Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great book that really speaks to how pride and other emotions get in the way of common sense and human decency.
Compelling story about two characters caught fatalistically in a minor conflict that grows out of proportion. Interesting, the characters are at turns winning my empathy and not--which of course must makes them more realistically complex and human.
I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars until the second part. The second part... 3 stars. Part II is totally unrealistic. It doesn't match the first half of the book. I liked it until Lester started to try and be the superhero.
The only book I have ever read where I actually threw the book across the room when I was finished with it. I know so many people who loved it, but I hated it. Would like those hours back to read something else.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Great character development - had me rooting for two opposing sides within the first 50 pages with no possibilty of a compromise. Dubus does a great job weaving this story. I do, however, have to take issue with the lack of response from the county government, but accuracy here would've killed the plot, so ... on with the story.
I just didn't like it. First of all, I found the setup unbelievable. It takes a lot more than just letters to dispossess someone of their house. At some point, there would have been subpoenas and those are hard to miss. And the idea that the government would make a mistake like that and never correct it and then immediately turn around and sell the house the minute she was evicted -- I don't think it works that way. And Mr. Behrani would have to qualify as a buyer for a short sell, which is what this would be. There is a process and he did not go through it. Secondly, I found it impossible to believe that Kathy could be so irresponsible as to not read the letters from the IRS and then prove competent enough to find a lawyer. In fact later in the book she is described as going through her mail very meticulously.
Third, the characters just didn't ring true -- any of them. I couldn't sympathize with them or identify with them in any way.
I get that the point was that both families -- Kathy and Les and the Behranis -- had hit bottom and that the battle over the house was a tragedy for everyone because they had so little left to lose. But something about the writing was grim and alienating to me. I just couldn't break through to caring about what happened to these people.
Third, the characters just didn't ring true -- any of them. I couldn't sympathize with them or identify with them in any way.
I get that the point was that both families -- Kathy and Les and the Behranis -- had hit bottom and that the battle over the house was a tragedy for everyone because they had so little left to lose. But something about the writing was grim and alienating to me. I just couldn't break through to caring about what happened to these people.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really unexpectedly enjoyable read! Gifted to me from my mom because she said it was a page turner and I was recovering post partum