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windycorner's review
3.0
Great writing with lots of beautiful phrases that will stick with me. Tales of domestic discord usually aren't my cup of tea; those who enjoy them will absolutely love this book.
kate_elizabeth's review
3.0
I was pretty solidly on the 4-star train with this until about the last 50 pages...the ending just didn't do it for me. The book in general reminds me so much of "The Art of Fielding" - a group of people in a small college town, connected in ways they maybe don't understand. That book is more successful, generally, than this one. Some of the connections were muddy for me here; by the end, I kind of just wanted to smack Claire. Worth a read, though, I think.
rachaelbutton's review
4.0
Heartbreaking. Wistful. Beautiful. The slow build of summer reminded me a lot of Ron Carlson's short story "Towel Season" and the relentlessness of the story reminded me of Jane Smiley's novel "Age of Grief." At times I needed to put it down, take a walk, and come up for air but even with all the heaviness and heartbreak the writing made me keep reading. Not for the faint of heart but a really worthwhile read.
tasha34's review
3.0
I do like American novels with quirky characters and Suburban marriages but some parts of this book did feel like I was reading a man's erotic fantasy, especially the hot tub scene.
The characters were all stoners and neighbours yet very soon all living with each other and having sex with each other which didn't ring quite true. Some of the things Claire said about motherhood were quite apt though and she was probably my favourite character even if she was as messed up as the rest.
Throughout the book the weather was getting hotter and hotter and I was waiting for a big ending but did feel it fizzled out. Overall it wasn't a bad read.
Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this book.
The characters were all stoners and neighbours yet very soon all living with each other and having sex with each other which didn't ring quite true. Some of the things Claire said about motherhood were quite apt though and she was probably my favourite character even if she was as messed up as the rest.
Throughout the book the weather was getting hotter and hotter and I was waiting for a big ending but did feel it fizzled out. Overall it wasn't a bad read.
Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this book.
alexx9811's review
4.0
Excellent book. As someone who lived in Iowa for quite a while, the author does a masterful job of bringing a tale of mid-life discontent and longing to life in a wonderful place oft neglected in the pantheon of suburban discontent stories.
Highly enjoyable.
Highly enjoyable.
spaceforcewife21's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. I kept forcing myself to trudge on, but eventually gave up.