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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Lizzie was scattered. Michael was a douche. Finn was amusing at times. Taylor was a doormat. Snow was nuts. I can't think of a worse group of people to be stuck on a tour with. I enjoy Ephron's work so I was mixed about this story with not one character worth rooting for. It did give Lizzie writing material and maybe that was the silver lining.
Two couples go on an Italian vacation together. One brings their 10-year-old daughter, the creepiest "shy" kid ever. Bad things happen.
I didn't like the characters in the book, but I still liked it. They were interesting, and remained true to character. Both husbands were cheating cads; in fact, I initially got the two confused. The mother is ridiculously over-the-top protective of her disturbed and disturbing daughter. Kathy, the most recent girlfriend of Michael, the writer, shows up in the same hotel they're all in, expecting him to divorce his wife and marry her. She's an idiot. A bubbly, bouncy, tacky idiot. The evil, creepy, possibly soulless kid has a crush on Michael.
It's an interesting look at couples and relationships and terrible parenting. And I want to go to Siracusa, if only for the food.
I didn't like the characters in the book, but I still liked it. They were interesting, and remained true to character. Both husbands were cheating cads; in fact, I initially got the two confused. The mother is ridiculously over-the-top protective of her disturbed and disturbing daughter. Kathy, the most recent girlfriend of Michael, the writer, shows up in the same hotel they're all in, expecting him to divorce his wife and marry her. She's an idiot. A bubbly, bouncy, tacky idiot. The evil, creepy, possibly soulless kid has a crush on Michael.
It's an interesting look at couples and relationships and terrible parenting. And I want to go to Siracusa, if only for the food.
I can sum up this book in 7 words: Extremely unpleasant people making poor life decisions.
I had been really excited to read this one, though: I'm a fan of Delia Ephron, and I had heard good things about this novel. However, I was very disappointed.
None of the characters were particularly well-rounded (even in their horribleness, they were dull), the plot was slow, and and I had to force myself to finish this book.
I had been really excited to read this one, though: I'm a fan of Delia Ephron, and I had heard good things about this novel. However, I was very disappointed.
None of the characters were particularly well-rounded (even in their horribleness, they were dull), the plot was slow, and and I had to force myself to finish this book.
Very well written book. Interesting plot that moves along fairly quickly. Good, quick summer read.
A beautiful setting full of horrible people! I hated every single one of these characters.
First things first: I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a GoodReads Giveaway.
Now that that's out of the way....
I really, really enjoyed this book. I first heard about it on the All the Books podcast, and Rebecca made it sound so intriguing. And it lived up to all my expectations.
The narration rotates among four characters: Lizzie, Michael, Finn, and Taylor. Lizzie and Michael are married, child-free writers living in New York City. Finn, Lizzie's one-time summer fling, is now a restauranteur in Portland, ME. Taylor, his wife, is a preppie New Englander who divides her time between running the Portland Tourism office and parenting their daughter, Snow, who has "Extreme Shyness Syndrome". The two couples and Snow have planned a joint trip to Siracusa, a tiny Sicilian town. Of course, with the five of them so close together, all their differences come to the fore, secrets are exposed, and lies are uncovered.
All of the characters are fully-rounded people with flaws and frailties, all trying to put their best face forward and revealing themselves as they share the bits and pieces of what happened on that trip. There's plenty of foreboding in the early chapters, so you, the reader, know from the outset this vacation is going to be more than they bargained for. The hints maintain the suspense right up until the ending, when all the threads weave together.
Now that that's out of the way....
I really, really enjoyed this book. I first heard about it on the All the Books podcast, and Rebecca made it sound so intriguing. And it lived up to all my expectations.
The narration rotates among four characters: Lizzie, Michael, Finn, and Taylor. Lizzie and Michael are married, child-free writers living in New York City. Finn, Lizzie's one-time summer fling, is now a restauranteur in Portland, ME. Taylor, his wife, is a preppie New Englander who divides her time between running the Portland Tourism office and parenting their daughter, Snow, who has "Extreme Shyness Syndrome". The two couples and Snow have planned a joint trip to Siracusa, a tiny Sicilian town. Of course, with the five of them so close together, all their differences come to the fore, secrets are exposed, and lies are uncovered.
All of the characters are fully-rounded people with flaws and frailties, all trying to put their best face forward and revealing themselves as they share the bits and pieces of what happened on that trip. There's plenty of foreboding in the early chapters, so you, the reader, know from the outset this vacation is going to be more than they bargained for. The hints maintain the suspense right up until the ending, when all the threads weave together.
Lizzie is the reason this book gets 3 stars, otherwise, I'd say it's a 2 star at best. This is not generally my genre of choice, for example, I think I am one of the only people for whom The Girl on the Train was not earth shatteringly awesome. But I just don't think I've ever read anything with SO MUCH foreshadowing. Like, from page one, every character is writing looking back in time reflecting on a hugely life changing and altering event - so there's never a chance of anything coming out of the blue. And you know it has to be big, to have effected everyone so much, so there's really only so many options. And as soon as you read just a little bit of Taylor's obsession with her perfect, innocent, over-protected daughter, you just KNOW that little girl is the center of things. Especially since she is the one that doesn't get a narration voice. She's just presented as too innocent - no kid is actually like that. So the fact that the BIG EVENT is caused by her...not super surprising. And that right there is why I don't think this was anything overly special. It built for so long, then BOOM Kathy's death, the probability that Snow did it, the decision to hide it, alibi her and then it's over. Too fast after way too much build. But Lizzie - the introspection at the end about being surprised by herself, by what she is capable of, keeping her mouth shut about a murder because telling what she saw might actually implicate herself. What's right there? IT's the last section, the last thing you read, and it sticks with you. What is a person capable of? Hoe do you know until you face it? And would you be proud of yourself for what you are able to do or not do? Being left with that consideration is really the only way this story gets deeper... Otherwise it's just a couple voices, albeit well written different voices/personalities (good work there), with an overly predictable reveal, a view of nothing really special/unique marital and parenting problems (Michael and Finn are just uninspired guys...), and an overuse of foreshadowing that really can only ultimately end in letdown/disappointment.
Dnf. Bored!
Nothing about the story-line or characters spoke to me. And I love tons of books with un-likeable characters. It really bothers me that I didn't care for this one at all but maybe I just didn't get it?
2016 was the year I finally said screw it, life's too short to suffer through a book I don't like.
Onto the next!
Nothing about the story-line or characters spoke to me. And I love tons of books with un-likeable characters. It really bothers me that I didn't care for this one at all but maybe I just didn't get it?
2016 was the year I finally said screw it, life's too short to suffer through a book I don't like.
Onto the next!
I rarely say this about a book but the writing drew me in from the first page. I said out loud "im only on page 4 but this book is SO good!" Something about it was that 'hearing it from your best friend' that's always described but never really achieved. I was so drawn in by this book from page 1 to page ..240? But the ending was a little lame. It's bizarre to me that the whole book is told as an after the fact and everyone is so crazed by the events but in the book when the events happen and the after chapters, everyone stays calm. That was bizarre to me when 90% of the book was build up. The multiple narrators worked really well, and it had my attention almost the whole way. 4/5: great writing, great character development, bit of a strange plot, and an unsatisfying ending.