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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book. The prose, the characters, the weaving between past and present, the growth, the family dynamics. Just overall stunning.
I’m a sucker for a slice of life family drama. Loved the Chicago connection. Nothing really to rave about but I enjoyed it.
Maybe 4.5?
I love a dysfunctional family story. I love a local story. This one is both. Perfect for fans of [a:J. Ryan Stradal|9761936|J. Ryan Stradal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553968591p2/9761936.jpg].
I love a dysfunctional family story. I love a local story. This one is both. Perfect for fans of [a:J. Ryan Stradal|9761936|J. Ryan Stradal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553968591p2/9761936.jpg].
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is my second Jennifer Close book, and both have been sneakily about politics (I suppose The Hopefuls was more overt in that respect). It's 2016 and the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected, and the patriarch of the Sullivan family dies. The next year or so of this expansive family story takes turns you don't expect but in a way that feels earned. This is a distinctly Chicago book with strong, compelling characters and a lot of conversation about privilege, white liberalism and feminism, and family.
I really enjoyed this and fell in love with the Sullivan family. Saw myself in many characters!
Such a good idea - neighborhood sports bar with family drama tossed in. But she failed to establish the neighbor other than naming it, and same for most of the family.
A family drama set in the hospitality industry? Count me in. This book occurs at the perfect time and place for high highs and low lows: Fall 2016, Chicago. The Cubs win the world series, and a few days later, Trump wins the presidency. At times the political commentary was a bit overdone, but overall I liked this book, especially the family dynamics.
Today I’m throwing back to the already much-acclaimed Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. As expected, it was good, a quick and engaging read. I love me a complicated family drama like this one, told through different viewpoints. The characters, young and old, were all appealing—realistic combinations of charming/interesting and flawed/frustrating. I enjoyed the suburban Chicago setting and references to the Cubs (my husband is from Chicago area), but loved even more the restaurant that is the nucleus of the family. If you’ve worked in the food business, you know when an author gets restaurant culture right. Plus, the book’s backdrop of current events—just after Trump’s election—helped make the plot events and mood all the more relatable. I closed this one satisfied!