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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This book was an absolute trip. At first, I thought the multiple perspectives was going to annoy me, but instead it worked beautifully to portray all the different and complicated aspects of the Telemachus family and the people pulled into their orbit.
The family is the main draw of the book as the plot takes a backseat, but even saying the book is about family feels a little disingenuous. The Telemachus family isn't what you may expect when you hear "book about family". This is not the feel-good Hallmark movie about family. It's a book about somewhat broken people who have suffered a loss and years later are still trying to grapple with all of the reprecussions. Also, it's a book about a family made of cons and psychics, of people used to performing slight of hand and of amazing the audience.
The book is downright funny. Not in a laugh-out-loud kind of way but in a black comedy of errors, borderline farcical kind of way. Not that there isn't danger and there isn't a lot of pain for each member to go through - there is - but the overall feeling I got reading the book was of watching a conman doing a very long, very elaborate con. I couldn't help but be filled with glee when that con is carried off seemingly without a hitch, when the ending pulls everything together in an actually satisfying way.
Yes, there are parts that felt a little too ridiculous that made me want to roll my eyes. But overall it's a great book with an intriguing bunch of characters that makes it well worth the read.
The family is the main draw of the book as the plot takes a backseat, but even saying the book is about family feels a little disingenuous. The Telemachus family isn't what you may expect when you hear "book about family". This is not the feel-good Hallmark movie about family. It's a book about somewhat broken people who have suffered a loss and years later are still trying to grapple with all of the reprecussions. Also, it's a book about a family made of cons and psychics, of people used to performing slight of hand and of amazing the audience.
The book is downright funny. Not in a laugh-out-loud kind of way but in a black comedy of errors, borderline farcical kind of way. Not that there isn't danger and there isn't a lot of pain for each member to go through - there is - but the overall feeling I got reading the book was of watching a conman doing a very long, very elaborate con. I couldn't help but be filled with glee when that con is carried off seemingly without a hitch, when the ending pulls everything together in an actually satisfying way.
Yes, there are parts that felt a little too ridiculous that made me want to roll my eyes.
Spoiler
Matty's whole first OBE because he was masturbating to his non-blood-related cousin, really?
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the ending of the book well enough, because it was the only time I felt like there was any real family bonding sort of experience/stand-off, but on the whole, I mostly just found the book depressing. Not dark, just sort of mundanely depressing in the way that paying taxes, losing your job, etc is depressing. I would’ve liked more family interaction and less of everyone off being miserable by themselves.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so boring until like 85% of the way through! The end was fun bc a lot was going on, but the characters were boring and I didn't really care about them.
Cute and as a Midwesterner, I was into the hyper-local references. The characters are interesting, but are not fleshed out as well as I think they could be. Sometimes the story really pulls you in, and other times you feel like you are treading water. Good, light read for those who like dysfunctional family comedies.
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Maybe 2.75? I mean, this was fine. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.