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heyhannahrae's review against another edition
4.0
I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. Solid characterization.
throwmeabook's review
3.0
The latest from gifted storyteller Sonja Yoerg, is a touching story of courage and the power of love across three generations of women struggling to come to terms with the impact mental illness has had on them and their families.
vickimarie2002's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely incredible story of a family and what makes them not perfect. It could be a completely true story. It's so real and raw and shows the struggles! Very good!!
inliterarylove's review
5.0
All the Best People is a wonderful, heartfelt novel about mental illness, secrets and family. The book is told through the eyes of 3 generations- Solange, her daughters Carole and Janine, and Carole's daughter Alison. Solange is a "pirate" from the wrong side of the tracks and marries Osbourne, from a prominent family. She is committed when Carol is just a young child and Janine, a newborn, has yet to be named. Next, Carole begins to hear voices as a mother to adolescent Alison (and her twin teenage boys), while working in her husband's shop. She is terrified and ashamed to end up like her mother and tries to hide her illness, but it becomes harder the longer she tries. Janine never really knew her mother, or her father, and is a narcissistic addition to the storyline. Other than Osbourne, it gives you someone to dislike and look forward to seeing if she gets her just desserts.
Yoerg goes back and forth, through each female's eyes, to show what it's like to deal with a mental illness, to have a family with a mental illness and the ramifications of it all. The reactions and emotions are real, raw and fantastically written. I savored this book, hoping it would last just a little bit longer. I know you will too.
Yoerg goes back and forth, through each female's eyes, to show what it's like to deal with a mental illness, to have a family with a mental illness and the ramifications of it all. The reactions and emotions are real, raw and fantastically written. I savored this book, hoping it would last just a little bit longer. I know you will too.
jordanthebiblipohile's review
5.0
Overall: ☆☆☆☆(4.8)
Writing style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Entertainment :☆☆☆☆☆
Characters:☆☆☆☆☆
Plot:☆☆☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆☆
Writing style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Entertainment :☆☆☆☆☆
Characters:☆☆☆☆☆
Plot:☆☆☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆☆
megmegjo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lee's review
5.0
This was one of those rare books where, a few chapters in, I already knew that it would be at minimum a 4-star read, possibly even 5 star. As I’ve said before, I’m stingy when it comes to ratings and I don’t give 5 stars very often, but when such a deserving book as this one comes along, I do not see how I can give anything less than 5 stars.
Sonja Yoerg’s [b:All the Best People|30687885|All the Best People|Sonja Yoerg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484217927s/30687885.jpg|51233665] captured my attention from the start. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of three generations of women from the same family – Carole, her sister Janine, their mother Solange, and Carole’s adolescent daughter Alison. Part 1, which takes place in 1972, sets up the story for us as we meet the LaPorte family through the voices of Carole, Alison, and Janine. From the first page, we already know that Carole’s mother Solange was committed to a mental institution a few decades ago, though the reasons why and the details from Solange’s backstory are withheld from us. Through the interactions of the LaPorte family, we are given some “clues” that point to a past family history filled with tragedy and sorrow -- through the character of Carole especially, we get the sense that some things happened in her childhood that seem to be coming back to haunt her now and suddenly, the blissful life she had built with her husband and three kids threatens to fall apart. In part 2, we are taken back to the year 1926 and Solange’s backstory, starting with her marriage to Osborn Gifford. From here, we start to put together the pieces of the puzzle and the “clues” from part 1 slowly gain clarity, with complex family dynamics and societal influences coming into play, culminating in us finally finding out what led Solange – a young mother at the time – to be institutionalized. Part 3 brings us back to 1972, to Carole and Alison and their family issues, which finally reach breaking point as Carole suspects that she might have the same “mental illness” as her mother and is terrified that, just like Solange, she may get locked up in an institution, abandoned by her family, destined to live a life of loneliness and isolation. Will Carole’s fate end up like Solange’s? Will her family be able to overcome the dark legacy of mental illness that has haunted their family line for nearly 5 decades? Though the ending was a bit flat for my liking in that it did not have the emotional pull that I was expecting, the revelations about the family lineage that came to light prior to that all but made up for it.
This book is both beautifully and brilliantly written! It wasn’t until I got to the end of the book that I realized the brilliance of the structure – having Carole’s story told in the present, then switching to the past to tell Solange’s story, then coming back to the present when both stories seem to converge and ultimately things come to a head at the end. The juxtaposition of both women’s stories, mixed with perspectives from Alison and Janine at just the right moments, presented a powerful examination of mental illness and its impact on family as well as how the choices and decisions one makes can have a lasting impact on future generations. But it also went beyond that, as there was also an exploration of relationships (some kept together by love while others are torn apart by betrayal), human dignity and morality, family history, class differences, the role of fate, the importance of trust, etc. There were even some “coming-of-age” elements with Alison’s story and also the recollection of Carole’s childhood!
Despite all I just wrote, I don’t think my review does justice to how great this book is. It’s a highly recommended read, one that will resonate with readers and may even stay with you long after you’ve finished reading (which is the impact it had on me).
Received advance reader’s copy from Berkley Press via Penguin First-to-Read program
Sonja Yoerg’s [b:All the Best People|30687885|All the Best People|Sonja Yoerg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484217927s/30687885.jpg|51233665] captured my attention from the start. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of three generations of women from the same family – Carole, her sister Janine, their mother Solange, and Carole’s adolescent daughter Alison. Part 1, which takes place in 1972, sets up the story for us as we meet the LaPorte family through the voices of Carole, Alison, and Janine. From the first page, we already know that Carole’s mother Solange was committed to a mental institution a few decades ago, though the reasons why and the details from Solange’s backstory are withheld from us. Through the interactions of the LaPorte family, we are given some “clues” that point to a past family history filled with tragedy and sorrow -- through the character of Carole especially, we get the sense that some things happened in her childhood that seem to be coming back to haunt her now and suddenly, the blissful life she had built with her husband and three kids threatens to fall apart. In part 2, we are taken back to the year 1926 and Solange’s backstory, starting with her marriage to Osborn Gifford. From here, we start to put together the pieces of the puzzle and the “clues” from part 1 slowly gain clarity, with complex family dynamics and societal influences coming into play, culminating in us finally finding out what led Solange – a young mother at the time – to be institutionalized. Part 3 brings us back to 1972, to Carole and Alison and their family issues, which finally reach breaking point as Carole suspects that she might have the same “mental illness” as her mother and is terrified that, just like Solange, she may get locked up in an institution, abandoned by her family, destined to live a life of loneliness and isolation. Will Carole’s fate end up like Solange’s? Will her family be able to overcome the dark legacy of mental illness that has haunted their family line for nearly 5 decades? Though the ending was a bit flat for my liking in that it did not have the emotional pull that I was expecting, the revelations about the family lineage that came to light prior to that all but made up for it.
This book is both beautifully and brilliantly written! It wasn’t until I got to the end of the book that I realized the brilliance of the structure – having Carole’s story told in the present, then switching to the past to tell Solange’s story, then coming back to the present when both stories seem to converge and ultimately things come to a head at the end. The juxtaposition of both women’s stories, mixed with perspectives from Alison and Janine at just the right moments, presented a powerful examination of mental illness and its impact on family as well as how the choices and decisions one makes can have a lasting impact on future generations. But it also went beyond that, as there was also an exploration of relationships (some kept together by love while others are torn apart by betrayal), human dignity and morality, family history, class differences, the role of fate, the importance of trust, etc. There were even some “coming-of-age” elements with Alison’s story and also the recollection of Carole’s childhood!
Despite all I just wrote, I don’t think my review does justice to how great this book is. It’s a highly recommended read, one that will resonate with readers and may even stay with you long after you’ve finished reading (which is the impact it had on me).
Received advance reader’s copy from Berkley Press via Penguin First-to-Read program
sophiareads_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0