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astoriareader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- This story is about the Gardner family in Cape Cod. Adam, Ken, & Abby are a family of three, as Emily unexpectedly passed when Abby was born.
- Adam, the father, is nearing his 70th birthday. He is a well-known scientist / oceanographer, and he loves humpback whales. As he nears retirement, he is trying to have one final “breakthrough” to feel relevant and useful again. He, however, has bipolar disorder, and he has purposefully been messing with his dosages in his pursuit to achieve the perfect mania state to make a breakthrough.
- Ken and Abby, the siblings, are adults now. Ken is married to Abby’s best friend, and he had two twin girls. He only cares about money and success, and he is a jerk. He has done well in business, and he hopes to get into politics. On the flip side, Abby is an artist, and she is very talented. She has a dog, and she lives in her art studio.
- Another main character is Steph, who believes she may be Adam’s daughter, and she is there for the summer to learn more about her new family members .
- Well-written story + good character development
- Family drama with complex relationships set in Cape Cod
- Medium pacing
- Ahhh, I couldn’t handle Ken’s character. He was awful, but the author did write the character well. In fact, the author did a great job portraying many male characters in the book. Many have troubling attitudes toward women.
- One of my favorite things about the book was the contrast between the men and the women. The men act entitled, emotionally stunted, misogynistic, and lacking. The women, particularly Abby & Steph, act capable, emotionally mature, smart, & resilient.
- The exploration of an aging father’s inability to emotionally connect with his kids was fascinating, too.
- There are some triggering topics that are revealed in the plot, so I would recommend looking up triggers if you are trying to avoid anything in particular.
- I enjoyed the vivid descriptions, and I was able to picture the setting.
- The ending was pretty abrupt, and I was disappointed that some things were left unresolved. I would have liked more of a resolution with Adam’s mental health & a confrontation between Ken and Abby. For that reason, I am giving this one 4 stars, instead of 5.
Graphic: Pregnancy and Mental illness
Moderate: Incest, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
laurenabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Incest, and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug use and Grief
bossyshorts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Ken was a tough read, honestly. He's got so much rage and feels so sorry for himself with zero consideration of other people. I interact with men like this all the time in my current-day life, and I didn't get a lot out of hating him on the page. It's the same thing as the countdown to Trump: There needs to be something unique about this topic for it to be something I enjoy.
The Cape Cod setting was lovely, but ultimately this was a case of too many white people problems for it to be a truly compelling or satisfying read.
Minor: Incest
amgraves's review
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Incest, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
piperca's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
hayley_magnant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Incest and Sexual assault
theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Incest
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Alcoholism
emilybacher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Incest
jenheitland's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Misogyny
bookstaandbujo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Incest