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sjanke2's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Infidelity
bethquarles's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
izedriftwood's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
shesbecomingbookish's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
life_full_ofbooks's review
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Often times as I’m reading as advanced copy I find myself wondering what I found compelling about the book when I first saw it on NetGalley. I loved that this was a multigenerational family drama that was also historical fiction outside of the flooded WW2 setting. Unfortunately, though, this wasn’t nearly as scintillating or as interesting as I had hoped.
Lost House follows the Taylor Family from 1953 when Nick is newly working for an oil company and doing quite a bit of traveling to the Middle East and Bet is doing her best being a stay at home Mom to 5 year old Katherine and 1 year old Harry after having been a code breaker during WW2. As the years pass Katherine and Harry grow up and their ideas and values differ from those of their parents. Both are hippies, but Katherine joins a peaceful protesting movement to fight for civil rights and women’s rights. Harry cares more about the environment and hates that is father’s company is killing wildlife. Through the years and generational differences, they always have Last House- a cabin deep in the Vermont Mountains that was built to sustain the ending of the world. The world changes, the family changes, but Last House stays the same and gives off a comforting knowledge that even should the world run amok, the Taylors will always have a place to be safe.
There was so much going on in this book. I wasn’t expecting the heaviness of the civili rights movement, war protests, and environmental issues to be at the forefront of this book and I felt like the author’s main goal was to show us how bad things used to be and how we still have a long way to go.
I had been looking forward to the parts about Nick’s job, but sadly the scenes that took place in the Middle East were so boring and mostly narrative.
I did greatly appreciate the amount of research Ms. Shattuck put into this. She did a fantastic job weaving the fictional Taylor family with the very real events of the early 1950s through the late 1960s.
I prefer my novels to entertain and I feel this one was written with such a preachy undertone that it was as far as entertaining a book can get. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this. Lost House hit the shelves on May 14th.
Lost House follows the Taylor Family from 1953 when Nick is newly working for an oil company and doing quite a bit of traveling to the Middle East and Bet is doing her best being a stay at home Mom to 5 year old Katherine and 1 year old Harry after having been a code breaker during WW2. As the years pass Katherine and Harry grow up and their ideas and values differ from those of their parents. Both are hippies, but Katherine joins a peaceful protesting movement to fight for civil rights and women’s rights. Harry cares more about the environment and hates that is father’s company is killing wildlife. Through the years and generational differences, they always have Last House- a cabin deep in the Vermont Mountains that was built to sustain the ending of the world. The world changes, the family changes, but Last House stays the same and gives off a comforting knowledge that even should the world run amok, the Taylors will always have a place to be safe.
There was so much going on in this book. I wasn’t expecting the heaviness of the civili rights movement, war protests, and environmental issues to be at the forefront of this book and I felt like the author’s main goal was to show us how bad things used to be and how we still have a long way to go.
I had been looking forward to the parts about Nick’s job, but sadly the scenes that took place in the Middle East were so boring and mostly narrative.
I did greatly appreciate the amount of research Ms. Shattuck put into this. She did a fantastic job weaving the fictional Taylor family with the very real events of the early 1950s through the late 1960s.
I prefer my novels to entertain and I feel this one was written with such a preachy undertone that it was as far as entertaining a book can get. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this. Lost House hit the shelves on May 14th.
theoverbookedbibliophile's review
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Ambitious in scope, spanning the post-WWII years to the present dayLast House by Jessica Shattuck is a sweeping family saga that follows the fates and fortunes of the members of an American family. The story opens in 1953, where we meet WWII veteran thirty-year-old Nick Taylor, employed as a lawyer with American Oil, a part of a team visiting the Middle East along with a former Yale classmate Carter Weston, who “worked for the government” and whose area of expertise overlapped with Nick’s company’s agenda. With the growth of the oil industry in the United States, Nick’s career flourishes, affording his family financial security and material comforts including a vacation home in Vermont – a choice destination for many of his friends and colleagues. As the narrative progresses, we follow Nick, his wife Bet and his children Katherine and Harry - their hopes, aspirations, regrets and the consequences of the choices they make. “Last House” – their home is Vermont bears witness to their joys and sorrows, their triumphs and their losses and remains a haven for them during challenging times.
The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Nick, Bet and Katherine. The novel starts strong and though I was engrossed in Bet and Nick’s life in the post-WWII years, I found my interest waning as the narrative progressed. Both Nick and Bet’s backstories were interesting, but certain impactful events were merely glossed over. There was more telling than showing several momentous events in this novel. The pacing is on the slower side for the larger part of the story (though it rushes through the end to 2026 ) and the narrative is more than a tad disjointed and lacking in depth despite the rich socio-political backdrop of the novel. Katherine’s political activism and the tumultuous 60s and &70s – the years of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement - were well presented but I wish we had been given a more insightful look into Harry’s psyche and his motivations. A segment from Harry’s perspective would have, in my humble opinion, enriched the narrative. Each of the characters was realistic and well thought out, but with the exception of Katherine, the complexities of the other characters and the family dynamic were touched upon somewhat superficially. However, I did feel that the author does raise a timely and relevant question in terms of how present generations perceive the consequences of the actions of those who came before them.
Overall, though there is a lot to like about this novel and I did enjoy it in parts, it wasn’t an entirely satisfying read.
Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley.
The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Nick, Bet and Katherine. The novel starts strong and though I was engrossed in Bet and Nick’s life in the post-WWII years, I found my interest waning as the narrative progressed. Both Nick and Bet’s backstories were interesting, but certain impactful events were merely glossed over. There was more telling than showing several momentous events in this novel. The pacing is on the slower side for the larger part of the story (though it rushes through the end to 2026 ) and the narrative is more than a tad disjointed and lacking in depth despite the rich socio-political backdrop of the novel. Katherine’s political activism and the tumultuous 60s and &70s – the years of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement - were well presented but I wish we had been given a more insightful look into Harry’s psyche and his motivations. A segment from Harry’s perspective would have, in my humble opinion, enriched the narrative. Each of the characters was realistic and well thought out, but with the exception of Katherine, the complexities of the other characters and the family dynamic were touched upon somewhat superficially. However, I did feel that the author does raise a timely and relevant question in terms of how present generations perceive the consequences of the actions of those who came before them.
Overall, though there is a lot to like about this novel and I did enjoy it in parts, it wasn’t an entirely satisfying read.
Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley.
curlyjessreads's review against another edition
2.0
Spanning across generations this family saga follows the Taylors through some big societal changes. Beginning in 1953 with Nick and Bet as they settle down in the suburbs after WWII. Nick's job as a lawyer for an oil company (and experience from the Marines) takes him to the Middle East for negotiations and deals. While Bet tries to set up house and takes care of their kids. In the late 1960s we see those kids, Katherine and Harry, coming into their own ideals during the Vietnam war, Civil Rights Movement, and opposition to Big Oil (even though their lives of comfort and privilege were made possible by that same oil). Through conflict, tragedy, and healing this family learns about themselves as individuals and a family unit.
I don't think I am really the right audience for this book. It was a bit too cerebral for me. I felt like the climax was pretty anticlimactic as it had been eluded to a lot, and wasn't a surprise. I just didn't really get it, maybe due to the topic of fighting Big Oil, and I wasn't able to connect to the characters. I wish we had gotten some narration from Harry's perspective, because I felt like we only got who others thought he was, although that may have been the point.
I enjoyed her book The Women in the Castle, which I think had a somewhat similar feel (everyone is so pensive), but I connected more with the characters.
This was already published earlier this month, so if you enjoy pensive family generational sagas, go ahead and give this one a try.
Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a copy to review!
#NetGalley #LastHouse
I don't think I am really the right audience for this book. It was a bit too cerebral for me. I felt like the climax was pretty anticlimactic as it had been eluded to a lot, and wasn't a surprise. I just didn't really get it, maybe due to the topic of fighting Big Oil, and I wasn't able to connect to the characters. I wish we had gotten some narration from Harry's perspective, because I felt like we only got who others thought he was, although that may have been the point.
I enjoyed her book The Women in the Castle, which I think had a somewhat similar feel (everyone is so pensive), but I connected more with the characters.
This was already published earlier this month, so if you enjoy pensive family generational sagas, go ahead and give this one a try.
Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a copy to review!
#NetGalley #LastHouse
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Last House by Jessica Shattuck was a lovely book. I found it to be well written with a deep dive into various parts of the 20th century and characters that were not always likable but were always intriguing and worth pursuing. This book was so readable, even though it was not fluffy. I was forced to keep thinking as I read this story which is not always true with historical fiction. It is definitely on the "literary" side of historical fiction and poses lots of good questions for readers to consider. It is philosophical but also relatable.
I always appreciate family saga type books, but at times there are so many characters it is hard to keep track of who is who. This is not the case for this book! This "family saga" focuses on just one family - Nick and Bet, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Everyone is not always likable but each character has their charms which motivated me to keep reading. There are three sections of this book, and while I enjoyed the first and last bits the most, the middle section (from Katherine's point of view) was important to the story as a whole. For what it is worth, this section was not as readable as the rest... not quite sure why - perhaps it is Katherine at that age that I didn't like?
Much of the book centers around Vietnam and the politics of that era, as well as the role oil played in American life. Super interesting to me, especially since Dow Chemical was called out in this book (my grandfather worked for Dow for most of his career- 1950s-80s/90s). This book gave me lots to think about in terms of how America relates to the world. I would love to travel to the area where Last House is located and see that part of the northeast. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am glad I took the chance on it!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
I always appreciate family saga type books, but at times there are so many characters it is hard to keep track of who is who. This is not the case for this book! This "family saga" focuses on just one family - Nick and Bet, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Everyone is not always likable but each character has their charms which motivated me to keep reading. There are three sections of this book, and while I enjoyed the first and last bits the most, the middle section (from Katherine's point of view) was important to the story as a whole. For what it is worth, this section was not as readable as the rest... not quite sure why - perhaps it is Katherine at that age that I didn't like?
Much of the book centers around Vietnam and the politics of that era, as well as the role oil played in American life. Super interesting to me, especially since Dow Chemical was called out in this book (my grandfather worked for Dow for most of his career- 1950s-80s/90s). This book gave me lots to think about in terms of how America relates to the world. I would love to travel to the area where Last House is located and see that part of the northeast. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am glad I took the chance on it!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.