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slsmith118's review
5.0
An incredible powerhouse of a book. Very long, but easy to read - even if so much of it is difficult.
seminolemel's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bridgetwf's review
5.0
I loved reading this book: the language was beautiful and the events were crazy but rang true. I basically couldn't get enough and wanted to read for hours per day. I loved the main character are believably fucked up, just like pretty much all of the characters--all were shades of grey, like all humans. Some people liked the ending, and although I didn't mind it at the time it seems altogether too convenient for everything to work out so perfectly well. I still loved this book, but one of the reasons I loved it was because it was so realistic even its portrayal of crazy things, up until that final chapter. Oh well.
mbeechey's review
5.0
This one must be good if I managed to read almost 900 pages in less than a week! I couldn't put it down.
lindspage's review
5.0
Loved it.
Having myself watched a close family go through the scary processes of 1) watching a family member slowly unfold, discovering a son has paranoid schizophrenia; 2) having to worry every day about whether that person will be alive tomorrow; and 3)the constant grief, worry, fear, wonder and guilt about "why" this is happening to a loved one really made this book resonate with me. Many of the feelings of both Ray (the Stepfather) and Dominic (the "unsick" twin) paralleled the lives of this family that has been so dear and close to my heart for my entire life. Not to mention the parallels between Thomas and my friend.
Wally Lamb definitely knew what he was writing about and managed to include the human feelings and emotions of everyone involved ~ not a simple feat. And his ending was incredible. It brought everything together and left not one loose thread.
Amazing book with an ending sentence that brings chills. Good chills.
Having myself watched a close family go through the scary processes of 1) watching a family member slowly unfold, discovering a son has paranoid schizophrenia; 2) having to worry every day about whether that person will be alive tomorrow; and 3)the constant grief, worry, fear, wonder and guilt about "why" this is happening to a loved one really made this book resonate with me. Many of the feelings of both Ray (the Stepfather) and Dominic (the "unsick" twin) paralleled the lives of this family that has been so dear and close to my heart for my entire life. Not to mention the parallels between Thomas and my friend.
Wally Lamb definitely knew what he was writing about and managed to include the human feelings and emotions of everyone involved ~ not a simple feat. And his ending was incredible. It brought everything together and left not one loose thread.
Amazing book with an ending sentence that brings chills. Good chills.
addieifischer's review
5.0
Even with every trigger warning contained in this book, Wally Lam is gentle and compassionate. This was A LOT in the best way
traceyanneg's review
4.0
The setting for this book is, in part, Columbine High School and the massacre that happened there. The story continues showing the fallout that one day had on a couple. The woman suffers from PTSD (and other problems) and the husband has his own issues of guilt for not being there for his wife. I enjoyed it, but overall it was depressing.
cnorman4405's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5