Reviews

The Condition by Nicholas Liborwich

ovenbird_reads's review against another edition

2.0

I got bored with this. I didn't feel like there was much driving the plot.

gwalt118's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not sure of the last time I read a novel where I felt like the characters could actually be real people. The McKotch family could live next door to any of us. They're a real family that faces issues similar to the ones many of us face on a daily basis - balancing work and family, divorce, gay rights, medical conditions, finding yourself amidst your family, pleasing your parents, growing up, etc. This book is a heartfelt reminder that we can't forget the most important thing in life - people. Kudos to Jennifer Haigh for creating these fabulous characters and keeping them true-to-form throughout the book.

One criticism - it wrapped up a bit too quickly and too neatly for me. Not everything needs to be solved when we turn the last page; in fact, some of the best books are the ones that aren't tied up neatly with a bow. Leaving things unsolved is exciting for your reader.

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to reading more of Haigh's work.

ponckumari's review against another edition

3.0

This book takes awhile to pick up and slowly draws you in. I will be honest, i didn't like the descriptive paragraphs and at times I just skimmed through it especially in the beginning.
But once hooked I read every word.
This is not a medical book but more a reflection on character and it was wonderful to see each one either slowly get out of their comfort zone or remain steadfast in their cucoon. I can't pick any favourites as the author made every character & their quirks believable...so believable that i still couldn't like Paulette when I put the book down.
Similar to 'Ghana must Go' by Taiye Selasi but without the mandatory heart-wrenching any novel set in Africa brings.

etches's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

3.75

sarahenn's review against another edition

1.0

i gave this book a shot, and couldn't make it past 100 pages. the writing was okay, but the characters were all deplorable. i didn't feel compassion for a single one of them. i was not compelled to find out if any of them had redeeming qualities.

ktoumajian's review against another edition

3.0

This book is less about Turners Syndrome and more about how one family disappoints, misunderstands one another but ultimately loves each other in a very imperfect way. I enjoyed most of the characters which I felt were intelligently drawn, and I especially enjoyed being in multiple characters' heads (each chapter is told from a different perspective), but I thought the Turner's plot was a bit contrived and not nearly as interesting as the foibles and real flaws of the other family members.

lizaroo71's review against another edition

4.0

this is the story of the mckotch family. paulette, the mother, is an emotionally withdrawn new englander. her husband, frank, is an MIT professor and is emotionally unavailable to his family. the three children, scott, billy and gwen, are all affected very differently by the divorce of their parents and by the realization that gwen has turner's syndrome. a condition that means she will never develop into womanhood. paulette and frank divorce soon after the diagnosis. the story is told from multiple perspectives and so you begin to really understand the emotional turmoil that is pushing this family apart.

julieeew's review against another edition

4.0

This is a book about a slightly disfunctional family. It reminded me of The Corrections and This Is Where I Leave You only better mainly because I liked the characters. I didn't feel like it was about Turner Syndrom as much as it was about a family coming apart at the seams for a variety of reasons.

megancrusante's review against another edition

4.0

I will read anything by this author now. I didn't realize when I took it out from the library that I had already read one of her books before (Baker Towers) and there is definitely something about her writing that I love!

jackiesandora's review against another edition

3.0

This book was just 'ok' for me. I had a hard time relating to the characters and found most of them unlikeable. I did appreciate the way it all tied together in the end.