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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly just finished to see what they would do with the case. Wasn’t very impressed with the plot or conclusion but was happy they didn’t turn it into victim blaming so that’s good.
medium-paced
An enjoyable family comedy / drama with appealingly flawed characters and astute observations.
As you might infer from the title, the characters are not doing well. I'm hesitantly giving this four stars -- maybe more like a 3.5 rounded up -- because it was a like a trainwreck that at times I didn't want to watch anymore, but I just couldn't look away.
Tom is a 60ish architect whose career building small spaces (think tiny homes before they were a thing) is going nowhere fast now that actual tiny homes are a trend. His younger partner recently left him, in part because he knew he'd never come first in Tom's life. That space is reserved for Tom's niece, Cecily.
Cecily is a college professor currently under investigation for allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a student. In the meantime, her boyfriend Santosh's overprotective mother is trying to convince Cecily that it would better for everyone if Cecily broke off the relationship before she's publicly shamed.
And then there's Dorothy, Tom's sister and Cecily's mother, who has always been a wild child. She's lived life on her own terms and Tom has bailed her out of every crisis, whether financial or emotional, usually to his own detriment. Now she's moved to Woodstock, NY, where she's trying to establish a retreat with a dubious self-help guru. She wants Cecily and Tom to attend the opening "gala" for the retreat, where she plans to finally reveal a long-kept secret.
Every time these three come to a decision, they chose the worst option. It's all in keeping with their characters, but it's incredibly painful to read about page after page. There's some character development in the end and a bit of redemption for most characters. Overall, it's a pretty good read, but I don't think I'll be seeking out more books by this author.
Tom is a 60ish architect whose career building small spaces (think tiny homes before they were a thing) is going nowhere fast now that actual tiny homes are a trend. His younger partner recently left him, in part because he knew he'd never come first in Tom's life. That space is reserved for Tom's niece, Cecily.
Cecily is a college professor currently under investigation for allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a student. In the meantime, her boyfriend Santosh's overprotective mother is trying to convince Cecily that it would better for everyone if Cecily broke off the relationship before she's publicly shamed.
And then there's Dorothy, Tom's sister and Cecily's mother, who has always been a wild child. She's lived life on her own terms and Tom has bailed her out of every crisis, whether financial or emotional, usually to his own detriment. Now she's moved to Woodstock, NY, where she's trying to establish a retreat with a dubious self-help guru. She wants Cecily and Tom to attend the opening "gala" for the retreat, where she plans to finally reveal a long-kept secret.
Every time these three come to a decision, they chose the worst option. It's all in keeping with their characters, but it's incredibly painful to read about page after page. There's some character development in the end and a bit of redemption for most characters. Overall, it's a pretty good read, but I don't think I'll be seeking out more books by this author.
Tom is a natural caretaker, dropping everything to help his niece and sister -- to the detriment of his own relationship. As his job as an architect is in trouble, he decides that it's time to think about himself for once. But then his niece, a college professor, calls -- she's having work and relationship trouble. And they get a message from his flighty sister (his niece's mother). Suddenly, they're all together at an art opening where some big secrets are revealed.
This is a classic Stephen McCauley book in the best sense of the word. There's heartbreak and reflections on aging and moments of humor and a couple wacky characters. But there's just a lot of heart, too.
This is a classic Stephen McCauley book in the best sense of the word. There's heartbreak and reflections on aging and moments of humor and a couple wacky characters. But there's just a lot of heart, too.