Scan barcode
chelseatm's review
4.0
It's a fantastic read, once again. Forman just knows how to write a great, complex story. It was wonderfully written and engaging. Highly recommended
kvreadsandrecs's review
4.0
I could have done without the swimming or the random kissing, but I loved the emails and the understanding. I will carry the three-legged stool with me as I venture on into my own adult life with a married best friend.
books_inthewild's review
3.0
I liked this book enough to see it through- but I just wasn’t really invested in the characters, and I didn’t feel the story was realistic….
If Maribeth was really needing a break from her life- why a mediocre rental apartment, grocery shopping and Doctor apts? Why not a hotel, room service, online shopping, a spa!? I think from the onset I was just kind of annoyed that an overworked mother, just recovering from a heart attack, would want to run away from her life to…. A rental apartment in a random city.
If Maribeth was really needing a break from her life- why a mediocre rental apartment, grocery shopping and Doctor apts? Why not a hotel, room service, online shopping, a spa!? I think from the onset I was just kind of annoyed that an overworked mother, just recovering from a heart attack, would want to run away from her life to…. A rental apartment in a random city.
novelvisits's review
3.0
Single Sentence Summary: Maribeth Klein decides to leave her own home after having a heart attack and getting little support from those closest to her.
Primary Characters: Maribeth Klein – in her early forties, Maribeth is the harried working mom of 4-year old twins. Maribeth does it all! (There are many other characters, but all are supporting to Maribeth, This is her story.)
Synopsis: Maribeth Klein first notices she’s feeling off when working late one evening. Before she is forced to pay serious attention to herself she comes home, sleeps fitfully, walks her twins ten blocks to preschool, takes the bus home, does some work, walks to meet a friend for coffee, visits her CPA, and then finally goes to see her OB/GYN for a long overdue exam. It’s that doctor who finally recognizes Maribeth’s symptoms.
Maribeth isn’t really convinced that she’s had a heart attack until she’s being wheeled in to have a stent put in her heart. That procedure goes awry and Maribeth ends up having double bypass surgery. In what seems like an incredibly short recovery period, Maribeth is sent home with lots of instructions for a new lifestyle and a lot of fear. No one in her life gets how terrified Maribeth is. They seem to expect her to just pick up where she left off, but Maribeth can’t do that. As she gets more and more frustrated with those around her, Maribeth’s fear grows until she realizes she needs to leave. And that’s what she does.
Review: Hasn’t every woman dreamed of leaving her family at one point or another? When my sons were in middle school, I had this reoccurring fantasy about escaping to Hawaii – alone. All alone! In Leave Me, Maribeth knew that she had to figure out how to live her life differently and she came to realize that she couldn’t do that while living in her old life.
“She was dancing on a surfboard, juggling knives, while they all went about business as usual. But it wasn’t business as usual. She’d had open-heart surgery.”
I really liked that aspect of this book. While gone Maribeth learned about herself, how to care for herself, and how to live without fear. She did this on her own and with a fun cast of characters that populated her new life.
Even though I loved the “change” element of Leave Me I found the actual leaving part too much. While it’s a great fantasy, the way Maribeth left was a hard premise for me to swallow. I was frustrated with her inability to communicate with the people in her life. The motivation for her leaving was definitely built into the story, but to just walk out with 4-year olds and then have no communication for weeks and weeks? Gayle Forman’s previous books were young adult, and the way Maribeth left felt a little young adult to me. Despite that, I enjoyed the rest of Leave Me. I cheered for Maribeth as she went through her metamorphosis. It really was a very fun, fast book to read. Perfect for this time of year. Grade: B
http://www.novelvisits.com/leave-gayle-forman-review/
Primary Characters: Maribeth Klein – in her early forties, Maribeth is the harried working mom of 4-year old twins. Maribeth does it all! (There are many other characters, but all are supporting to Maribeth, This is her story.)
Synopsis: Maribeth Klein first notices she’s feeling off when working late one evening. Before she is forced to pay serious attention to herself she comes home, sleeps fitfully, walks her twins ten blocks to preschool, takes the bus home, does some work, walks to meet a friend for coffee, visits her CPA, and then finally goes to see her OB/GYN for a long overdue exam. It’s that doctor who finally recognizes Maribeth’s symptoms.
Maribeth isn’t really convinced that she’s had a heart attack until she’s being wheeled in to have a stent put in her heart. That procedure goes awry and Maribeth ends up having double bypass surgery. In what seems like an incredibly short recovery period, Maribeth is sent home with lots of instructions for a new lifestyle and a lot of fear. No one in her life gets how terrified Maribeth is. They seem to expect her to just pick up where she left off, but Maribeth can’t do that. As she gets more and more frustrated with those around her, Maribeth’s fear grows until she realizes she needs to leave. And that’s what she does.
Review: Hasn’t every woman dreamed of leaving her family at one point or another? When my sons were in middle school, I had this reoccurring fantasy about escaping to Hawaii – alone. All alone! In Leave Me, Maribeth knew that she had to figure out how to live her life differently and she came to realize that she couldn’t do that while living in her old life.
“She was dancing on a surfboard, juggling knives, while they all went about business as usual. But it wasn’t business as usual. She’d had open-heart surgery.”
I really liked that aspect of this book. While gone Maribeth learned about herself, how to care for herself, and how to live without fear. She did this on her own and with a fun cast of characters that populated her new life.
Even though I loved the “change” element of Leave Me I found the actual leaving part too much. While it’s a great fantasy, the way Maribeth left was a hard premise for me to swallow. I was frustrated with her inability to communicate with the people in her life. The motivation for her leaving was definitely built into the story, but to just walk out with 4-year olds and then have no communication for weeks and weeks? Gayle Forman’s previous books were young adult, and the way Maribeth left felt a little young adult to me. Despite that, I enjoyed the rest of Leave Me. I cheered for Maribeth as she went through her metamorphosis. It really was a very fun, fast book to read. Perfect for this time of year. Grade: B
http://www.novelvisits.com/leave-gayle-forman-review/
laurkimberley224's review
3.0
3.5 stars. Heart wrenching at times, this was a good read. It really shed light on the struggles (internal and external) that come with motherhood. If you’ve ever felt under appreciated or taken for granted or burnt out or just completely over everything, Maribeth will be an extremely relatable character.
mschrock8's review
4.0
I liked it. I can understand Maribeth's frustrations, but leaving was A BIG DEAL.
wrentheblurry's review
3.0
I received an advance digital copy of this from NetGalley.
I've seen this one on a few book lists, and was drawn to try it out based on the buzz, as well as the idea. My kids are now in their mid and late teens, but I remember the struggles of when they were preschoolers. The wife/mom tries to be all things to all people, and sometimes feels like she is losing herself in the bargain.
That's where we begin, kinda. Maribeth does it all for her four-year old twins and husband, on top of maintaining a busy and stressful career. She's so out of touch with herself that when she has a heart attack, she doesn't realize it. It's not until later that she goes to the hospital, and even after the doctor delivers the news, she grasps it with difficulty and even embarrassment.
When she returns home to begin healing, Maribeth's expectations are not met, not by a long shot. She finds that she's doing nearly as much as she was before, and suddenly, just like a switch has been flipped, she knows she wants to leave.
Maribeth, who was adopted as a baby, escapes to the state where she was born, and refrains from contacting any family or friends. In a small rental, she slowly begins to heal, to recognize what she wants, and to make it happen. Leave Me is about Maribeth's journey along the way.
The ending will please most, and, I suspect, most people will enjoy the title overall more than I did. It's a quick and easy title, with fine writing. I wasn't particularly moved by any of it, however, and one of Maribeth's choices during her 'leave of absence' struck me as out of character. Maybe I just never bonded enough with Maribeth to fully understand her character's drives and motivations.
It will likely be a popular library title, so I'll recommend it for purchase.
I've seen this one on a few book lists, and was drawn to try it out based on the buzz, as well as the idea. My kids are now in their mid and late teens, but I remember the struggles of when they were preschoolers. The wife/mom tries to be all things to all people, and sometimes feels like she is losing herself in the bargain.
That's where we begin, kinda. Maribeth does it all for her four-year old twins and husband, on top of maintaining a busy and stressful career. She's so out of touch with herself that when she has a heart attack, she doesn't realize it. It's not until later that she goes to the hospital, and even after the doctor delivers the news, she grasps it with difficulty and even embarrassment.
When she returns home to begin healing, Maribeth's expectations are not met, not by a long shot. She finds that she's doing nearly as much as she was before, and suddenly, just like a switch has been flipped, she knows she wants to leave.
Maribeth, who was adopted as a baby, escapes to the state where she was born, and refrains from contacting any family or friends. In a small rental, she slowly begins to heal, to recognize what she wants, and to make it happen. Leave Me is about Maribeth's journey along the way.
The ending will please most, and, I suspect, most people will enjoy the title overall more than I did. It's a quick and easy title, with fine writing. I wasn't particularly moved by any of it, however, and one of Maribeth's choices during her 'leave of absence' struck me as out of character. Maybe I just never bonded enough with Maribeth to fully understand her character's drives and motivations.
It will likely be a popular library title, so I'll recommend it for purchase.
1madchild's review against another edition
4.0
I cried.
Only a bloody gale Forman novel would end like that. (its my first one.)
Don’t think i would have liked it or even read it if it hadn’t been narrated by Edwina wren. She did a great job, very engaging.
Only a bloody gale Forman novel would end like that. (its my first one.)
Don’t think i would have liked it or even read it if it hadn’t been narrated by Edwina wren. She did a great job, very engaging.