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jchristy's review
2.0
I don't often give just 2 stars because I usually don't finish the book if that is the case. I was determined, though, as I felt there must be one redeeming character that wasn't immersed in guilt and self pity. My, oh my, but these people take the cake.
anrobe's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that defy categorization - it has a bit of a number of things (mystery, psychological thriller, literary fiction) but none of them are a clear match. All in all, I really liked this book. I think its very unique and interesting. I haven't really ever read anything quite like it, yet its not so out there as to be strange. It's definitely a psychological study of families, love and redemption. All of these aspects really appealed to me as a reader.
The pacing of the novel was extremely well done - giving away just enough to keep me reading but never enough to keep me from wondering what was really going on. The novelist moved back and forth in time effortlessly, giving the reader much to think about as the plot moved forward. Some of the pieces involving going back in time seemed to be short vignettes of their own. Yet, by the end of the novel, everything comes together to a satisfactory conclusion. All of the bits and pieces dropped along the way finally come together. It's obvious that Lisa Tucker is a good writer. She can construct fantastic stories and capture so much with her word.
The characters are what really made this novel stand out for me. I loved how well rounded they all were - fragile, raw, and complex. They are not particularly likeable but they are flawed and interesting to read about. Their experiences and the resulting flaws of character certainly made me think about the effects that our past experiences have on our current lives.
This isn't a happy book, per se. Although I wouldn't call it sad either. It's a fairly dark look into human fragility, family dynamics and forgiveness. But, its not sad or depressing in any way. I didn't find it to be a downer type book at all. But, it was thought-provoking and captivating. I definitely recommend this if you lean towards literary fiction, particularly stories with a strong psychological bent.
NOTE: I received the galley proof of this novel from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for review consideration.
The pacing of the novel was extremely well done - giving away just enough to keep me reading but never enough to keep me from wondering what was really going on. The novelist moved back and forth in time effortlessly, giving the reader much to think about as the plot moved forward. Some of the pieces involving going back in time seemed to be short vignettes of their own. Yet, by the end of the novel, everything comes together to a satisfactory conclusion. All of the bits and pieces dropped along the way finally come together. It's obvious that Lisa Tucker is a good writer. She can construct fantastic stories and capture so much with her word.
The characters are what really made this novel stand out for me. I loved how well rounded they all were - fragile, raw, and complex. They are not particularly likeable but they are flawed and interesting to read about. Their experiences and the resulting flaws of character certainly made me think about the effects that our past experiences have on our current lives.
This isn't a happy book, per se. Although I wouldn't call it sad either. It's a fairly dark look into human fragility, family dynamics and forgiveness. But, its not sad or depressing in any way. I didn't find it to be a downer type book at all. But, it was thought-provoking and captivating. I definitely recommend this if you lean towards literary fiction, particularly stories with a strong psychological bent.
NOTE: I received the galley proof of this novel from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for review consideration.
whatsheread's review against another edition
The Winters in Bloom is a chilling portrait of a modern family and how they react when their greatest fear is realized. As the story goes back and forth from David and Kyra's memories to their present-day sufferings, the reader is left to guess as to Michael's whereabouts and to the identity of his kidnapper. Ms. Tucker explores the long-lasting impact of secrets on relationships.
Kyra and David are so filled with fear that they make one uncomfortable. How they can say they are living life is completely questionable. As for the impact of their fears on Michael, one's heart goes out to him for being hampered by his parents' rules, which do nothing to protect him in the end anyway. In seeing Kyra and David's rules through Michael's eyes, the reader is left questioning whether Michael's parents are causing more harm than good.
As for the much-touted secrets harbored by both Kyra and David, they are decidedly anti-climactic. Both are so scared, that the reader's expectations are artificially raised. The secrets, when finally exposed, are serious but nothing that would require keeping it private from everyone, at least in my opinion. The reader can all but feel the tension leave the story after the big reveal as a result.
There is something fundamentally lacking in The Winters in Bloom that prevented me from enjoying the novel as much as I hoped. Considering a large majority of the action dealt around keeping secrets from loved ones, I struggled finding common ground with any of the characters. I do not buy the fact that two people who are supposedly so in love would hide such secrets for such a long time. The fact that they do is ultimately the root of all their problems and is depressing for how avoidable it all is. While I understand that this is the point, it is a rather gloomy image of trust in relationships that forces the book to fall flat for me.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Atria Books for my review copy!
Kyra and David are so filled with fear that they make one uncomfortable. How they can say they are living life is completely questionable. As for the impact of their fears on Michael, one's heart goes out to him for being hampered by his parents' rules, which do nothing to protect him in the end anyway. In seeing Kyra and David's rules through Michael's eyes, the reader is left questioning whether Michael's parents are causing more harm than good.
As for the much-touted secrets harbored by both Kyra and David, they are decidedly anti-climactic. Both are so scared, that the reader's expectations are artificially raised. The secrets, when finally exposed, are serious but nothing that would require keeping it private from everyone, at least in my opinion. The reader can all but feel the tension leave the story after the big reveal as a result.
There is something fundamentally lacking in The Winters in Bloom that prevented me from enjoying the novel as much as I hoped. Considering a large majority of the action dealt around keeping secrets from loved ones, I struggled finding common ground with any of the characters. I do not buy the fact that two people who are supposedly so in love would hide such secrets for such a long time. The fact that they do is ultimately the root of all their problems and is depressing for how avoidable it all is. While I understand that this is the point, it is a rather gloomy image of trust in relationships that forces the book to fall flat for me.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Atria Books for my review copy!
debrasbookcafe's review against another edition
4.0
reader_fictions's review against another edition
4.0
When I started reading my e-galley of The Winters in Bloom, I noticed first the page at the beginning where the publisher was talking about how much she loved this book and how it was the best one of the year. Her praise was so high that I kind of rolled my eyes, thinking that she loves it because it will make her money. I am happy to report that the book really was that good. From the absolutely incredible first chapter, I was totally involved in the story.
My one previous experience with Lisa Tucker proved disappointing (The Song Reader), perhaps because my expectations were really high. I own a couple of her other books, but haven't gotten to them yet. I am now super glad that I have them.
So yeah, I mentioned how mindblowing the first chapter was. The book opens from Michael's point of view (although in third person) and you can see how much he has been affected by his parent's worries. Young as he is, he has already inherited their fear of everything, as evidenced in the first line: "He was the only child in a house full of doubt." Five years old and he looks around thinking about the many ways he could get injured. This is what he was doing in his time in the backyard by himself when the nice lady came and asked him if he wanted to go on a ride. Wow. Just wow.
While the rest of the story was not as dramatic and intense as this one, the story definitely maintained its beautiful simplicity. I loved finding out what had happened to the various characters to make them into who they now were. There are a lot of hints as you go along, allowing you to make your own suppositions (I was right about David/Courtney, but wrong about Kyra).
If you like stories of family drama and broken people, this is one that is not to be missed. What a completely beautiful, depressing, uplifting story!
My one previous experience with Lisa Tucker proved disappointing (The Song Reader), perhaps because my expectations were really high. I own a couple of her other books, but haven't gotten to them yet. I am now super glad that I have them.
So yeah, I mentioned how mindblowing the first chapter was. The book opens from Michael's point of view (although in third person) and you can see how much he has been affected by his parent's worries. Young as he is, he has already inherited their fear of everything, as evidenced in the first line: "He was the only child in a house full of doubt." Five years old and he looks around thinking about the many ways he could get injured. This is what he was doing in his time in the backyard by himself when the nice lady came and asked him if he wanted to go on a ride. Wow. Just wow.
While the rest of the story was not as dramatic and intense as this one, the story definitely maintained its beautiful simplicity. I loved finding out what had happened to the various characters to make them into who they now were. There are a lot of hints as you go along, allowing you to make your own suppositions (I was right about David/Courtney, but wrong about Kyra).
If you like stories of family drama and broken people, this is one that is not to be missed. What a completely beautiful, depressing, uplifting story!
justalillost's review against another edition
4.0
This review can also be found on my blog Just a Lil Lost.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ (4/5 stars)
What begins as a story about a sheltered young boy who's kidnapped from his own front yard, The Winters in Bloom unravels into a much more complicated tale. When Michael follows a stranger into her car, his parents re-evaluate all the events in their lives that might have led to this point. Both David & Kyra are overly cautious parents, and overly protective of the choices they made prior to their son's arrival. Both are keeping secrets that are bubbling to the surface.
The book is narrated by various players, starting from the past and revealing bits of information as their turn comes up among the chapters. You learn about Kyra and her home life as a child with her sister. You learn about David's childhood with his parents. Other characters come into play and Tucker weaves their stories seamlessly into a dance of discovery and exposition. A trickle of information here, a hint of meaning there until it culminates to a satisfying conclusion. Tucker is talented in keeping the reader wondering who the kidnapper is throughout the book.
I'd usually forgive this if it were an ARC, however this was a final copy I received and one little oversight stuck out at me. Especially at a time when one of the characters is piecing everything together, the mix-up of names threw me off and had me confused and flipping through the book in case I had missed something. This mix-up of Kyra's name for another as the mother of the boy, if that was the big reveal in the story, would have been quite the shocker and quite frankly wouldn't really have made any sense.
Nonetheless, the novel moves at a steady pace and kept me guessing where the story was headed the whole time. It's an interesting statement on how protective parents can be with their children, pulling them from school to school because of potential bullies and real-life hazards only to end up sheltering them in a home-school situation where the danger could happen right under your nose in your own home.
The Winters in Bloom is currently available in stores.
I received this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ (4/5 stars)
What begins as a story about a sheltered young boy who's kidnapped from his own front yard, The Winters in Bloom unravels into a much more complicated tale. When Michael follows a stranger into her car, his parents re-evaluate all the events in their lives that might have led to this point. Both David & Kyra are overly cautious parents, and overly protective of the choices they made prior to their son's arrival. Both are keeping secrets that are bubbling to the surface.
The book is narrated by various players, starting from the past and revealing bits of information as their turn comes up among the chapters. You learn about Kyra and her home life as a child with her sister. You learn about David's childhood with his parents. Other characters come into play and Tucker weaves their stories seamlessly into a dance of discovery and exposition. A trickle of information here, a hint of meaning there until it culminates to a satisfying conclusion. Tucker is talented in keeping the reader wondering who the kidnapper is throughout the book.
I'd usually forgive this if it were an ARC, however this was a final copy I received and one little oversight stuck out at me. Especially at a time when one of the characters is piecing everything together, the mix-up of names threw me off and had me confused and flipping through the book in case I had missed something. This mix-up of Kyra's name for another as the mother of the boy, if that was the big reveal in the story, would have been quite the shocker and quite frankly wouldn't really have made any sense.
Nonetheless, the novel moves at a steady pace and kept me guessing where the story was headed the whole time. It's an interesting statement on how protective parents can be with their children, pulling them from school to school because of potential bullies and real-life hazards only to end up sheltering them in a home-school situation where the danger could happen right under your nose in your own home.
The Winters in Bloom is currently available in stores.
I received this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
knightedbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Won an autographed copy from shelfawareness.com. :)
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