wacky tale slowly unfolds in an out-of-the-ordinary way through emails, correspondence, letters, FBI documents, maps and more.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is really a delightful read. The book just kept getting better and better as I kept reading. By the end, I was totally into these characters and their story. I absolutely am going to check out the rest of Maria Semple's work. If her other books are as good as this one, I'm in for a treat.
This wacky tale slowly unfolds in an out-of-the-ordinary way through emails, correspondence, letters, FBI documents, maps and more.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is really a delightful read. The book just kept getting better and better as I kept reading. By the end, I was totally into these characters and their story. I absolutely am going to check out the rest of Maria Semple's work. If her other books are as good as this one, I'm in for a treat.
I enjoyed the first half of this book more-- the half in which it was pure chaos as opposed to trying to solve itself. In any case, this book is an absolute riot!
This book has been on my to-read shelf for a few years now after seeing it mentioned repeatedly on "books you have to read" lists. I get now why, even 5 years after it was published, it keeps showing up on those lists alongside newly published material. In its simplest form this story is a satirical take on the Seattle parent prep-school elite and their future elitist offspring. Everyone is a little insane, there is a lot of quirkiness, and by the end everyone has gone off the deep end and come back again. Fear not if you are not familiar with Seattle, the hilarity would ring true for almost any major metropolitan area.
Over the course of the book I began to imagine our heroine, Bee, as Tina Belcher from Bob's Burgers which completely endeared me to the story. Full of dark humor, the story seems more and more ridiculous as I think back on it and also more and more hilarious. I really feel like a second read might be needed to pick up on all the little gems that are hidden in this book.
Over the course of the book I began to imagine our heroine, Bee, as Tina Belcher from Bob's Burgers which completely endeared me to the story. Full of dark humor, the story seems more and more ridiculous as I think back on it and also more and more hilarious. I really feel like a second read might be needed to pick up on all the little gems that are hidden in this book.
This was a five star book until the end. I loved the eccentric Bernadette and could totally relate to the way she felt about the overbearing moms at her daughter's school. Although she was intellectually superior to them, they viewed her as the outcast. Bernadette could care less and that drove them insane. It was hilarious. I literally couldn't put it down until I reached the part where Bernadette goes missing and everyone is so quick to just write her off, except the daughter. However, the daughter's grief at her mother's disappearance just didn't feel real and I read the last pages feeling frustrated with the story. It makes sense, repressed creative genius finds inspiration to create again, but there was a disconnect in the characters at some point. I felt like I went from knowing them, to just reading about them.
A smart and delightful critique of PC culture -- ideal plane reading.