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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I selected this book for my library's inaugural book club without having read it. It was a risk, but a rewarding one. The beginning didn't grab me the way I'd hoped, but I got so invested in the characters by halfway through the novel it redeemed the mediocre beginning. The ending was truly perfect and it is, over all, a great read and a great choice for a book club, if I do say so myself...
Paula hasn't spoken to her mother for quite some time. And yet she never neglects her monthly check. The money is to atone for something Paula did long ago, and she has no idea how long that atonement will take. Then her latest check arrives voided and returned to sender with a note saying that her mother is dying and she doesn't want to see Paula.
The news is a shock that isn't lessened by the passing of time. And when a surprise visitor arrives, a brother Paula never knew about, she finds her life turned completely upside down.
This is a super simplified in a nutshell description of Joshilyn Jackson's latest. Paula is a divorce lawyer who had a very atypical childhood. She was born while her mother was in jail, they hopped around place to place with the changing of her mother's whims and boyfriends. Her name, never meant to be Paula, was taken from Eastern religion as were the bedtime stories she grew up with.
But the break between her and her mother is huge. Life changing and life shaping - not just for Paula. The relationship between her and her mother and exactly what happened between them make up the real meat and bones of the story - the base for what Paula becomes and the catalyst for how her life changes later on.
Paula has remade herself seemingly to spite her mother. A divorce attorney, one who is ruthless in her job, is so far removed from the wanderlust lifestyle she and her mother shared years ago. And as we get to know Paula the reasons behind this become so much more clear. The interesting thing, though, is that the path she's put herself on and the insular existence she's created for herself begins to change almost the instant she believes her mother has died. Some of that change is subtle, so much so that Paula doesn't even notice, but it's clear by her panic attacks that she's not ok.
Obviously Paula affected me. I loved her, I sympathized with her, but there's so much more to The Opposite of Everyone than just Paula. And that's what I love about Joshilyn Jackson's books. (I should note that Paula is a returning character from Someone Else's Love Story.) There are so many facets and layers to the story and the characters. And while Paula is our main character, I loved Birdwine and Julian equally as much. I could go on and on for days about them! Her stories are so rich and her characters so genuine that it's easy to slip inside their world and lose yourself in their story!
If you haven't read Jackson before, you're in for a treat. And if you're a fan, you're going to love this one just as much as the others!
The news is a shock that isn't lessened by the passing of time. And when a surprise visitor arrives, a brother Paula never knew about, she finds her life turned completely upside down.
This is a super simplified in a nutshell description of Joshilyn Jackson's latest. Paula is a divorce lawyer who had a very atypical childhood. She was born while her mother was in jail, they hopped around place to place with the changing of her mother's whims and boyfriends. Her name, never meant to be Paula, was taken from Eastern religion as were the bedtime stories she grew up with.
But the break between her and her mother is huge. Life changing and life shaping - not just for Paula. The relationship between her and her mother and exactly what happened between them make up the real meat and bones of the story - the base for what Paula becomes and the catalyst for how her life changes later on.
Paula has remade herself seemingly to spite her mother. A divorce attorney, one who is ruthless in her job, is so far removed from the wanderlust lifestyle she and her mother shared years ago. And as we get to know Paula the reasons behind this become so much more clear. The interesting thing, though, is that the path she's put herself on and the insular existence she's created for herself begins to change almost the instant she believes her mother has died. Some of that change is subtle, so much so that Paula doesn't even notice, but it's clear by her panic attacks that she's not ok.
Obviously Paula affected me. I loved her, I sympathized with her, but there's so much more to The Opposite of Everyone than just Paula. And that's what I love about Joshilyn Jackson's books. (I should note that Paula is a returning character from Someone Else's Love Story.) There are so many facets and layers to the story and the characters. And while Paula is our main character, I loved Birdwine and Julian equally as much. I could go on and on for days about them! Her stories are so rich and her characters so genuine that it's easy to slip inside their world and lose yourself in their story!
If you haven't read Jackson before, you're in for a treat. And if you're a fan, you're going to love this one just as much as the others!
I was excited to win a copy of [a:Joshilyn Jackson|45915|Joshilyn Jackson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1447590446p2/45915.jpg]'s newest book as I've really enjoyed all of the other books I have read by her and this one did not disappoint. The author has a way of creating unique, memorable characters. The author tackles serious themes here such as abandonment and dysfunctional families. Events transpire that force the main character, Paula to force the issues of her past and finally get to the bottom of it all and have a better understanding of her childhood and her mother. I can solidly recommend this one!
Joshilyn Jackson, you know how to write a story.
I enjoyed this book, but it honestly took me quite a while to get into it. Once I did I wanted to find out what would happen ASAP! I'm still absorbing the book because I read so much of it in one sitting.
The Opposite of Everyone tells the before and after story of Paula, one of the most interesting characters from Someone Else's Love Story. You don't have to have read either book to enjoy the other, but it's a fun overlap if you've read both.
I enjoyed Paula Vauss, even though we have next to nothing in common, as she's a tough, crass, very successful, powerful attorney. Paula's perfectly controlled adult life is broken into by secrets from her past, a childhood spent a step away from vagrancy and then in foster care. I really enjoyed watching the secrets Paula learns about her past inform and enlighten the memories of her childhood we see in flashbacks.
The flashbacks included lots of tough material, but with beautiful redemptive themes. The flashbacks also contain a lot of stories from the Hindu tradition, Paula's mom was obsessed with Hindu mythology (her birth name is Kali). I wasn't really sure what the point of that was (it is a MAJOR theme), but in the end you see they were there for a reason,I am fascinated by how the author used those stories to tell her story. Joshilyn Jackson was a professional narrator before being published, she does a fantastic job reading her books, so I recommend this on audio.
I enjoyed Paula Vauss, even though we have next to nothing in common, as she's a tough, crass, very successful, powerful attorney. Paula's perfectly controlled adult life is broken into by secrets from her past, a childhood spent a step away from vagrancy and then in foster care. I really enjoyed watching the secrets Paula learns about her past inform and enlighten the memories of her childhood we see in flashbacks.
The flashbacks included lots of tough material, but with beautiful redemptive themes. The flashbacks also contain a lot of stories from the Hindu tradition, Paula's mom was obsessed with Hindu mythology (her birth name is Kali). I wasn't really sure what the point of that was (it is a MAJOR theme), but in the end you see they were there for a reason,I am fascinated by how the author used those stories to tell her story. Joshilyn Jackson was a professional narrator before being published, she does a fantastic job reading her books, so I recommend this on audio.
Actual rating 3.8 stars.
As deep & character center this book was, the drama factor felt pretty tame. I appreciates extensive character study & I found that the most moving aspect about this book was that the reader gets to examine Paula's past as she rehashes it; drawing multiple conclusions with each retell much like the retelling of Kai's familiar stories & the string of lives they lived as she was growing up. Full review to come soon.
As deep & character center this book was, the drama factor felt pretty tame. I appreciates extensive character study & I found that the most moving aspect about this book was that the reader gets to examine Paula's past as she rehashes it; drawing multiple conclusions with each retell much like the retelling of Kai's familiar stories & the string of lives they lived as she was growing up. Full review to come soon.
The Opposite of Everyone, Joshilyn Jackson
Loved this. Touching, funny, and suspenseful, this book draws you in immediately. Paula Vauss is a great female character, flawed but tenacious and fabulous, with a back story that truly support who she is psychologically.
The novel grabs you because it is about real and somewhat damaged people striving to succeed while also being who they are. The main characters understand the good and bad about themselves and where they come from, and deal with their baggage as best they can. It is a book about real people, all kinds of family, forgiveness, learning to trust and opening oneself up to change and possibility.
Kali, or Paula as her grandparents renamed her, was raised by a free spirited mother Kai, who was good at stories, reinventing herself and connecting to men. She was also great at getting out of relationships when things were not going her way. Alway constant was the strong bond between Kai and Paula, until a terrible mistake lands Kai in Jail and Paula in foster care.
Paula, now a successful divorce attorney in Atlanta, hasn't seen her mother in many years, but a return to sender check from her mother changes her life in ways she could never have imagined.
What works so well about the book is the way the story moves back and forth between present day Paula struggling with relationships and fears about her mother, and young teen Paula in foster care, waiting for her mother to get out of jail and reclaim her. These intertwined Paula stories of love and loss culminate in a teary eyed ending that was just perfect. I hope someone is smart enough to make this into a movie.
Loved this. Touching, funny, and suspenseful, this book draws you in immediately. Paula Vauss is a great female character, flawed but tenacious and fabulous, with a back story that truly support who she is psychologically.
The novel grabs you because it is about real and somewhat damaged people striving to succeed while also being who they are. The main characters understand the good and bad about themselves and where they come from, and deal with their baggage as best they can. It is a book about real people, all kinds of family, forgiveness, learning to trust and opening oneself up to change and possibility.
Kali, or Paula as her grandparents renamed her, was raised by a free spirited mother Kai, who was good at stories, reinventing herself and connecting to men. She was also great at getting out of relationships when things were not going her way. Alway constant was the strong bond between Kai and Paula, until a terrible mistake lands Kai in Jail and Paula in foster care.
Paula, now a successful divorce attorney in Atlanta, hasn't seen her mother in many years, but a return to sender check from her mother changes her life in ways she could never have imagined.
What works so well about the book is the way the story moves back and forth between present day Paula struggling with relationships and fears about her mother, and young teen Paula in foster care, waiting for her mother to get out of jail and reclaim her. These intertwined Paula stories of love and loss culminate in a teary eyed ending that was just perfect. I hope someone is smart enough to make this into a movie.