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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this road trip with Boop and Eve. A lot is going on in this story, which makes it more substantial and fun to read.
I loved this book! The characters’ personalities shine through and really draw you in. The story is thoughtful, sweet but not sappy, and discusses tough issues. I highlighted several passages that were filled beautiful wisdom. This story made me wish I had taken a long road trip with my own grandmother!
I thought this was pretty terrible, but maybe I’m not the target audience? The way it dealt with a baby having a birth defect in present day seemed bizarre and outdated. I realize everyone wants a healthy baby, but the idea that a birth defect is shameful and should be hidden is kind of offensive to people with disabilities. I really don’t understand the 4 and 5 star ratings for this one. It was also pretty boring. And it won an award? I guess I just don’t get it.
I loved this story, focused on family relationships and truth. Boop and her granddaughter, Eve, take a road trip to find Eve’s cousin and best friend, Ally. The road trip comes at a time in Eve’s life when her self doubt leads to depression. Boop reveals her long road to healing after suffering a major loss, resulting in severe depression. Justine, Eve’s mother, has been pressuring Eve to attend college and enter medicine, which Eve has no interest on at all. The way the relationship between the three women develops is at the heart of the book, as the discussion of mental illness is also essential to the story. Thanks to NetGalley for this wonderful book, which I highly recommend.
I loved this story! Mary Helen Sheriff perfectly captured the complex relationships mothers and daughters have. Boop has a special bond with her granddaughter, Eve, often to combat her controlling daughter. When Eve's best friend (and cousin) disappears leaving only a cryptic message, Eve is desperate to help her. As the trip unfolds, it becomes clear that the cousin is not the only one with secrets. Secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface. The secret that was once a shield can become a weapon. Mary Helen Sheriff knows how to plan a trip. At times funny, touching, sad- always honest and real.
Way too country for me. “Might could” and “butter my biscuits” aren’t my cup of tea.
I had definite expectations about this book after reading the back cover. I was definitely surprised by the serious topics in this book, but so glad the author chose to go there. I often find myself bored with books when I can tell where they are going with the plot. I thought I knew what was going to happen in this book and was thrilled to be wrong. While there were some predictable moments, the story arcs in a way that makes the trip worthwhile.
The way Mary Sheriff managed to weave the story elements together was masterful and the timing of the tension (something really hard to pull off as a writer) was perfect. I read this book in a few sittings because I was sure I was getting to a point where I could put it down, and I just had to keep reading.
As others have stated, Boop is the sweetest character, yet she has a depth that you don't expect. We all could be better people if we had someone like Boop in our lives.
If I had any criticism, it would be to have a more well-rounded look at Eve's mother. I realize the distance was done to show her in a certain light, but I was left wondering more about her. Regardless, this small thing doesn't impact the wonderful story that is told in this novel.
It's a quick read and it left me thinking after I put the book down, a sure sign to me of a well written book.
The way Mary Sheriff managed to weave the story elements together was masterful and the timing of the tension (something really hard to pull off as a writer) was perfect. I read this book in a few sittings because I was sure I was getting to a point where I could put it down, and I just had to keep reading.
As others have stated, Boop is the sweetest character, yet she has a depth that you don't expect. We all could be better people if we had someone like Boop in our lives.
If I had any criticism, it would be to have a more well-rounded look at Eve's mother. I realize the distance was done to show her in a certain light, but I was left wondering more about her. Regardless, this small thing doesn't impact the wonderful story that is told in this novel.
It's a quick read and it left me thinking after I put the book down, a sure sign to me of a well written book.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love a good road trip story, and with all this COVID-19-being-stuck-at-home stuff going on...a road trip sounded especially appealing. This particular literary road trip features Boop and Eve, a grandmother and granddaughter. Eve is attending college in Florida where she is studying biology (at her mother's urging) even though she dreams of being a fashion designer. She is lonely and depressed, unhappy with the direction of her life, yet not wanting to disappoint her mother.
When her cousin/best friend Ally goes off the grid, Eve decides to journey from Florida to her family's beach house in Virginia. Her 80 year old grandmother, Boop, decides to tag along in order to see her sister (ally's grandmother). Along the way, the two women work through their emotions and secrets (both current and decades old). Boop dealt with depression in her past and hopes to pull Eve out of hers. Both Boop and Eve also have a difficult relationship with Justine (Eve's mom and Boop's daughter).
This was a sad and charming, yet ultimately uplifting story. I enjoyed my journey with these two women and they were both likable and relatable. The story touches a bit on how society has viewed a mothers role through different generations. The big takeaway though is the impact of keeping secrets from those that you love. I recommend this one for fans of Southern women's fiction.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
What to listen to while you read this one...
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
when the party's over by Billie Eilish
I'm in Here (Piano/Vocal version) by Sia
Automobile by KALEO
Fountain of Youth by Local Natives
Forever Young by Alphaville
Savannah by Relient K
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
In My Secret Life by Leonard Cohen
When her cousin/best friend Ally goes off the grid, Eve decides to journey from Florida to her family's beach house in Virginia. Her 80 year old grandmother, Boop, decides to tag along in order to see her sister (ally's grandmother). Along the way, the two women work through their emotions and secrets (both current and decades old). Boop dealt with depression in her past and hopes to pull Eve out of hers. Both Boop and Eve also have a difficult relationship with Justine (Eve's mom and Boop's daughter).
This was a sad and charming, yet ultimately uplifting story. I enjoyed my journey with these two women and they were both likable and relatable. The story touches a bit on how society has viewed a mothers role through different generations. The big takeaway though is the impact of keeping secrets from those that you love. I recommend this one for fans of Southern women's fiction.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
What to listen to while you read this one...
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
when the party's over by Billie Eilish
I'm in Here (Piano/Vocal version) by Sia
Automobile by KALEO
Fountain of Youth by Local Natives
Forever Young by Alphaville
Savannah by Relient K
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
In My Secret Life by Leonard Cohen
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Eve is drowning. She's stuck in college classes she doesn't want to take because her mom wants her to be pre-med. The friends she had started to make are drifting away, and her best friend is in California and not responding to any of her messages.
Boop is worried about her granddaughter, Eve, but is uncertain about how to deal with the depression that Eve is facing. She had her own dark times, and her own secrets, and did not handle them well in the face of a time that was much less understanding.
Enter the power of a road trip! Though the book faces mental illness and complicated family issues with honesty and integrity, it also brings in all the light and laughter of a good road trip. Boop and Eve are travelling back to Virginia from Florida, with planned stops at the family's beach house and Boop's sister. Along the way, Eve's opportunities open up and she begins to see a way around her mother's expectations, while Boop finds a way through her past. I was invested in these characters. I cared about them and couldn't wait to see what happened. I laughed and cried with them, and I'm sad to leave them now that I've finished the book.
Eve is drowning. She's stuck in college classes she doesn't want to take because her mom wants her to be pre-med. The friends she had started to make are drifting away, and her best friend is in California and not responding to any of her messages.
Boop is worried about her granddaughter, Eve, but is uncertain about how to deal with the depression that Eve is facing. She had her own dark times, and her own secrets, and did not handle them well in the face of a time that was much less understanding.
Enter the power of a road trip! Though the book faces mental illness and complicated family issues with honesty and integrity, it also brings in all the light and laughter of a good road trip. Boop and Eve are travelling back to Virginia from Florida, with planned stops at the family's beach house and Boop's sister. Along the way, Eve's opportunities open up and she begins to see a way around her mother's expectations, while Boop finds a way through her past. I was invested in these characters. I cared about them and couldn't wait to see what happened. I laughed and cried with them, and I'm sad to leave them now that I've finished the book.