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bhnmt61's review against another edition
3.0
Laine and her sisters Hadley and Piper have always been close, but Laine moved away from New York City years ago and has made a life for herself with her husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This seems to be working well for everyone until their mother, Sally, starts to show signs of dementia. At the same time, Laine realizes that her marriage is falling apart, so it seems like a good idea for everyone if she comes back to New York to stay with Sally until they can figure out what to do.
What follows could be a fascinating examination of duty and loyalty vs personal happiness and fulfillment, but Pagán rarely dives deep. The way things end up-- with nice, tidy bows for just about everyone-- isn't completely unrealistic, but it seemed more than a little convenient in this context. It's a decent read, but I confess I was a little disappointed.
What follows could be a fascinating examination of duty and loyalty vs personal happiness and fulfillment, but Pagán rarely dives deep. The way things end up-- with nice, tidy bows for just about everyone-- isn't completely unrealistic, but it seemed more than a little convenient in this context. It's a decent read, but I confess I was a little disappointed.
sunrise0923's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
The story line was great, but the characters were annoying. The main character drove me crazy
yeagleyreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
libraryforspooky's review against another edition
3.0
Firstly, thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm giving this book a solid three stars, with my points below on why. When I read what the book was about and the way the title is represented, I thought this novel would reflect a woman who's marriage is in the air while having to deal with her sick elderly mother. I thought the title meant more in terms that since the marriage was over, she would start completely over. That's not what happened at all.
Laine is a professional organizer from New York but currently resides in a small town in Michigan. Within the first chapter, you learn her beloved pet whom she's had for 15 years passed away, she wants a baby so somebody needs her and she asked her husband for a divorce. As the story unfolds, we learn Laine has two sisters and a mother they suspect to have dementia.
Laine packs a suitcase and heads to New York to be with her family and to really think about whether she wants a divorce. Throughout the story, we experience the story from two point of views. One from Laine and one from Sally, her mother. In the chapters that Sally narrates, they are pretty lucid and easy to follow. Oh, by the way, Laine runs into her ex best friend who she's in love with while in New York (Ben, that's important for later).
Throughout the book, I felt that dealing with a family member with dementia was pretty accurate. I can also understand the struggle of wanting to be a mother while your husband doesn't. However, I found the book a bit boring. It seemed like it ran in constant circles of Laine saying yes to all the things she wants to say no. Laine doesn't want to live in New York. I don't know how many times I read that, yet she still contemplated it. I know that the character building was intended to build Laine into having more of a backbone when it's doing what she wants rather than what her family wants. It just fell flat for me though, it seemed like once she finally had Ben whispering into her ear, she grew her backbone.
Which leads me to my next point. I think this story would have been a lot better if Ben wasn't involved at all. If Laine had the chance to explore what motherhood meant to her while being a single woman, while trying to figure out the best route for her mom and growing the courage she needed all by herself. Ben didn't add a lot other than past time of a 16 year old grudge, settling for a man who she loves but I'm not sure she was ever in love with and a happy ending. I mean, if you hold a grudge for that long - are you really able to fall into the arms of the same man within a few days after deciding with your husband that the divorce will be done? It just doesn't make sense to me and the more I think about it, the less sense it makes to me with the timeline in the book.
I did enjoy this book, I think it explored raw emotions when having to become a caretaker. I wouldn't read it again though.
I'm giving this book a solid three stars, with my points below on why. When I read what the book was about and the way the title is represented, I thought this novel would reflect a woman who's marriage is in the air while having to deal with her sick elderly mother. I thought the title meant more in terms that since the marriage was over, she would start completely over. That's not what happened at all.
Laine is a professional organizer from New York but currently resides in a small town in Michigan. Within the first chapter, you learn her beloved pet whom she's had for 15 years passed away, she wants a baby so somebody needs her and she asked her husband for a divorce. As the story unfolds, we learn Laine has two sisters and a mother they suspect to have dementia.
Laine packs a suitcase and heads to New York to be with her family and to really think about whether she wants a divorce. Throughout the story, we experience the story from two point of views. One from Laine and one from Sally, her mother. In the chapters that Sally narrates, they are pretty lucid and easy to follow. Oh, by the way, Laine runs into her ex best friend who she's in love with while in New York (Ben, that's important for later).
Throughout the book, I felt that dealing with a family member with dementia was pretty accurate. I can also understand the struggle of wanting to be a mother while your husband doesn't. However, I found the book a bit boring. It seemed like it ran in constant circles of Laine saying yes to all the things she wants to say no. Laine doesn't want to live in New York. I don't know how many times I read that, yet she still contemplated it. I know that the character building was intended to build Laine into having more of a backbone when it's doing what she wants rather than what her family wants. It just fell flat for me though, it seemed like once she finally had Ben whispering into her ear, she grew her backbone.
Which leads me to my next point. I think this story would have been a lot better if Ben wasn't involved at all. If Laine had the chance to explore what motherhood meant to her while being a single woman, while trying to figure out the best route for her mom and growing the courage she needed all by herself. Ben didn't add a lot other than past time of a 16 year old grudge, settling for a man who she loves but I'm not sure she was ever in love with and a happy ending. I mean, if you hold a grudge for that long - are you really able to fall into the arms of the same man within a few days after deciding with your husband that the divorce will be done? It just doesn't make sense to me and the more I think about it, the less sense it makes to me with the timeline in the book.
I did enjoy this book, I think it explored raw emotions when having to become a caretaker. I wouldn't read it again though.
texmom22's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's review
4.0
This one is alternately heartwarming and heartbreaking as you see things through the eyes of Laine, who is simultaneously yearning for a child of her own, trying to decide whether or not to divorce her husband, and coming to terms with her mother’s declining mental state, and Sally, the matriarch of the Francis family, as she deals with the early stages of dementia.
Laine, who found that she received the most attention growing up when she was cleaning and organizing her family home, continues to find value in being useful as an adult. She persists in being a people pleaser and peacemaker and itches to clean up everyone else’s messes while struggling to balance her own needs.
This is women’s fiction with warring themes of how much of yourself you should commit to others versus what you owe yourself. There are some friends-to-lovers and second chance romance tropes thrown in.
With the way things were trending in the book and the different personalities in the story, I was a bit surprised with how neatly things wrapped up in the end.
Content warnings: divorce, parental abandonment (past), Alzheimer’s and dementia, deceased parents, affair (past), grief, familial obligations
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Laine, who found that she received the most attention growing up when she was cleaning and organizing her family home, continues to find value in being useful as an adult. She persists in being a people pleaser and peacemaker and itches to clean up everyone else’s messes while struggling to balance her own needs.
This is women’s fiction with warring themes of how much of yourself you should commit to others versus what you owe yourself. There are some friends-to-lovers and second chance romance tropes thrown in.
With the way things were trending in the book and the different personalities in the story, I was a bit surprised with how neatly things wrapped up in the end.
Content warnings: divorce, parental abandonment (past), Alzheimer’s and dementia, deceased parents, affair (past), grief, familial obligations
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
eatyacarbs's review
4.0
“Sometimes embracing the pain, and yes, the mess, was what it took to get to where you really wanted to be.”
Just as with every other novel from this author, and I think I’ve read nearly all of them, I devoured this. No one tackles a painful topic like Camille Pagán, and she never leaves you feeling sorry about it. She writes about the uglier parts of life in a way that makes them beautiful and Everything Must Go is no exception.
Just as with every other novel from this author, and I think I’ve read nearly all of them, I devoured this. No one tackles a painful topic like Camille Pagán, and she never leaves you feeling sorry about it. She writes about the uglier parts of life in a way that makes them beautiful and Everything Must Go is no exception.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
2.0
I... did not like this. Sadly! I thought based on the blurb that I would enjoy it, but I did not. Laine was so passive, but then when she did make decisions, they felt super rash. I found myself skimming, and eventually read something else in between starting and finishing this, so that's not a great sign. Certainly not the worst thing I've ever read, and I appreciated the way they portrayed the family dealing with Alzheimer's, but otherwise, I could pass on this one.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing + NetGalley for the ARC!*
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing + NetGalley for the ARC!*