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crousema's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
dghoiem's review against another edition
4.0
My husband and I listened to this audio book while on a recent road trip. I really enjoyed it. He did not. I had seen the movie back when it came out and enjoyed that as well, but I liked the main character even more in the book. He was a flawed man, trying to do the right thing in a tough situation. The character arcs of the two daughters felt genuine. I did wonder why none of them seemed overly distraught over the condition of the wife/mother, and it would have been easy to get hung up over their lack of emotion, but they each had their reasons and them dealing with that was a big part of the plot.
Having read the book, I find myself wanting to rewatch the movie.
Having read the book, I find myself wanting to rewatch the movie.
nikki52010's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 STARS
Unsure of my thoughts at the moment, so my rating is blank. This was a good book, although I did have a few issues. Review to come. Hopefully tomorrow when I can think clearly on this!
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
I would never have heard of the book if it wasn't for watching the George Clooney film, which it turns out is a very faithful adaptation.
As such, I knew what was happening throughout but that didn't detract.
Matt King lives in Hawaii, a lawyer, with land assets handed down from previous generations. His wife, a beautiful and outgoing thrill-seeker, has been in an accident and is in a coma.
Matt narrates his story, as he struggles over how to tell his two daughters, one 10 and one a rebellious teenager at boarding school that their mother won't be waking up. That is where the story starts really, how Matt and his daughters try to cope and help each other, as other secrets pop to the surface.
Its actually very funny. Scottie, the precocious 10-year-old is adorable in her language and emergent teenage tendencies, her older sister and especially her friend Sid catalysts and heart for much of the story. It's a simple and quite short story of a family coming to terms with a tragedy but very entertaining and heartfelt.
There's also a Clooney in-joke for anyone who's seen the film!
As such, I knew what was happening throughout but that didn't detract.
Matt King lives in Hawaii, a lawyer, with land assets handed down from previous generations. His wife, a beautiful and outgoing thrill-seeker, has been in an accident and is in a coma.
Matt narrates his story, as he struggles over how to tell his two daughters, one 10 and one a rebellious teenager at boarding school that their mother won't be waking up. That is where the story starts really, how Matt and his daughters try to cope and help each other, as other secrets pop to the surface.
Its actually very funny. Scottie, the precocious 10-year-old is adorable in her language and emergent teenage tendencies, her older sister and especially her friend Sid catalysts and heart for much of the story. It's a simple and quite short story of a family coming to terms with a tragedy but very entertaining and heartfelt.
There's also a Clooney in-joke for anyone who's seen the film!
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audio book performed by Jonathan Davis
3.5***
Most everyone thinks Matthew King is one of the luckiest men in Hawaii. His great-grandfather was a missionary who married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a royal descendant and owner (with his cousins) of one of the largest pieces of undeveloped real estate in the islands. But that is not his focus these days. His wife Joanie lies in a coma after a boating accident and he is left trying to deal with his two daughters – 10-year-old Scottie and 17-year-old Alexandra. He’s adrift and not certain he’s doing the right thing for his children in this situation. And then he discovers that before the accident, his wife was having an affair and planning to leave him for her new love.
This is a contemplative novel, and Davis does a fine job of narrating it. In the beginning I found his slow, deliberate reading just too ponderous. I wanted to get on with the story. However, I soon came to realize that this cautious performance was perfect for voicing Matt King as he observes and absorbs what his family really is vs what he thought it was, considers his options re his inherited land, and contemplates what to do with the new information he has about Joanie.
I had seen the movie and couldn’t help but see George Clooney and the other actors in my mind. The book is better than the movie, as any character-driven work would be. It’s a fine debut novel. I would read another work by Hemmings.
3.5***
Most everyone thinks Matthew King is one of the luckiest men in Hawaii. His great-grandfather was a missionary who married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a royal descendant and owner (with his cousins) of one of the largest pieces of undeveloped real estate in the islands. But that is not his focus these days. His wife Joanie lies in a coma after a boating accident and he is left trying to deal with his two daughters – 10-year-old Scottie and 17-year-old Alexandra. He’s adrift and not certain he’s doing the right thing for his children in this situation. And then he discovers that before the accident, his wife was having an affair and planning to leave him for her new love.
This is a contemplative novel, and Davis does a fine job of narrating it. In the beginning I found his slow, deliberate reading just too ponderous. I wanted to get on with the story. However, I soon came to realize that this cautious performance was perfect for voicing Matt King as he observes and absorbs what his family really is vs what he thought it was, considers his options re his inherited land, and contemplates what to do with the new information he has about Joanie.
I had seen the movie and couldn’t help but see George Clooney and the other actors in my mind. The book is better than the movie, as any character-driven work would be. It’s a fine debut novel. I would read another work by Hemmings.
alanacreech's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
your_true_shelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
cathi77's review against another edition
2.0
Not my favourite book. I found the story to be slow and not really going anywhere. Scottie I found to be annoying but the 1 thing I did enjoy was Matt and Alex's journey through the book and how their characters developed.
sternbergjulie's review against another edition
4.0
Fun and funny, with great characters. I long to edit the ending, though.