Scan barcode
alexxa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
shoshthemost's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
drkew's review against another edition
4.0
This beautiful but heart-wrenching novel speaks to darkness (alcoholism, domestic violence, fear, and poverty) that can run through families. At the same time, it reveals the power of redemption and forgiveness.
lovemeknots's review against another edition
The book was interesting. I would've liked to see more from the ending.
bloomingminds77's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rachelemm's review against another edition
3.0
The Warmest December is a story about forgiveness and the cycle of abuse. It focuses on a woman visiting her alcoholic father in hospital. It is clear that her father hasn't got long left to live but it also becomes clear that he was not a very kind man and abused her, her brother and her mother throughout their lives.
We go back and forth in time as Kenzie sits at her father's bedside and remembers episodes from the past where her father terrorised their household. We learn that Kenzie herself is an alcoholic and battling her own demons which was an interesting observation on how alcoholism can run in families as the addiction is passed down from parent to child. However, I found the narrative repetitive. Kenzie remembers something awful her father did when she was a child, then we would go back to the hospital, then she would remember something else awful her father did when she was a child then we would go back to the hospital. I struggled at times to keep going knowing the story wasn't really moving forward. We do eventually get some new information about Kenzie's father which adds another layer but it came too late for me and was not enough to have made the preceding pages worth it.
McFadden's accessible writing style is great and, without it, I may have given up on this book halfway through but her dialogue is really good and was enough to hold my interest. Prior to reading this, I read Gathering of Waters by the same author which I preferred and which I would recommend over this one. That's not to say this book was bad, I just didn't vibe with it. Perhaps a reader with experience of an alcoholic family member or a family member suffering with addiction may find a deeper connection with the story than I did.
We go back and forth in time as Kenzie sits at her father's bedside and remembers episodes from the past where her father terrorised their household. We learn that Kenzie herself is an alcoholic and battling her own demons which was an interesting observation on how alcoholism can run in families as the addiction is passed down from parent to child. However, I found the narrative repetitive. Kenzie remembers something awful her father did when she was a child, then we would go back to the hospital, then she would remember something else awful her father did when she was a child then we would go back to the hospital. I struggled at times to keep going knowing the story wasn't really moving forward. We do eventually get some new information about Kenzie's father which adds another layer but it came too late for me and was not enough to have made the preceding pages worth it.
McFadden's accessible writing style is great and, without it, I may have given up on this book halfway through but her dialogue is really good and was enough to hold my interest. Prior to reading this, I read Gathering of Waters by the same author which I preferred and which I would recommend over this one. That's not to say this book was bad, I just didn't vibe with it. Perhaps a reader with experience of an alcoholic family member or a family member suffering with addiction may find a deeper connection with the story than I did.
ezichinny's review
4.0
This one was about letting go and breaking cycles.
This book starts with a young woman’s hospital visit to the bedside of her dying father. As Kenzie Lowe takes this journey to see Hyman “Hy-lo” Lowe, she also takes a stroll down memory lane. However this walk is a very painful one.
She remembers a life of physical, emotional and mental abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father. She remembers how his alcoholism ravaged her childhood, and subsequently her adulthood. She remembers her mother Delia and her brother Malcolm’s suffering, which was in concert with her own. As she remembers, she questions herself as to why she is at this monster’s bedside, and why she keeps returning there.
At the beginning of the story, I was sure that Kenzie came to ensure that Hy-Lo was really dead, especially since she had been praying for his death since she was 5 years old. But at the end, it was clear that she was not taking pleasure in his slow descent to death’s door. It was hard for Kenzie to look at the man that she has hated for so long, but I guess she came to confront her demons. So it was an opportunity for her to get some closure and possibly some answers. It was powerful and heart wrenching. I hate alcoholism!
I was struck at how Kenzie and her family seemed to have moved on, but they really had not moved on. They were still held hostage by powerful memories and they were fighting a battle against enslavement by the same demons that haunted her father. We were given a glimpse into Hy-lo’s childhood, but I was only moved slightly. This man terrorized his family and I didn’t want to forgive him for that. But I cannot deny that learning about Hy-lo’s childhood and his abuse did have an effect. I can acknowledge that studies shows that victims of abuse often become abusers. So he was only perpetuating what he learned and what was done to him. I do wish the author had given Hy-lo a moment to voice his feelings. But maybe a lesson that the author was trying to impart is that we have to make our own closure and take control of our own lives despite what others may do to us. I hope that seeing Hy-lo’s feet gave Kenzie’s feet freedom to go somewhere that she could finally find peace and hopefully happiness.
I give this book four starts because book was very real and gave a moving account of how insidious generational curses can be. I admit that I wanted a happier ending, but I applaud the author for keeping this book real and consistent. I also applaud her for tackling such a painful subject with brutal honesty. The lesson that I took from this book is that the journey to forgiveness is a step at a time. It’s an inner struggle, but it can be done, a step at a time.
***e-arc by LibraryThing Early Reviewer***
This book starts with a young woman’s hospital visit to the bedside of her dying father. As Kenzie Lowe takes this journey to see Hyman “Hy-lo” Lowe, she also takes a stroll down memory lane. However this walk is a very painful one.
She remembers a life of physical, emotional and mental abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father. She remembers how his alcoholism ravaged her childhood, and subsequently her adulthood. She remembers her mother Delia and her brother Malcolm’s suffering, which was in concert with her own. As she remembers, she questions herself as to why she is at this monster’s bedside, and why she keeps returning there.
At the beginning of the story, I was sure that Kenzie came to ensure that Hy-Lo was really dead, especially since she had been praying for his death since she was 5 years old. But at the end, it was clear that she was not taking pleasure in his slow descent to death’s door. It was hard for Kenzie to look at the man that she has hated for so long, but I guess she came to confront her demons. So it was an opportunity for her to get some closure and possibly some answers. It was powerful and heart wrenching. I hate alcoholism!
I was struck at how Kenzie and her family seemed to have moved on, but they really had not moved on. They were still held hostage by powerful memories and they were fighting a battle against enslavement by the same demons that haunted her father. We were given a glimpse into Hy-lo’s childhood, but I was only moved slightly. This man terrorized his family and I didn’t want to forgive him for that. But I cannot deny that learning about Hy-lo’s childhood and his abuse did have an effect. I can acknowledge that studies shows that victims of abuse often become abusers. So he was only perpetuating what he learned and what was done to him. I do wish the author had given Hy-lo a moment to voice his feelings. But maybe a lesson that the author was trying to impart is that we have to make our own closure and take control of our own lives despite what others may do to us. I hope that seeing Hy-lo’s feet gave Kenzie’s feet freedom to go somewhere that she could finally find peace and hopefully happiness.
I give this book four starts because book was very real and gave a moving account of how insidious generational curses can be. I admit that I wanted a happier ending, but I applaud the author for keeping this book real and consistent. I also applaud her for tackling such a painful subject with brutal honesty. The lesson that I took from this book is that the journey to forgiveness is a step at a time. It’s an inner struggle, but it can be done, a step at a time.
***e-arc by LibraryThing Early Reviewer***
rachelm524's review
5.0
Amazing reading experience. This story is real, raw, and healing. The main character and narrator, Kenzie, grows up through the retelling of her life-long abuse and the unbelievable healing she goes through during her abuser's final days.