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rberdan's review
challenging
emotional
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? No
4.5
cozylittlebrownhouse's review against another edition
3.0
Since I am still on my Berg kick, I thought I would pick up this small paperback from the library. The subject matter is difficult - family secrets that arise after MANY years, but the story is interesting. A couple of interesting points to mention: Berg said in an interview at the back of the book that this was the hardest book for her to write, and that she felt that all of the characters were unlikeable. If you decide to read this one, I would keep these two ideas in mind. Not her best, but good.
kareemartin's review against another edition
1.0
Easy and quick to read, but I wouldn’t read again.
A family drama that fell very flat, and had no real depth to it. This book was written about trauma, but like in the simplest way possible, and one of the siblings leaves as quickly as they appear. Pretty useless.
It was published in 2004 so I guess that why the characters act this way but man, I didn’t like any of them.
A family drama that fell very flat, and had no real depth to it. This book was written about trauma, but like in the simplest way possible, and one of the siblings leaves as quickly as they appear. Pretty useless.
It was published in 2004 so I guess that why the characters act this way but man, I didn’t like any of them.
tomaind's review against another edition
4.0
Elizabeth Berg is another one of my favorite authors. She writes stories about people's lives that do not always have happy endings. This was not one of my favorites of her books, but it still was a very good story.
blburslem's review against another edition
2.0
A decent book, just not for me. I found it to be very boring and I was counting the pages until I finished.
jmsweevils's review against another edition
5.0
Can be triggering if you have an NM (narcissistic mother) and have suffered abuse that had been late to be realized and you struggle to have family believe you and accept you.
Definitely a story about family, starting over, and wondering whether we are who we are because of nature or “nurture”.
Definitely a story about family, starting over, and wondering whether we are who we are because of nature or “nurture”.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
3.0
The plot of this novel is almost non-existent. Essentially a middle-aged woman learns from her younger sister that their mother physically and verbally abused the younger sister when they were little, and neither Laura (the older sister) and Steve (the brother) knew. That seems rather implausible, and they had written the younger sister off as being "dramatic" all these years.
It was a slow burn, and the characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have expected for a character-driven novel.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
I have absolutely no memory of this book.