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jessad15's review against another edition
1.0
I was kinda disappointed in this book...It was no where near as good as the lovely bones. I also was happy with the way it ended. All together in my opinion this was not the best Alice Sebold has done.
bookapotamus's review against another edition
2.0
Written very nicely but super-weak plot. The first sentence grabs you but after that it completely falls apart and ends with you feeling incomplete.
kschulze's review against another edition
2.0
I really didn't like this one. I usually dont go below 3 stars, but I had to here. After the lovely bones, I was excited to read the almost moon! I started this book, and read about 6 other books before finally coming back to it and finishing it.
The only reason I finished it was because I HATE leaving books half-read.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, the plot could have been interesting enough, but the main character was just not likable! At all! I would have been okay with a main character that I hated because I was supposed to hate her, but Helen was just... Blah.
The book just flat out disappointed me. I did not care for any of the other characters, and I especially did not care for the decisions Helen made. The entire time I was reading, I found myself wishing that she had just gone to the police and turned herself in directly after the crime. It would have made me happier!
The only reason I finished it was because I HATE leaving books half-read.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, the plot could have been interesting enough, but the main character was just not likable! At all! I would have been okay with a main character that I hated because I was supposed to hate her, but Helen was just... Blah.
The book just flat out disappointed me. I did not care for any of the other characters, and I especially did not care for the decisions Helen made. The entire time I was reading, I found myself wishing that she had just gone to the police and turned herself in directly after the crime. It would have made me happier!
lbb00ks's review against another edition
Although I understand that the maddeninly slow progression of plot in this novel mirrors the inner life of the novel's protagonist, ultimately this was unsatisfying to me. I enjoyed The Lovely Bones until the main character's sister discovers the truth about her death, then felt that everything that came after that was beside the point, and an odd message about redemption in the afterlife. I think this novel also has an end problem that is similarly unsatisfying in what is to be our ultimate understanding of why and how these events transpired.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 STARS
"For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined. Unfolding over the next twenty-four hours, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, the meaning of devotion, and the line between love and hate." (From Amazon)
Maybe I like my mom too much but I could not get into this story at all and only finished it because it was written by Alice Sebold.
"For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined. Unfolding over the next twenty-four hours, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, the meaning of devotion, and the line between love and hate." (From Amazon)
Maybe I like my mom too much but I could not get into this story at all and only finished it because it was written by Alice Sebold.
nglofile's review against another edition
I was aware of the disturbing premise, but that with other developments just became unbearable.
audiobook note: Joan Allen is excellent, probably the only reason I stayed with it as long as I did.
audiobook note: Joan Allen is excellent, probably the only reason I stayed with it as long as I did.
evawhite's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Alcohol
a_wrapped_up_reader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it’s a very dark and twisted novel. the main character is a very troubled woman, and the book focuses on her strained relationship with her family, particularly her mother. as the book goes on, it’s very clear that both the main character and her mother suffer from serious mental health struggles. they don’t learn to deal with these struggles, however. it’s very weird, and very creepy, and i was not ready for it at all. i wouldn’t want to read it again.
nnastia's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe not the most exciting plot for most but hit me like a ton of bricks.
An exploration of generational trauma like no other.
An exploration of generational trauma like no other.