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julieb118's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this book - good family story, and loved a story taking place in hawaii - and introducing the reader to the scenery, life-style, etc., always present in Hawaii - but not being just about living in Hawaii. It really is a story of love and grief, and anger, and family, and moving on. Look forward to reading more by this author.
alison_marie's review against another edition
4.0
This was a phenomenal book - equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. I'm eager to see how the movie compares.
michelleredday's review against another edition
5.0
The characters in this book are as real as it gets. The family dynamic was so interesting and I could not put this novel down. The evolution of Matt King throughout the novel was heartwarming. The relationship between Matt and his two daughters and the immense change they all go through after their mother's accident was deep and moving. An amazing novel!
mfumarolo's review against another edition
4.0
I remember seeing the film adaptation of this book and thinking it was such an impressive and poignant story, but I had no idea it was based off a book. Looking to expand beyond my usual YA fare and wanting a story that was a bit more "grown-up", this is a case of Hollywood did the book justice. The writing style isn't particularly flowery, yet had such strong imagery. The cast is small and each character is multidimensional, including Joanie, the woman in a coma since before the story starts and who has brought this family back together, geographically speaking. This has been on my to-read list for far too long, but better to get to it late than never.
mckinlay's review against another edition
4.0
the book basically mirrors the movie. i think from now on, if i've already seen a movie, i'm just skipping the book.
judy_bagley's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very emotional, well-written novel. Unfortunately, I saw the movie before I read the book. It was a great movie, but I couldn't get the "movie characters" out of my head and they took over and limited the "novel characters" for me!
irishlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
The characters are well-developed and interesting, but I was disappointed in the story line. This one is probably best enjoyed by middle-aged men and women who have been affected by marital affairs.
kerryzielke's review against another edition
4.0
I loved that it was more about the relationship between a man an his daughter than the dying mom. It was hard to really feel for the mother because she wasn't very likeable. In fact, if it wasn't written from the fathers point of view, I'm not sure I would have felt bad for the father, either. Great read and cry, though.
lindsayhumes's review against another edition
3.0
I read The Descendants on my flight to Maui. I had seen the movie several years ago, so I thought I would check out the book. It's poorly written, maybe that excuse is used as it comes from the narrator Matt King's perspective. I had to stop myself in the middle of it, and reflect on the immaturity of the sentence structure.
It's a quick read, and some of the character details are charming. Even though the written quality is poor, I found the novel entertaining - a perfect pool read or quick flight read.
It's a quick read, and some of the character details are charming. Even though the written quality is poor, I found the novel entertaining - a perfect pool read or quick flight read.
vinitneo's review against another edition
5.0
The book is narrated by Matt King, who is the protagonist of this novel. He is a royal descendant and one of the state’s largest landowner. His wife is in a permanent coma after a boating accident. He has two daughters, Alex and Scottie. Scottie is a smart-ass and craves for attention. Alex is a former model and a recovering drug addict. Matt has never actively managed or involved with his daughters and he doesn’t know how to. He learns from his older daughter that his wife was cheating on him. This book is about how he embraces his role as a single father, how he gets close to his daughter. How he deals with the betrayal and death of his wife. Read the rest in my blog - http://vinitneo.com/2012/03/the-descendants-book-review/