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2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
A fun story about a dysfunctional family in a cruise vacation. It was fun to hear about the romantic European settings while following each character’s journey. It was a good mix of flashbacks to how they got there and them currently fixing their lives - the ending was a little abrupt fir me but the story kept me interested.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-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
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4 stars. Reading the last few chapters I was surprised a tear or two escaped. Spending 10 days on a Mediterrean cruise with this messed up, repressed, and damaged Perkins family was so entertaining, frustrating, touching...My favorite parts have to be Regan revealing her “ace in the hole” as she dealt with her husband, the descriptions of Malta, Rome and Athens - especially the food!, and how Cord finally finally got his stuff together...even though he did stumble really really badly with the whole alcohol thing. One character I didn’t really sympathize with was Charlotte, the matriarch of the Perkins’ toxic family. I know a person’s past makes up their actions of the present - but I felt like she was being self-pitying and made excuses for her lackadaisical parenting while her children needed her, and her selective hearing - she was definitely the cause of her children’s many neuroses. Basically this family drama at sea was a hot, boiling mess - but totally worth reading!
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The concept was great, but fell flat a bit, especially the ending which felt rushed and unfinished. There was so much substance to be developed, from the European setting to the deeply complex issues each family member was going through. Things felt brushed under the rug, which I suppose was the major issue in the first place. I was just hoping for more growth and resolution.
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
3.5 stars. The family in focus was chaotic, utterly selfish, and so real. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own lives and internal drama, that they had trouble recognizing that same struggle in their mom (or children) and siblings. I recognized myself in each of these characters in different ways, and rather than putting me off the book, it made me more interested in each of the characters. I wanted to know more about Regan though, she was the one character I didn’t feel got her fair share of internal narrative in a way that let us know who SHE was as deeply as her siblings.
Overall a good book!
Overall a good book!
In looking through the reviews I seem to fall in to the group that had high hopes for this book but ended up disappointed.