Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Really good character-driven story, with the POV alternating between four family members spending the summer by the sea. The descriptions of place very much reminded me if my visits to Maine, but the primary focus is exploring the inner lives of the narrators. A little more drama than perhaps the typical beach read, but I really enjoyed the meatiness of this book.
I loved the characters and the family dynamic but the story seemed to drag on and there were so many different perspectives.
Perhaps it is because my grandmother has many, many things in common with Alice, but whatever the reason, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Anything generational piques my interest. Add in a beach house on the East Coast, the concept of which always has had a seductive mythos, and you've got me interested.
The four women highlighted in this story varied enough in personality to really showcase the author's understanding of the human heart. Those nuances and attention to quirks (Ann Marie's dollhouses and sense of familial obligation, Kathleen's dogs and desire for authenticity, Alice's selfishness and guilt, and Maggie's yearning for a traditional love story) gave the characters depth and kept the story moving.
The four women highlighted in this story varied enough in personality to really showcase the author's understanding of the human heart. Those nuances and attention to quirks (Ann Marie's dollhouses and sense of familial obligation, Kathleen's dogs and desire for authenticity, Alice's selfishness and guilt, and Maggie's yearning for a traditional love story) gave the characters depth and kept the story moving.
I don't know why I read this after not being crazy about Commencement - guess the Maine setting appealed. But honestly this was like being cornered by a slightly drunk aunt or sister at a family party and listening to their litany of complaints about the family. I do not recommend. The only reason I gave it two stars is because I want to live at the house that is the setting for the majority of the story, and because the background of growing up Irish Catholic in Boston/Dorchester is naturally of interest to me. Other than that - blech.
http://sessastories.tumblr.com/post/148032117548/book-story-in-may-i-emailed-jessilyn-from-mclean
I enjoyed this quite a lot. I think coming from a big Catholic family with lots of women who are of an age with the main characters really helped this come together for me. Much of it seemed very, very real.
Alice, the matriarch of the Kellehar family is really a rotten old apple. Sure, she has some demons, but is seems like she's been rotten since the beginning. Her husband seems almost too perfect and I am still not sure if we're supposed to believe that she loved him or that she just tolerated him in order to get to heaven.
I liked the ambiguous ending to the book, too.
I want a follow up where were learn more about all the screwed up men in the family!
Alice, the matriarch of the Kellehar family is really a rotten old apple. Sure, she has some demons, but is seems like she's been rotten since the beginning. Her husband seems almost too perfect and I am still not sure if we're supposed to believe that she loved him or that she just tolerated him in order to get to heaven.
I liked the ambiguous ending to the book, too.
I want a follow up where were learn more about all the screwed up men in the family!
I don't know what I expected from this book, but it was more than I received. When broken down, the plot was actually quite simple, and many of the characters felt underdeveloped. I found Alice's back story and Maggie's life with Gabe to be most interesting. Kathleen and Anne Marie were both flat and dull.
A friend highly recommended this book to me and I'm not sure we read the same book. I didn't necessarily dislike the book but I certainly didn't enjoy it much either. I'm very conflicted with it and I don't know how to explain it. The writing was fairly well done, the author can write in an intriguing way. But the story didn't go very far. It felt like 10% actual story and 90% background/set up information, which made the story drag a bit. The ladies had interesting back stories but getting to the details took forever so once I learned the whole story, it was a let down. Nothing was really resolved at the end and I didn't feel satisfied upon finishing it. So, ok book but really not all that good.
2.5/5
At first I enjoyed the stories of Alice, Kathleen, Maggie, and Ann Marie. As the story went on, their flaws began to irritate me enough that it took away from the story. Alice was incredibly mean, Kathleen was mouthy, Maggie was an idiot, and Ann Marie was neurotic. In the end, though, the story itself was somewhat dull.
At first I enjoyed the stories of Alice, Kathleen, Maggie, and Ann Marie. As the story went on, their flaws began to irritate me enough that it took away from the story. Alice was incredibly mean, Kathleen was mouthy, Maggie was an idiot, and Ann Marie was neurotic. In the end, though, the story itself was somewhat dull.