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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
The plot was interesting but it kind of took forever to unfold. However what made it unique was the location : Argentina and the premise. It wasn't your standard plot.
I also really liked how the ending was executed and the narrations by Julia Whelan made it 10x better.
Only complaint is that sometimes I was losing interest with all the mystery...
I also really liked how the ending was executed and the narrations by Julia Whelan made it 10x better.
Only complaint is that sometimes I was losing interest with all the mystery...
reflective
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
I realize now, too late, that I’d let so much of (life) pass me by because I was always hurtling forward in pursuit of glory, never simply standing still in the moment I was in. My old life was beautiful and I’d raced right through it. P33
I loved this trip to Buenos Aires, as I searched for more information on zouk dancing and cocktails like Fernet and Coke and the caipirinha. All of these scenes make me want to visit, maybe especially since it’s the time of COVID-19 and escapism sounds so nice. I’ve never had a book make me want to visit (or google) a place so much.
“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out. It’s what everyone comes to this city for: to forget who they were, become someone new.” P157
At first, I didn’t love the back and forth of the story between the old and the current. If you know much about it and triggers (Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) - mental illness), you can see it coming. But then I could relax and just enjoy the story.
This is one of my favorite books of the year. Thanks to MomAdvice for selecting it as our book of the month.
https://momadvice.com/post/momadvice-2020-book-club-selections
I loved this trip to Buenos Aires, as I searched for more information on zouk dancing and cocktails like Fernet and Coke and the caipirinha. All of these scenes make me want to visit, maybe especially since it’s the time of COVID-19 and escapism sounds so nice. I’ve never had a book make me want to visit (or google) a place so much.
“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out. It’s what everyone comes to this city for: to forget who they were, become someone new.” P157
At first, I didn’t love the back and forth of the story between the old and the current. If you know much about it and triggers (Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) - mental illness), you can see it coming. But then I could relax and just enjoy the story.
This is one of my favorite books of the year. Thanks to MomAdvice for selecting it as our book of the month.
https://momadvice.com/post/momadvice-2020-book-club-selections
3.75. A book with very strong character development. I liked this one but not quite four stars.
There were aspects of this book that I loved. The "what did her sister do?!" plot sucked me in. I really enjoyed reading about her sister as she grew up and the little hints into what she did. I also liked reading about Katie's skiing career. My husband and I love the winter Olympics, so this was a fun peek into that life. I also enjoyed reading about Buenos Aires. I definitely want to visit someday! However, I didn't like other aspects. There are three sex scenes that I skipped over while I was reading. I feel like I didn't miss anything - which makes me think it was just thrown in for an erotic factor or something like that. I also got frustrated with some of the characters and their disregard for others. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't a favorite.
I can't remember how I stumbled on, We Came Here to Forget, but I am so thankful I did.
This novel is about a young Olympic skier, Katie Cleary, who decides to head to Buenos Aires when a family tragedy strikes.
Determined to be anonymous, she changes her name (to Liz Sullivan) and finds a colorful group of ex-pats who all seem to be escaping their own demons.
Katie feels that if these people knew her family secret, that they would want no part of her life.
There are just so many layers to this story, and Dunlop leads you through alternating chapters (the past and the current situation) that builds to a shocking discovery of why Katie left (and what she lost).
I refuse to give anything away, but the tragedy that Dunlop choses made me think about certain situations in a very different way and allowed me to extend more empathy to others.
It is very thoughtfully done, the minor characters are just compelling, and she challenges you to think about these scenarios in fresh ways.
The narration is also beautiful, if you are on the hunt for an audiobook.
Best of all, we get to discuss this one with Andrea in our book club- yay!
You can learn more about this year's book club here.
This novel is about a young Olympic skier, Katie Cleary, who decides to head to Buenos Aires when a family tragedy strikes.
Determined to be anonymous, she changes her name (to Liz Sullivan) and finds a colorful group of ex-pats who all seem to be escaping their own demons.
Katie feels that if these people knew her family secret, that they would want no part of her life.
There are just so many layers to this story, and Dunlop leads you through alternating chapters (the past and the current situation) that builds to a shocking discovery of why Katie left (and what she lost).
I refuse to give anything away, but the tragedy that Dunlop choses made me think about certain situations in a very different way and allowed me to extend more empathy to others.
It is very thoughtfully done, the minor characters are just compelling, and she challenges you to think about these scenarios in fresh ways.
The narration is also beautiful, if you are on the hunt for an audiobook.
Best of all, we get to discuss this one with Andrea in our book club- yay!
You can learn more about this year's book club here.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good grief, this book was completely uninspired. I saw the "plot twist" about 30 pages into the book. For no particularly good reason a running narrative was the lead character's weight gain of -- wait for it (see that pun) -- 20 lbs! She's described as 6 ft tall with a size 36D bra size (we need to know this , why?) Yet a sample of the adjectives used to describe her are fat, fleshy, and gelatinous. No character feels meaningfully developed and the story is just choppy.
This book had a lot of elements that I liked individually--the Buenos Aires setting, Olympic skiing, a community of expats all harboring their own secrets, a sense of dread that builds throughout the book--but I had the big reveal predicted from the first few chapters and I felt like the climax was ultimately a bit of a let-down.
I read this for a book club and was pleasantly surprised! The dark tone made it a comforting read despite the subject matter. I called the diagnosis from the beginning, but it was still enjoyable to uncover the truth but by bit. It kept the slower pace of the novel interesting. Would I re-read ever? Probably not, but still a satisfying read
I have to admit, this one took me by surprise. I wouldn't have even picked it up had it not been one of MomAdvice's book club selections for 2020. It languished on my TBR stack for months. But when I finally opened it up, I was engrossed from the first page.
First of all, the writing is flawless. The language immediately draws you into the story, and the author gives you just enough to keep you reading. The actual plot summary doesn't do the novel justice, and is most likely why I wasn't excited about the book. But without giving away any spoilers, the novel is about Katie Cleary, an Olympic bound downhill skier whose entire life is turned upside down when something happens with her sister. Her life in shambles, her career ruined, her relationship done for, Katie finds herself at an airport, bound for Buenos Aires. The story then alternates between the present time in Buenos Aires and the past, where the reader finds out, little by little, what happened.
I caught on pretty quickly about what was happening with her sister, but I was still glued to the story as Katie made new friends, learned to live with herself again, and rekindle a piece of her past. The ending was somewhat of a let down for me, just because the rest of the book had been so strong. But this was a solid 4 star book and I recommend it whole-heartedly.
First of all, the writing is flawless. The language immediately draws you into the story, and the author gives you just enough to keep you reading. The actual plot summary doesn't do the novel justice, and is most likely why I wasn't excited about the book. But without giving away any spoilers, the novel is about Katie Cleary, an Olympic bound downhill skier whose entire life is turned upside down when something happens with her sister. Her life in shambles, her career ruined, her relationship done for, Katie finds herself at an airport, bound for Buenos Aires. The story then alternates between the present time in Buenos Aires and the past, where the reader finds out, little by little, what happened.
I caught on pretty quickly about what was happening with her sister, but I was still glued to the story as Katie made new friends, learned to live with herself again, and rekindle a piece of her past. The ending was somewhat of a let down for me, just because the rest of the book had been so strong. But this was a solid 4 star book and I recommend it whole-heartedly.