You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
4.5 stars (rounded down to 4).
I often measure the quality of a good book by my willingness to put it down. This book is one I just wanted to keeping reading and reading! The story is set on Fripp Island, South Carolina when two childhood friends, Lisa and Poppy, join their families in a large home on the island for a long weekend. Lisa is married to Scott and they have two girls, Rae and Kimmy. This family is quite wealthy and fit in nicely with the other rich families on the island. Money does not buy serenity though. Lisa is constantly in fear of danger that may come her way, and learns of a local island handyman with a dark past. Poppy is married to John and they have a son Ryan, and a daughter Alex. John is recovering from surgery and Poppy watches over him with extreme caution. This couple does not have the wealth of the other, but have been invited to this all expenses paid vacation. The weekend is enjoyable - there is a pool, a beach and sun. There are also plenty of secrets. The synopsis also tells us that one of the guests will not be returning home.
The author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing on which guest will suffer their demise. The story is told from the POV of each of the characters and I really felt I knew a significant amount about each of them. I love a story which not only has you guessing on which character will die, but if this death was caused by another and who. I found the descriptions of the beach and its ecology to be insightful. There are definitely some surprises in this book and it was easy to stay engaged and to want more.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration provided by one of my favourite narrators, Susan Bennett. Her voice is pleasant and articulate and has an amazing story-telling quality to it.
Thanks to libro.fm , Recorded Books and HMH Books for the ALC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.
I often measure the quality of a good book by my willingness to put it down. This book is one I just wanted to keeping reading and reading! The story is set on Fripp Island, South Carolina when two childhood friends, Lisa and Poppy, join their families in a large home on the island for a long weekend. Lisa is married to Scott and they have two girls, Rae and Kimmy. This family is quite wealthy and fit in nicely with the other rich families on the island. Money does not buy serenity though. Lisa is constantly in fear of danger that may come her way, and learns of a local island handyman with a dark past. Poppy is married to John and they have a son Ryan, and a daughter Alex. John is recovering from surgery and Poppy watches over him with extreme caution. This couple does not have the wealth of the other, but have been invited to this all expenses paid vacation. The weekend is enjoyable - there is a pool, a beach and sun. There are also plenty of secrets. The synopsis also tells us that one of the guests will not be returning home.
The author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing on which guest will suffer their demise. The story is told from the POV of each of the characters and I really felt I knew a significant amount about each of them. I love a story which not only has you guessing on which character will die, but if this death was caused by another and who. I found the descriptions of the beach and its ecology to be insightful. There are definitely some surprises in this book and it was easy to stay engaged and to want more.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration provided by one of my favourite narrators, Susan Bennett. Her voice is pleasant and articulate and has an amazing story-telling quality to it.
Thanks to libro.fm , Recorded Books and HMH Books for the ALC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.
I enjoyed this family drama set on a scenic South Carolina island. Kauffman invoked a sense of mystery from the beginning with her prologue that let you know a tragedy was coming. She created an intriguing cast of characters across the wealthy Daly family and Lisa Daly's childhood friend, Poppy Ford's family - each was unique and nuanced and Kauffman built interesting and believable relationships between them. The dichotomy between Lisa and her family's wealthy life and Poppy and Lisa's more working-class upbringing and Poppy's current life was amplified by this exclusive, rich island community, adding to the multifaceted relationships between the various characters.
The one thing I stumbled on most was that Rae's obsession with boys seemed a little extreme to me, even for a teenager entering puberty. Her obsessive and biased thought processes that led to some of the book's most pivotal moments weren't always completely believable to me. And while Kauffman explained why the involved character felt the book's climax had to occur, I didn't agree - I understood the rationale she created but thought the one simple comment that Rae made that led to this event wasn't enough to set off the course of action that followed.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, a great summer choice if you enjoy stories full of family drama and hidden secrets.
The one thing I stumbled on most was that Rae's obsession with boys seemed a little extreme to me, even for a teenager entering puberty. Her obsessive and biased thought processes that led to some of the book's most pivotal moments weren't always completely believable to me. And while Kauffman explained why the involved character felt the book's climax had to occur, I didn't agree - I understood the rationale she created but thought the one simple comment that Rae made that led to this event wasn't enough to set off the course of action that followed.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, a great summer choice if you enjoy stories full of family drama and hidden secrets.
Rebecca Kauffman grabs you in the prologue and keeps you close through the entire story. The book opens with an unknown narrator describing their families arrival on the island. We find out that the narrator is dead, which is highly unfair, as Kauffman manages to endear the reader to every last character, upping the anxiety as we wonder who will be around to see the conclusion.
Lisa Daly has everything she’s ever dreamed of; two beautiful daughters, a wealthy husband, and all the niceties that come with it. When her husband, Scott, wins a vacation at a beach house on Fripp Island, her first thought is to invite her childhood friend Poppy Ford and her family. Things are made awkward fairly quickly as Poppy’s life is drastically different from Lisa’s. The Ford family is working class with two children, made harder by the fact that John, Poppy’s husband, has a bad back and their son is going away to college very soon. While Poppy is paranoid of John becoming addicted to painkillers, Lisa is terrified of the handyman that comes to their house, and paranoid that her husband may be having an affair. Everyone seems to be harboring a secret, including the children, as this summer is a season of change for everyone in the house on Fripp Island.
Kauffman does an excellent job in character development. We slowly see the ideal Daly family shed their veneer of perfection in a personally satisfying way. Lisa is a problematic character (more on that later), focused on all things materialistic, and how she is perceived by others. As a reader I usually root against this character trope, but as I learned Lisa’s story, I found myself admiring her hesitantly. I also really liked the way that Kauffman strategically switched between characters points of view. She manages to make the story interesting in this way, revealing one character's secret at a time as the story develops rather than knowing the secret up front and dangling the character in suspense over it the whole time.
The victimization of Lisa felt like a slap in the face to me as a working class woman. Lisa is decently affluent, and there is one scene where her and Poppy are settling in after arriving at the very big and very expensive vacation house. Lisa begins getting irritated by “Poppy’s constant references to the expense of things” and “how out-of-pace she felt there”. What really struck me as offensive was this comment in the next paragraph:
“It bothered Lisa that people without money seemed to think they could squawk on and on about people with money, all the ways their lives seemed so different and strange, whereas Lisa would never dream of breathing a word about their lives or homes.”
She seems to not understand the concept of punching up versus punching down. When economic disparity benefits you, it is not your place to judge those victimized by an unfair and unjust system exasperated by medical costs, layoffs, and the ever-rising cost of owning a home and having a college education. I can’t tell if the author wrote this character to be so disconnected, or if this is the author’s own feelings bleeding through. I’m hoping for the former.
Kauffman writes a well paced, emotional novel. The twists and turns within the plot will leave you compulsively reading it, and her illustration of how complex, loving, and dangerous human relationships can be is masterful. That’s why I was extremely disappointed in how rushed and “neat” the story ended. It felt like she got bored, and just wanted to wrap it up and get it over with. I can’t say much more without spoiling it, but overall I hesitantly recommend this book, on the sole premise of it being a decent mystery novel.
2 of 5 Stars
Lisa Daly has everything she’s ever dreamed of; two beautiful daughters, a wealthy husband, and all the niceties that come with it. When her husband, Scott, wins a vacation at a beach house on Fripp Island, her first thought is to invite her childhood friend Poppy Ford and her family. Things are made awkward fairly quickly as Poppy’s life is drastically different from Lisa’s. The Ford family is working class with two children, made harder by the fact that John, Poppy’s husband, has a bad back and their son is going away to college very soon. While Poppy is paranoid of John becoming addicted to painkillers, Lisa is terrified of the handyman that comes to their house, and paranoid that her husband may be having an affair. Everyone seems to be harboring a secret, including the children, as this summer is a season of change for everyone in the house on Fripp Island.
Kauffman does an excellent job in character development. We slowly see the ideal Daly family shed their veneer of perfection in a personally satisfying way. Lisa is a problematic character (more on that later), focused on all things materialistic, and how she is perceived by others. As a reader I usually root against this character trope, but as I learned Lisa’s story, I found myself admiring her hesitantly. I also really liked the way that Kauffman strategically switched between characters points of view. She manages to make the story interesting in this way, revealing one character's secret at a time as the story develops rather than knowing the secret up front and dangling the character in suspense over it the whole time.
The victimization of Lisa felt like a slap in the face to me as a working class woman. Lisa is decently affluent, and there is one scene where her and Poppy are settling in after arriving at the very big and very expensive vacation house. Lisa begins getting irritated by “Poppy’s constant references to the expense of things” and “how out-of-pace she felt there”. What really struck me as offensive was this comment in the next paragraph:
“It bothered Lisa that people without money seemed to think they could squawk on and on about people with money, all the ways their lives seemed so different and strange, whereas Lisa would never dream of breathing a word about their lives or homes.”
She seems to not understand the concept of punching up versus punching down. When economic disparity benefits you, it is not your place to judge those victimized by an unfair and unjust system exasperated by medical costs, layoffs, and the ever-rising cost of owning a home and having a college education. I can’t tell if the author wrote this character to be so disconnected, or if this is the author’s own feelings bleeding through. I’m hoping for the former.
Kauffman writes a well paced, emotional novel. The twists and turns within the plot will leave you compulsively reading it, and her illustration of how complex, loving, and dangerous human relationships can be is masterful. That’s why I was extremely disappointed in how rushed and “neat” the story ended. It felt like she got bored, and just wanted to wrap it up and get it over with. I can’t say much more without spoiling it, but overall I hesitantly recommend this book, on the sole premise of it being a decent mystery novel.
2 of 5 Stars
In the late 1990s, Lisa and Scott Daly win a trip to Fripp Island in South Carolina. They are allowed to invite another family to join them, so Lisa invites her childhood friend, Poppy Ford, and her husband and two children to join Lisa, Scott, and their two girls. While the Daly family lives a lavish lifestyle, the Ford family is use to pinching pennies. However, Lisa and Scott have problems of their own, and everyone else seems to be holding in secrets. The families embark on their vacation, where secrets will be uncovered, friendships will be formed, and things will be changed forever.
“The House on Fripp Island” was a fairly fast and engaging story. The novel is a decent general fiction read, with a splash of mystery and suspense. I liked the characters, especially the friendship between the two eleven-year-old girls, Alex and Kimmy. The overall writing and style were just okay. I also craved a little more out of the ending. However, for a light, summer read, this fits the bill!
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
“The House on Fripp Island” was a fairly fast and engaging story. The novel is a decent general fiction read, with a splash of mystery and suspense. I liked the characters, especially the friendship between the two eleven-year-old girls, Alex and Kimmy. The overall writing and style were just okay. I also craved a little more out of the ending. However, for a light, summer read, this fits the bill!
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
In the late 1990s, Lisa and Scott Daly win a trip to Fripp Island in South Carolina. They are allowed to invite another family to join them, so Lisa invites her childhood friend, Poppy Ford, and her husband and two children to join Lisa, Scott, and their two girls. While the Daly family lives a lavish lifestyle, the Ford family is use to pinching pennies. However, Lisa and Scott have problems of their own, and everyone else seems to be holding in secrets. The families embark on their vacation, where secrets will be uncovered, friendships will be formed, and things will be changed forever.
The House on Fripp Island was a fairly fast and engaging story. The novel is a decent general fiction read, with a splash of mystery and suspense. I liked the characters, especially the friendship between the two eleven-year-old girls, Alex and Kimmy. The overall writing and style were just okay. I also craved a little more out of the ending. However, for a light, summer read, this fits the bill!
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The House on Fripp Island was a fairly fast and engaging story. The novel is a decent general fiction read, with a splash of mystery and suspense. I liked the characters, especially the friendship between the two eleven-year-old girls, Alex and Kimmy. The overall writing and style were just okay. I also craved a little more out of the ending. However, for a light, summer read, this fits the bill!
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
After giving The Gunners 5 stars, I was so excited to see another book by this author. Kauffman is great at getting inside each character's mind. In this book, two families are staying at a vacation house together. Many of the family members have secrets and often decisions are made based on incorrect assumptions. I love Kauffman's books as character studies. This one takes an extremely dark turn that was unexpected. I'm not sure how I felt about it, but overall I found it to be a highly enjoyable read.
Thank you to HMH Books & Media for gifting me a copy of THE HOUSE ON FRIPP ISLAND by Rebecca Kauffman.
Alright, y’all truth time. When I first saw this book, I did not care what it was about, I just knew that I HAD to read it. Fripp Island is where my husband and I vacation every year; if I could pack up and move down to that tiny beautiful island, I would in a second. So, when my friends at HMH Books were kind enough to gift me a copy, I dove right in and started reading, hoping to be uprooted out of my Kentucky home and onto the beach of Fripp. Also, my husband read this book too so it’s been fun to discuss our thoughts on the storyline.
How did I feel about this book? I enjoyed it! At first, I will admit, that I was confused because there are several characters introduced at the beginning of the book so I was attempting to keep them all straight; by page 50, I had all of them figured out. Also, while it is not specified, I think that this book was set during the ’90s, and once I made that determination, everything sort of fell into place a lot easier.
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a coming of age story but in its own way it is. It was fascinating to follow along with all of the characters as the story is told in third-party omniscient. This allowed me to have a greater understanding of all of the characters.
On a completely personal note, the way that the author wrote regarding the people of Fripp is that they are all very well to do and are standoffish. But, in my experience, the people of Fripp are incredibly kind and welcoming - there is a reason why it’s one of my favorite places to visit.
Also, in a sensitivity warning, there is drug usage, cancer references, wild animal death, and gambling. If you have any questions about these, please let me know!
Thank you, again, to HMH Books for gifting me this book. THE HOUSE ON FRIPP ISLAND will be published on June 2, 2020, and is available to pre-order now!
Alright, y’all truth time. When I first saw this book, I did not care what it was about, I just knew that I HAD to read it. Fripp Island is where my husband and I vacation every year; if I could pack up and move down to that tiny beautiful island, I would in a second. So, when my friends at HMH Books were kind enough to gift me a copy, I dove right in and started reading, hoping to be uprooted out of my Kentucky home and onto the beach of Fripp. Also, my husband read this book too so it’s been fun to discuss our thoughts on the storyline.
How did I feel about this book? I enjoyed it! At first, I will admit, that I was confused because there are several characters introduced at the beginning of the book so I was attempting to keep them all straight; by page 50, I had all of them figured out. Also, while it is not specified, I think that this book was set during the ’90s, and once I made that determination, everything sort of fell into place a lot easier.
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a coming of age story but in its own way it is. It was fascinating to follow along with all of the characters as the story is told in third-party omniscient. This allowed me to have a greater understanding of all of the characters.
On a completely personal note, the way that the author wrote regarding the people of Fripp is that they are all very well to do and are standoffish. But, in my experience, the people of Fripp are incredibly kind and welcoming - there is a reason why it’s one of my favorite places to visit.
Also, in a sensitivity warning, there is drug usage, cancer references, wild animal death, and gambling. If you have any questions about these, please let me know!
Thank you, again, to HMH Books for gifting me this book. THE HOUSE ON FRIPP ISLAND will be published on June 2, 2020, and is available to pre-order now!
Book #64 read in 2020
OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: When the wealthy Daly family wins and all-inclusive stay at a beach house on Fripp Island, Lisa wants to take her working class friend, Poppy's, family. During the stay, it's clear that almost everyone has secrets. And one of them won't make home.
ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: For the first part of the book, it didn't like seem like much was happening. It took a bit of time to get invested in the characters and to learn the secrets they were hiding. Nether the plot nor the characters were super memorable, but the island setting seemed like the dream vacation spot.
ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★
Thank you to Libro.fm for the audiobook as part of the ALC program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: When the wealthy Daly family wins and all-inclusive stay at a beach house on Fripp Island, Lisa wants to take her working class friend, Poppy's, family. During the stay, it's clear that almost everyone has secrets. And one of them won't make home.
ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: For the first part of the book, it didn't like seem like much was happening. It took a bit of time to get invested in the characters and to learn the secrets they were hiding. Nether the plot nor the characters were super memorable, but the island setting seemed like the dream vacation spot.
ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★
Thank you to Libro.fm for the audiobook as part of the ALC program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I'm between 1 and 2 stars, RTC but this wasn't for me