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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Liked this better than Commencement. I think it captured a dysfinctional family dynamic quite well. You are bound to these people by blood and common memories and yet it is not always guaranteed that you will like your family, despite the shared experiences. I would not say that I loved it, but it was a decent way to spend an afternoon.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a book club selection described as a "fun, beachy read". Perhaps the cover art suggests so, but I cannot agree. I couldn't even finish this bore of a story. It read as some prolonged soap opera drama of whiney New England-ites, families that have grown apart and bitch about each other. Nothing about this book is captivating and I tried way to hard to finish each chapter. I finally gave up! This book is an anticlimactic, boring melodramatic tale of broken families. Yawn.
I like how the story is told from 4 different characters. Each of these characters are flawed which makes them likable and unlikeable at the same time. Not a lot that happens in the book- much more focused on characters and interactions among them. I do feel like the end left some unanswered questions which I do not like. But, I am ready to go to a beach house in Maine now.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, Death of parent, War
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
This is a great summer read. It is the story of three generations of women in an Irish-Catholic family--and the bonds that tie them together as well as the conflicts that make almost every encounter a conflict.
I loved it. I can't help but be fascinated by anything that attempts to explain the mysteries of motherhood, parent/child relationships and dysfunctional families.
The multi-generational story of an Irish American family with plenty of dysfunction and alcoholism to go around. I didn't want this book to end.
I found myself laughing out old at many points in the book. The characters are all deeply flawed but very real. I laughed because of the honesty the recognition. I might very well have many of thoughts these folks have. DOn't get me wrong. It's not all laughs. There is true tragedy within these pages. It's quite a ride.