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alisonjfields's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting premise. Funny to start. Quickly unravels about 1/3 of the way through. The rest is a jumble of not-completely realized ideas, fizzled plotlines, unnecessary characters, and treacly WTF philosophical musings. By the end, I was unable to square whether or not this book had actually skipped a floor from disappointment to Full-On Fiasco. And that's a shame because the beginning is good enough that you want it to succeed. This book is basically a cautionary tale demonstrating why sometimes you need to scrap your first novel, even when (especially when) it feels like a part of you.
randybo5's review against another edition
3.0
Wonderful dialogue and well-drawn characters, this story of Collie Flanagan, alternates between hilarity and despair. He is the only semi-sane person in his extremely dysfunctional family. This book is a case where I wish we could give half stars; the only thing that kept me from rating this four stars was a less than satisfactory ending.
catladylover94's review against another edition
4.0
funny book, not a 5 star, but close, i laugh at the names of the characters, and the comedy of it all.
iamleahmarie's review
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.25
shesnicky's review against another edition
3.0
It was a good book there is no denying it on my part. I generally really liked the characters and the way Elizabeth went about setting the scene and all that. I quite loved all the different characters (although I hated the mum) and I though Bingo and Collie were brilliant. I have to say that at times it didn't seem to me that there was a very clear plot. As if there was no where this book was actually taking me. I liked the fast pace at the beginning and as always with these types of books, I liked it best when Collie was in his adolescence.
So overall a good book. To be honest I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, in fact I think it's quite particular. (I'm glad I picked it up when I went to a garage sale)
So overall a good book. To be honest I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, in fact I think it's quite particular. (I'm glad I picked it up when I went to a garage sale)
runkefer's review against another edition
3.0
This is hard to review. The voice was interesting, the characters engaging (if a bit over the top), but the plot was all over the place. Death and mayhem everywhere you looked, somewhat out of sync with the smart-alecky tone. The ending was not quite up to the epic setup. I enjoyed the reading process, but in the end wasn't quite sure what the point was.
violetu's review against another edition
4.0
I love books that make my own family - both birth family and current family - seem really, really normal. Hilarious book, but it also made me cry.
readbyryan's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know how I feel about this book. I can't say I liked it, but that's not to mean it's bad. It's well written and mildly entertaining and easy to read. At first I thought this was the comical coming-of-age story of a rich boy from Martha's Vineyard. Around page 150, the book takes a real tragic turn and gets kind of dark. Then the book goes all over the place. I don't feel like this was a story to be told, but at the same time I found myself lost in the characters and the story. I don't get the title at all. It's referenced towards the end and I think it was supposed to be a lesson or moral but I didn't get it. Overall, not a bad read, but not the best.