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esparker7's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
deedeedeedee10's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
paroof's review against another edition
3.0
Great premise for a story and I enjoyed it. There were some humorous parts, like the cult that required their members to smoke cigarettes at all times, but mostly it was novel about grief and much of it seemed metaphorical.
blueperbloop's review against another edition
2.0
I had a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after the last book I read, so I was hopeful that this one would perk up my reading tastebuds.
It didn't.
I kept reading and reading..waiting for answers. Waiting for the author to leave me with SOMETHING other than more questions.
He didn't.
Every time a character did something, I had one word flash in my head; WHY? Why is Laurie joining this cult when she lost no one? Why doesn't Tom want to see or talk to his parents? Why can't Nora even enjoy a conversation after three years? Why won't Christine even hold her new baby? Why in the WORLD would Tom leave that baby on his father's doorstep? Why, why, why? None of it made sense. None of it seemed consistent with human behavior.
It didn't.
I kept reading and reading..waiting for answers. Waiting for the author to leave me with SOMETHING other than more questions.
He didn't.
Every time a character did something, I had one word flash in my head; WHY? Why is Laurie joining this cult when she lost no one? Why doesn't Tom want to see or talk to his parents? Why can't Nora even enjoy a conversation after three years? Why won't Christine even hold her new baby? Why in the WORLD would Tom leave that baby on his father's doorstep? Why, why, why? None of it made sense. None of it seemed consistent with human behavior.
skrrtvonnegut's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the world-building aspect of this and found the different cults/religions that formed in the aftermath of the Sudden Departure to be the book's major strength. There was just something that felt a little underdeveloped with basically each main character's arc that left me feeling like the book fell a little short of what I thought it was going to be. I also felt like it was missing some of Perrotta's dark humor I was expecting.
roxiehrt's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really wanted to love this because I was obsessed with the series. But I think that the series corrects everything wrong with the book. I really didn’t care about anyone or any storyline. It was just slice of life vignettes about how people deal with half the population disappearing. Literally nothing happens and you glean nothing from these people’s “struggles”. Just not for me.
kelly_may's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
danaisreading's review against another edition
3.0
I got this as a Goodreads Giveaway. The premise is an interesting one - after a Rapture-like event, how does the rest of world carry on?
This is not a religious book. Tom Perrotta is very explicit to say that this isn't the Rapture as some Christians believe. Jews, Hindus, Arabs and atheists are among the missing. The Sudden Departure (as it is known in the book) isn't the focal point of the story, it's just the catalyst. The Prologue starts about a year after the Sudden Departure, and the rest of the book takes place three years later. Other than references to those who Departed, and one or two "eyewitness" stories, there isn't a lot of discussion of what the event is, or how it occurred.
The story focuses on one family in a little town on the East Coast. (I still can't figure out if Mapleton was in New Jersey or Connecticut, but again, it doesn't matter much.) Everyone in the Garvey family survived the Sudden Departure, but each react in varied ways.
Laurie Garvey is motivated to join the Guilty Remnant, a semi-cult who believe that the end is near, and demonstrate their belief by taking a vow of silence, wearing white, chain-smoking cigarettes, and stalk (or Watch) non-believers.
Her son Tom drops out of college and becomes involved with a different cult, called Holy Wayne and the Healing Hug Movement. Her daughter Jill was an Eyewitness to the event - her friend was sitting next to her one moment, and the next is gone. Only her husband Kevin seems to be unaffected by it all, although he gets involved in local politics and becomes the Mayor of Mapleton.
The only other major character in terms of POV is Nora Durst, the Woman Who Lost Everything - her entire family is among the Departed, leaving her behind to sort through an incredible amount of guilt, depression, and grief.
The book rotates through each of the character's point of view to weave their stories together. When I first started reading, I was slightly disappointed by the fact that not a lot of time is spent on the Sudden Departure. I wanted to see more of the event itself, rather than be dropped in media res into the aftermath. But as I read more, I realized that the Whys and Hows isn't the point of the story, it's all about the What Nows. This is more of a character study than a plot-driven book, even though there is a plot of sorts for some of the characters.
However, for a character study, it's not that compelling a read, and there's a bit of a missed opportunity. Perrota creates all of these religious or cult-like responses to the Sudden Departure - The Guilty Remnant, Holy Wayne, the Barefoot People - and those groups prove to be more interesting than the Garveys. It might have been a stronger book if Perrotta has chosen to focus on Laurie in the GR or Tom reacting to Holy Wayne and the Barefoot People, rather than flipping back and forth between the five characters. Even focusing more on Nora and how she deals with the loss of her entire family would have been a worthwhile exercise.
I think it's a book worth reading, but it's just not the book I was expecting. It's not that deep or difficult, and it doesn't really answer the questions the premise raises.
This is not a religious book. Tom Perrotta is very explicit to say that this isn't the Rapture as some Christians believe. Jews, Hindus, Arabs and atheists are among the missing. The Sudden Departure (as it is known in the book) isn't the focal point of the story, it's just the catalyst. The Prologue starts about a year after the Sudden Departure, and the rest of the book takes place three years later. Other than references to those who Departed, and one or two "eyewitness" stories, there isn't a lot of discussion of what the event is, or how it occurred.
The story focuses on one family in a little town on the East Coast. (I still can't figure out if Mapleton was in New Jersey or Connecticut, but again, it doesn't matter much.) Everyone in the Garvey family survived the Sudden Departure, but each react in varied ways.
Laurie Garvey is motivated to join the Guilty Remnant, a semi-cult who believe that the end is near, and demonstrate their belief by taking a vow of silence, wearing white, chain-smoking cigarettes, and stalk (or Watch) non-believers.
Her son Tom drops out of college and becomes involved with a different cult, called Holy Wayne and the Healing Hug Movement. Her daughter Jill was an Eyewitness to the event - her friend was sitting next to her one moment, and the next is gone. Only her husband Kevin seems to be unaffected by it all, although he gets involved in local politics and becomes the Mayor of Mapleton.
The only other major character in terms of POV is Nora Durst, the Woman Who Lost Everything - her entire family is among the Departed, leaving her behind to sort through an incredible amount of guilt, depression, and grief.
The book rotates through each of the character's point of view to weave their stories together. When I first started reading, I was slightly disappointed by the fact that not a lot of time is spent on the Sudden Departure. I wanted to see more of the event itself, rather than be dropped in media res into the aftermath. But as I read more, I realized that the Whys and Hows isn't the point of the story, it's all about the What Nows. This is more of a character study than a plot-driven book, even though there is a plot of sorts for some of the characters.
However, for a character study, it's not that compelling a read, and there's a bit of a missed opportunity. Perrota creates all of these religious or cult-like responses to the Sudden Departure - The Guilty Remnant, Holy Wayne, the Barefoot People - and those groups prove to be more interesting than the Garveys. It might have been a stronger book if Perrotta has chosen to focus on Laurie in the GR or Tom reacting to Holy Wayne and the Barefoot People, rather than flipping back and forth between the five characters. Even focusing more on Nora and how she deals with the loss of her entire family would have been a worthwhile exercise.
I think it's a book worth reading, but it's just not the book I was expecting. It's not that deep or difficult, and it doesn't really answer the questions the premise raises.
hmbodorable's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be but I enjoyed it. There were parts/characters I could have done without but I thought it was a good illustration of all of the forms grief can take when we lose someone or something.
raymond_murphy's review against another edition
3.0
I am surprised by how compelling the idea of the rapture is to me. I saw the TV show and got annoyed by it but still there is something compelling about a random percentage of the population disappearing in an instant. Mostly, what would it feel like to live after that moment?
I enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the book.