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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This book was a really quick read. Everything about it was 4 star...the characters, the storyline, the writing, the ending. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for a fast read that kept my attention to the end!
I wouldn't define this book "gripping"; it's actually quite slow. The style is easy and pleasant to read and for this reason I gave it 3 stars. It tells the story of a family, their issues (domestic violence - there are no heavy descriptions though) and how those issues affected their lives in different ways. There are some interesting ideas and the main character, Alice, evolves throughout the book, however the ending seemed to me a bit too easy and idillic. I preferred other books by the same author.
emotional
hopeful
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good start
It sounded good in beginning but turned out to be a Bollywood movie. Nothing heard of before. Not bad with the flow of conversations and character picturisation.
It sounded good in beginning but turned out to be a Bollywood movie. Nothing heard of before. Not bad with the flow of conversations and character picturisation.
2.5* .
I guess it was OK, not my cuppa tea unfortunately. Family drama that was fine to listen to in the background but didn't engage me much.
I guess it was OK, not my cuppa tea unfortunately. Family drama that was fine to listen to in the background but didn't engage me much.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good start
It sounded good in beginning but turned out to be a Bollywood movie. Nothing heard of before. Not bad with the flow of conversations and character picturisation.
It sounded good in beginning but turned out to be a Bollywood movie. Nothing heard of before. Not bad with the flow of conversations and character picturisation.
Alice isn't happy with Ken. Back then she had to marry him, leave Joe behind. Her life would be much more bearable if only she could see her family more often. She loves her grandsons but her son Tim, successful and happily married doesn't visit often and his wife Natalia seems not to like her in-laws very much. The other son Matt was always somewhat on the dark side, now he has been traveling for too long. And Ken forbad her too see her only friend Dod since she left her husband. When Alice finally decides to do something, she learns that nothing in her family is as it seems...
This is the tale of Alice's life, memories of her childhood with the tragic story of her brother, her youth and scenes of her marriage. The story of Matt, estranged from his family, kind of hiding in France. And the story of Tim, always the good son, and Natalia, who have a good marriage but never talk about the ghosts of their past.
How they all became who they are, how their lifes became what they are.
The complexities of being normal people with problems, how you can't judge anyone for being selfish at times or making little wrong decisions even if they mean a lot and affect you and your memories,
Reading not only about Alice but also about the lives of her sons, the dynamic of their relationships and their ugly memories of their childhood really made this special. I love how the pieces clicked into place, how different parts of this show that perspective is key. The way everone acts and reacts says so much. I loved how the true nature of everyone involved was slowly revealed. Especially with Ken it has the right effect.
The characters are heavily developed and brought to life perfectly. The whole thing really is witty, honest and moving.
I loved reading about Natalia and Tim. She's really something but I got to see beyond her effort to appear perfect, to see her insecurities, flaws and wishes. Her fantasies and her russian breakfast were hilarious, the scene where she accuses her little son was disturbing, her past tragic. She has a mean sense of humor and I absolutely can relate to the swearing in mother language when mad.
Tim was susprisingly insecure himself, his constant worries and him remembering the broken wrist, the head under water, the boot in the face, the night in the cupboard made me feel sorry for the little boy he was. His determination to not get involved was understandable but his comments about Alice winding Ken up made me question him.
It was Matts perspective, his memories, that made me understand Tim.
Matt lives a life no one knows about. He walked away from the trouble at home but surprisingly he has more in common with his mother than he thought. I loved Bruno and his honest and open take on life. I loved how the honesty versus tact game played out when Alice was offended, when he tells her to quit complaining. Same as Natalia, when she could look beyond the looks, he surprised her and was just what she and this story needed.
The Joe-twist does explain lots of things mentioned earlier but the book didn't exactly need it.
It was great to see Alice evolve, how she realized that she way lying to herself along with everyone else, how she thought about the complaining. The complaining, pointing out negative and grumbling all the time was probably the one thing that made me understand, how she exhausted everyone. It would have exhausted me, if I wasn't so absorbed into the deeper meaning.
Such a great read!
This is the tale of Alice's life, memories of her childhood with the tragic story of her brother, her youth and scenes of her marriage. The story of Matt, estranged from his family, kind of hiding in France. And the story of Tim, always the good son, and Natalia, who have a good marriage but never talk about the ghosts of their past.
How they all became who they are, how their lifes became what they are.
The complexities of being normal people with problems, how you can't judge anyone for being selfish at times or making little wrong decisions even if they mean a lot and affect you and your memories,
Reading not only about Alice but also about the lives of her sons, the dynamic of their relationships and their ugly memories of their childhood really made this special. I love how the pieces clicked into place, how different parts of this show that perspective is key. The way everone acts and reacts says so much. I loved how the true nature of everyone involved was slowly revealed. Especially with Ken it has the right effect.
The characters are heavily developed and brought to life perfectly. The whole thing really is witty, honest and moving.
I loved reading about Natalia and Tim. She's really something but I got to see beyond her effort to appear perfect, to see her insecurities, flaws and wishes. Her fantasies and her russian breakfast were hilarious, the scene where she accuses her little son was disturbing, her past tragic. She has a mean sense of humor and I absolutely can relate to the swearing in mother language when mad.
Tim was susprisingly insecure himself, his constant worries and him remembering the broken wrist, the head under water, the boot in the face, the night in the cupboard made me feel sorry for the little boy he was. His determination to not get involved was understandable but his comments about Alice winding Ken up made me question him.
It was Matts perspective, his memories, that made me understand Tim.
Matt lives a life no one knows about. He walked away from the trouble at home but surprisingly he has more in common with his mother than he thought. I loved Bruno and his honest and open take on life. I loved how the honesty versus tact game played out when Alice was offended, when he tells her to quit complaining. Same as Natalia, when she could look beyond the looks, he surprised her and was just what she and this story needed.
The Joe-twist does explain lots of things mentioned earlier but the book didn't exactly need it.
It was great to see Alice evolve, how she realized that she way lying to herself along with everyone else, how she thought about the complaining. The complaining, pointing out negative and grumbling all the time was probably the one thing that made me understand, how she exhausted everyone. It would have exhausted me, if I wasn't so absorbed into the deeper meaning.
Such a great read!
This book deserves its five stars. It is a very thought provoking book about violence and bullying within a family and how this impacts upon every member and changes their lives. Alice is a wonderful but weak character and Nick has brought her to life perfectly with all her imperfections and I was cheering when she finally stood up for herself. I love how each family member perceives Alice differently, and this is a the great strength of the author's writing, he slowly changes your perception of a character throughout the story. I did silently cheer when Alice finally stood up for herself.
I don't want to give too much away but this book will certainly make you think about what goes on within a family, and I did have tears in my eyes quite a few times, sad and happy ones. All the family members have a sad but uplifting and utterly believable story to tell and from my point of view it left me wanting more, in a good way because I was totally caught up in their lives. I hope the next Nick Alexander book is not too far away.
Thank you NetGalley, Nick Alexander, and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#TheOtherSon #NetGalley
I don't want to give too much away but this book will certainly make you think about what goes on within a family, and I did have tears in my eyes quite a few times, sad and happy ones. All the family members have a sad but uplifting and utterly believable story to tell and from my point of view it left me wanting more, in a good way because I was totally caught up in their lives. I hope the next Nick Alexander book is not too far away.
Thank you NetGalley, Nick Alexander, and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#TheOtherSon #NetGalley
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes