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ajmitche's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amylouise03's review against another edition
3.0
Very different... best bit was the part about the pregnant women.
hank's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded to 4. I keep telling myself to be a bit more stingy with the stars but I seem to be getting better at choosing books or at least more able to see the value in all of them.
I usually avoid these types of books. I really don't care to read much about normal lives. I prefer some supernatural thrown in somewhere to emphasize the point the author wants to make, or reading about some extraordinary historical figure. The setup here has been done many times before, an apartment building where the author can examine a swath of lives and how they each, briefly, interact with each other. The element that got me to pick the book up was that I was anticipating some twist due to the fish plummeting down past the windows. Perhaps the fish gives a new and interesting perspective or the examination of each set of lives gets shorter and shorter as the fish picks up speed? Nope, none of that. The goldfish doesn't seem to have much of a perspective and is a bit superfluous, except for the fact that you wonder throughout the entire book, how he gets airborne.
Somer was able to inject much more drama into these lives and situations than I thought was possible. He has a knack for letting you see problems many pages in advance and then letting you stew while he seemingly goes about telling other stories.
Probably a 4 star solid rating if I weren't predisposed to not liking it. I was picking too many nits at the beginning but by the end I had laughed out loud several times, gotten quite nervous and angry at multiple points. What else do you really want from a book besides that?
I usually avoid these types of books. I really don't care to read much about normal lives. I prefer some supernatural thrown in somewhere to emphasize the point the author wants to make, or reading about some extraordinary historical figure. The setup here has been done many times before, an apartment building where the author can examine a swath of lives and how they each, briefly, interact with each other. The element that got me to pick the book up was that I was anticipating some twist due to the fish plummeting down past the windows. Perhaps the fish gives a new and interesting perspective or the examination of each set of lives gets shorter and shorter as the fish picks up speed? Nope, none of that. The goldfish doesn't seem to have much of a perspective and is a bit superfluous, except for the fact that you wonder throughout the entire book, how he gets airborne.
Somer was able to inject much more drama into these lives and situations than I thought was possible. He has a knack for letting you see problems many pages in advance and then letting you stew while he seemingly goes about telling other stories.
Probably a 4 star solid rating if I weren't predisposed to not liking it. I was picking too many nits at the beginning but by the end I had laughed out loud several times, gotten quite nervous and angry at multiple points. What else do you really want from a book besides that?
hedgehogbookreviews's review against another edition
3.0
I received a an eCopy of this book thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review will also be up on my blog Hedgehog Book Reviews !!
A cheating hunk, a woman in the midst of childbirth, and an agoraphobic, professional phone-sex employee are all seen through the eyes of a goldfish. This goldfish is named Ian and he is falling from his bowl on the 27th floor of an apartment complex. He often forgets that he's airborne, as goldfish have very short memories. Nonetheless, he gets a glimpse of an eclectic bunch of events and people living in the homes beneath him. Before Ian hits the ground below him, he sees many people who have lived very isolated lives come together as one apartment complex.
This book was okay. I ended up skimming about a quarter of the pages. Despite this, I liked the writing and storylines enough to keep reading and finish the novel. At first, it was a bit confusing to keep track of the very unique and different characters, but about halfway through the novel I was immersed in their interwoven lives. I loved seeing the formerly disconnected residents of the apartment complex come together in quite fascinating ways.
I wish I liked this book more. I feel like it had a lot of potential but fell short of the mark. I do give Somer credit for writing a handful of interesting plots in one novel. The execution wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I didn't put this book down. I rarely give books a 3 star rating-- I usually either love a book or absolutely hate it. This is definitely an exception to that rule. This book was just okay; that's the best description I can give it.
This review will also be up on my blog Hedgehog Book Reviews !!
A cheating hunk, a woman in the midst of childbirth, and an agoraphobic, professional phone-sex employee are all seen through the eyes of a goldfish. This goldfish is named Ian and he is falling from his bowl on the 27th floor of an apartment complex. He often forgets that he's airborne, as goldfish have very short memories. Nonetheless, he gets a glimpse of an eclectic bunch of events and people living in the homes beneath him. Before Ian hits the ground below him, he sees many people who have lived very isolated lives come together as one apartment complex.
This book was okay. I ended up skimming about a quarter of the pages. Despite this, I liked the writing and storylines enough to keep reading and finish the novel. At first, it was a bit confusing to keep track of the very unique and different characters, but about halfway through the novel I was immersed in their interwoven lives. I loved seeing the formerly disconnected residents of the apartment complex come together in quite fascinating ways.
I wish I liked this book more. I feel like it had a lot of potential but fell short of the mark. I do give Somer credit for writing a handful of interesting plots in one novel. The execution wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I didn't put this book down. I rarely give books a 3 star rating-- I usually either love a book or absolutely hate it. This is definitely an exception to that rule. This book was just okay; that's the best description I can give it.
pixie_d's review against another edition
4.0
A nice little book, has heart. He does a good job of connecting all the stories together.
libertyskies's review against another edition
2.0
Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is a choice that was made, sometimes that reason is serendipity, and sometimes it is divine. It doesn't matter; life cascades on in response.
I'm not too sure what this book was trying to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed. The book drags on for far too long, and the main concept (and title!!) is just a bit of a gimmick. Whilst there were some things which I did appreciate (the varied characters and some of their storylines), I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone. It's just forgettable.
I'm not too sure what this book was trying to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed. The book drags on for far too long, and the main concept (and title!!) is just a bit of a gimmick. Whilst there were some things which I did appreciate (the varied characters and some of their storylines), I can't honestly recommend this book to anyone. It's just forgettable.
kmrobbins's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVE THIS BOOK. The entire book takes place in about 30 minutes, giving us a peek into the lives of a few residents of a high rise apartment building. The narration is fantastic - like the book equivalent of going for a walk in the evening and getting a small glipse into people's houses as you pass by. Love, heartbreak, life, death - this book has it all. SO GOOD.
devanh's review against another edition
5.0
WHAT AN ADVENTURE!
I couldn't put this one down....the writing, the characters, the suspense....it is so beautifully crafted and while it take a chapter or two to get into the writing style (for me, anyway), as soon as I hit page 16 I was hooked.
The vignettes are intensely written, lush with character driven personality and beautiful small details you might miss if you are a speed reader.
Pick this one up. You won't put it down until the final word.
I couldn't put this one down....the writing, the characters, the suspense....it is so beautifully crafted and while it take a chapter or two to get into the writing style (for me, anyway), as soon as I hit page 16 I was hooked.
The vignettes are intensely written, lush with character driven personality and beautiful small details you might miss if you are a speed reader.
Pick this one up. You won't put it down until the final word.