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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Fun read and especially enjoyed the last 59 pages and how the characters seemed to intertwine.
I dont like the cover for this book. It does not portray the vibe of the book at all. This cover made me think it would be a sarcastic, fun YA, but it was actually a moody novel dealing with these characters pain, self-doubt, and search for identity, which made for a good surprise reading it. It was very well written and super engaging, and didnt shy away from showing the characters at their worst (a good thing). It was very memorable. I look forward to reading Shari's other novels!
Engaging story of how people become who they are. This book is consistently funny, sometimes sad and always thoughtful. The intricate weaving of storylines and "what ifs" is particularly impressive. It's a clear inspiration from the world of comics, and the recurring story-within-a-story "Eons & Empires" is cleverly familiar.
When I think about this book, I often also recall Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. If you liked either one, I recommend the other.
When I think about this book, I often also recall Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. If you liked either one, I recommend the other.
Read this and other reviews at Ampersand Read Blog.
On the surface, it doesn't sound like such a remarkable book. Meet a few young people, and see how they grow (or don't grow) throughout the decades of their lives. Tragedies happen: people die, couples break up, sicknesses hit. And triumphs occur: couples get together, get engaged, characters get promotions, and find success in their careers. So what makes this book, which essentially tells you about handful of character's lives, better than all the other books out there that tell you about a handful of character's lives?
This one is just so darn good. Which sounds like a lame recommendation. But I was excited to return to this book every time I found time to read. It's the strong relationships, and the unifying forces that make this book stand out. In the end, I truly cared about all of them. I wanted them to do well, and every character arc ended in a way that I felt it should.
Every character has a strong tie to the others. They date one another (there's a bit of couple-swapping involved here), they're siblings, they're best friends...and those ties are so defining, so human, that it makes even the serial daters and the whining wannabes endearing.
Adam and Phoebe have the closest bond throughout the novel. They're best friends/lovers/a couple/each others closest confidante. And even when Phoebe is too goody-two-shoes, too shiny, too perfect, it is her dependence on Adam that makes her relatable. He is her weakness, and it helps her arc as a character. Adam is a bit of a womanizer, and his dependence and soft spot for Phoebe endears him to the reader. This relationship isn't his weakness; this relationship is his redeeming quality. Phoebe makes him better, and helped me like him more.
I also loved the unifying theme of the Eons & Empires "franchise" throughout the character's stories. The title is a reference to the concept of the comics: a trio of heroes travels between worlds, destroying or saving lives in each. You get the sense that each of these characters could have different outcomes in "some other world." Maybe some characters get together and stay together. Maybe this person doesn't die. Maybe this one finds happiness and success.
On the surface, it doesn't sound like such a remarkable book. Meet a few young people, and see how they grow (or don't grow) throughout the decades of their lives. Tragedies happen: people die, couples break up, sicknesses hit. And triumphs occur: couples get together, get engaged, characters get promotions, and find success in their careers. So what makes this book, which essentially tells you about handful of character's lives, better than all the other books out there that tell you about a handful of character's lives?
This one is just so darn good. Which sounds like a lame recommendation. But I was excited to return to this book every time I found time to read. It's the strong relationships, and the unifying forces that make this book stand out. In the end, I truly cared about all of them. I wanted them to do well, and every character arc ended in a way that I felt it should.
Every character has a strong tie to the others. They date one another (there's a bit of couple-swapping involved here), they're siblings, they're best friends...and those ties are so defining, so human, that it makes even the serial daters and the whining wannabes endearing.
Adam and Phoebe have the closest bond throughout the novel. They're best friends/lovers/a couple/each others closest confidante. And even when Phoebe is too goody-two-shoes, too shiny, too perfect, it is her dependence on Adam that makes her relatable. He is her weakness, and it helps her arc as a character. Adam is a bit of a womanizer, and his dependence and soft spot for Phoebe endears him to the reader. This relationship isn't his weakness; this relationship is his redeeming quality. Phoebe makes him better, and helped me like him more.
I also loved the unifying theme of the Eons & Empires "franchise" throughout the character's stories. The title is a reference to the concept of the comics: a trio of heroes travels between worlds, destroying or saving lives in each. You get the sense that each of these characters could have different outcomes in "some other world." Maybe some characters get together and stay together. Maybe this person doesn't die. Maybe this one finds happiness and success.
Read this and other reviews at Ampersand Read Blog.
On the surface, it doesn't sound like such a remarkable book. Meet a few young people, and see how they grow (or don't grow) throughout the decades of their lives. Tragedies happen: people die, couples break up, sicknesses hit. And triumphs occur: couples get together, get engaged, characters get promotions, and find success in their careers. So what makes this book, which essentially tells you about handful of character's lives, better than all the other books out there that tell you about a handful of character's lives?
This one is just so darn good. Which sounds like a lame recommendation. But I was excited to return to this book every time I found time to read. It's the strong relationships, and the unifying forces that make this book stand out. In the end, I truly cared about all of them. I wanted them to do well, and every character arc ended in a way that I felt it should.
Every character has a strong tie to the others. They date one another (there's a bit of couple-swapping involved here), they're siblings, they're best friends...and those ties are so defining, so human, that it makes even the serial daters and the whining wannabes endearing.
Adam and Phoebe have the closest bond throughout the novel. They're best friends/lovers/a couple/each others closest confidante. And even when Phoebe is too goody-two-shoes, too shiny, too perfect, it is her dependence on Adam that makes her relatable. He is her weakness, and it helps her arc as a character. Adam is a bit of a womanizer, and his dependence and soft spot for Phoebe endears him to the reader. This relationship isn't his weakness; this relationship is his redeeming quality. Phoebe makes him better, and helped me like him more.
I also loved the unifying theme of the Eons & Empires "franchise" throughout the character's stories. The title is a reference to the concept of the comics: a trio of heroes travels between worlds, destroying or saving lives in each. You get the sense that each of these characters could have different outcomes in "some other world." Maybe some characters get together and stay together. Maybe this person doesn't die. Maybe this one finds happiness and success.
On the surface, it doesn't sound like such a remarkable book. Meet a few young people, and see how they grow (or don't grow) throughout the decades of their lives. Tragedies happen: people die, couples break up, sicknesses hit. And triumphs occur: couples get together, get engaged, characters get promotions, and find success in their careers. So what makes this book, which essentially tells you about handful of character's lives, better than all the other books out there that tell you about a handful of character's lives?
This one is just so darn good. Which sounds like a lame recommendation. But I was excited to return to this book every time I found time to read. It's the strong relationships, and the unifying forces that make this book stand out. In the end, I truly cared about all of them. I wanted them to do well, and every character arc ended in a way that I felt it should.
Every character has a strong tie to the others. They date one another (there's a bit of couple-swapping involved here), they're siblings, they're best friends...and those ties are so defining, so human, that it makes even the serial daters and the whining wannabes endearing.
Adam and Phoebe have the closest bond throughout the novel. They're best friends/lovers/a couple/each others closest confidante. And even when Phoebe is too goody-two-shoes, too shiny, too perfect, it is her dependence on Adam that makes her relatable. He is her weakness, and it helps her arc as a character. Adam is a bit of a womanizer, and his dependence and soft spot for Phoebe endears him to the reader. This relationship isn't his weakness; this relationship is his redeeming quality. Phoebe makes him better, and helped me like him more.
I also loved the unifying theme of the Eons & Empires "franchise" throughout the character's stories. The title is a reference to the concept of the comics: a trio of heroes travels between worlds, destroying or saving lives in each. You get the sense that each of these characters could have different outcomes in "some other world." Maybe some characters get together and stay together. Maybe this person doesn't die. Maybe this one finds happiness and success.
medium-paced
At some points I felt like I'd read this book before, because the set-up was a mash-up of friend-group novels like The Group and stories where each character ends up being connected with another, but I still enjoyed it. Not so much there there, but each character drew me in enough that I was happy to return to his or her storyline as the chapters went by.
I remember that I had really liked Shari Goldhagen's first book, so I began this one with Hugh expectations. Glad to say that I loved this one too! If you read The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer you'll understand that feeling of wanting to stay with the characters long after the page is turned. I hope Goldhagen keeps up with the winning streak!
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
spoiler-free review! In my opinion, the book's loveliest moments are when the lives of the characters brush upon one another, not always for long, but enough to give a push in the right direction or teach a lesson which will remain with the other, as often happens in real life. However, I feel like character development misses the mark on this one, and I just wish more depth would have been given to the characters. So sadly, his book is average.