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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I always loved Ahern, but you notice that this is her first book. it only got better from here ;)
Not as good as the movie... there is no romance in this book. It is more about family.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Nopeelukuinen, tarina on sellai helposti luettava ja seurattava. Meni parissa päivässä ja jäi sellai hyvä fiilis.
OK but too predictable, but still read it in one sitting (on airplane from DC to California). Definitely a 20's-something book, since the constant excess of alcohol gives most 40-somethings a headache just thinking about. Though evocative of some of my own fun memories.
Absolute disgrace. Vulgar, stupid (not just silly) and worthless.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A quick and easy read. First of all, I will say that I am totally impressed that the author was only 21 when this book was written/published. Unfortunately, however, I couldn't feel all that bad for Holly. It was not so much her actions after her husband's death that bothered me - on the contrary, I thought she progressed through her grief pretty well; anyone would be miserable in that kind of pain - but the "flashbacks" to her life with him were kind of worrisome. Holly openly admits that she had no other personal interests prior to Gerry's death OTHER than him. 24/7. Really, what kind of girl has to call her fiance every hour on the hour during her bachelorette party because she can't do without him for any longer than that? I understand those descriptions of her character are supposed to illustrate how utterly lost she is without him, but I guess maybe it just annoyed me on a personal level. I would have found more value in the book had she been a bit more of an individual and less of a lemming.
On the other hand, I really liked Ahern's descriptions of the dysfunctional Kennedy family - especially the Richard/Jack juxtaposition. It made me think about how you cannot always rely on initial perceptions of people; even those you have known practically your whole life can surprise you given a closer look. I'm still trying to decide whether they changed or whether Holly changed (or whether it was some combination therein), but their relationships were an intriguing addition to the story. It was also refreshing/comforting in a fairytale kind of way to see how that crazy family somehow managed to avoid falling apart despite their drastic differences, as that is so often not the case in real life.
On the other hand, I really liked Ahern's descriptions of the dysfunctional Kennedy family - especially the Richard/Jack juxtaposition. It made me think about how you cannot always rely on initial perceptions of people; even those you have known practically your whole life can surprise you given a closer look. I'm still trying to decide whether they changed or whether Holly changed (or whether it was some combination therein), but their relationships were an intriguing addition to the story. It was also refreshing/comforting in a fairytale kind of way to see how that crazy family somehow managed to avoid falling apart despite their drastic differences, as that is so often not the case in real life.
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced