Scan barcode
wonderwoman619's review against another edition
4.0
Great book, enjoyed the characters. I thought that the main character should have ended up with the New Yorker. I would have enjoyed a different ending.
christinavarela's review against another edition
2.0
This book sounded like it had so much potential, but it was a let down. First, it was hard to get past the outdated cultural references (outdated by 13 years), I'm not sure why, this hasn't bothered me in other books. When Carrie went to New York, I expected more from her - finish design school, search for her father, start a new life! I found it so cliche that she went back to Madison. Really what was she going to do for the rest of her life, take care of Mike, out of guilt so he won't commit suicide?? I did not feel hope or a sense of resolution for either them, just a miserable life ahead.
seest12's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the emotion this book brought out of me. This is definitely the point of the book, to bring emotion to the surface and prompt the reader to ask herself very serious relationship and life questions. It is very touching and I would recommend it to young adult readers.
jamieh2024's review against another edition
4.0
Amazon.com
Carrie Bell is the worst person in the world. Or so she would have you think. In the gripping, carefully paced debut novel of personal epiphany, The Dive from Clausen's Pier, by O. Henry Award winner Ann Packer, Carrie's very survival is dependent upon her leaving her fiancé, even after he dives into shallow water at a Memorial Day picnic and becomes paralyzed. Things hadn't been going so well for the Madison, Wisconsin, high school and college sweethearts. Carrie knew, deep down, that she wasn't going to become Mrs. Michael Mayer. But expectations and pressure from all sides--his family, her mother, her best friend Jamie, Mike's best friend Rooster--force Carrie to shut herself up in her room and sew outfits of her own design as if in a trance. Then one night she slips out of the only universe she's ever known. Many hours later she finds herself on the doorstep of a high school classmate living in Manhattan. Carrie's adventures in the city--quirky roommates and a new romance with an older, emotionally impenetrable man--confuse her in her quest both to forgive herself and to embark on a career in fashion design. Packer writes in a convincing voice and packs a lot into this novel; she infuses Carrie with enough humanity and smarts to choose her own version of "happily ever after." --Emily Russin --
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Vintage edition (April 8, 2003)
ISBN: 0375727132
********************
Despite it's subject matter I really enjoyed this tale of what it is that constitutes love. How much of a martyr does one have to be for love's sake?
Packer approaches this touchy subject with grace and aptitude and I found myself rereading many passages as I found myself caught up in this tale of a young woman who seems to hold up rather well on a voyage of self discovery.
Carrie Bell is the worst person in the world. Or so she would have you think. In the gripping, carefully paced debut novel of personal epiphany, The Dive from Clausen's Pier, by O. Henry Award winner Ann Packer, Carrie's very survival is dependent upon her leaving her fiancé, even after he dives into shallow water at a Memorial Day picnic and becomes paralyzed. Things hadn't been going so well for the Madison, Wisconsin, high school and college sweethearts. Carrie knew, deep down, that she wasn't going to become Mrs. Michael Mayer. But expectations and pressure from all sides--his family, her mother, her best friend Jamie, Mike's best friend Rooster--force Carrie to shut herself up in her room and sew outfits of her own design as if in a trance. Then one night she slips out of the only universe she's ever known. Many hours later she finds herself on the doorstep of a high school classmate living in Manhattan. Carrie's adventures in the city--quirky roommates and a new romance with an older, emotionally impenetrable man--confuse her in her quest both to forgive herself and to embark on a career in fashion design. Packer writes in a convincing voice and packs a lot into this novel; she infuses Carrie with enough humanity and smarts to choose her own version of "happily ever after." --Emily Russin --
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Vintage edition (April 8, 2003)
ISBN: 0375727132
********************
Despite it's subject matter I really enjoyed this tale of what it is that constitutes love. How much of a martyr does one have to be for love's sake?
Packer approaches this touchy subject with grace and aptitude and I found myself rereading many passages as I found myself caught up in this tale of a young woman who seems to hold up rather well on a voyage of self discovery.
chchchazley's review against another edition
Far beyond what I expected. This book sat on my shelf for months after I picked it up for $1 at Half Price Books. I don't usually go for books about people recovering from tragedy, not unless that tragedy involves magical dueling or apocalyptic destruction. But Carrie Bell is fantastic. Packer creates a woman who runs from responsibility, can't decide what she wants, and doesn't have any idea who she is. Carrie destroys the people who love her, which inexplicably makes me love her more. And the ending is real. She finally makes a choice that she can live with, but she also has to live with the consequences of the choice she didn't make. Beautiful story.
emmajeanbean's review against another edition
3.0
Dragged on, ending not really impactful. Interesting concept, not terribly executed, but not super well done either.
robynryle's review against another edition
4.0
I guess you would call this a quiet novel. I loved Packer's attention to detail. Not epic detail. Tiny details of everyday life. The way someone moves. A facial expression. What they eat on their hamburger. It all adds up to a world you've moving through.