Take a photo of a barcode or cover
franhawthorne 's review for:
With or Without You
by Caroline Leavitt
I think this may actually be my favorite of Caroline Leavitt’s many novels: Three main characters/narrators who are complicated people that I truly cared about and who change in believable ways, plus a realistic plot that kept surprising me. But best of all were the chapters told from unusual POV of Stella, a nurse, while she’s in a coma. Such fascinating descriptions!
Actually , “best” is tied with the spoiler alert below
.
The story in brief: Simon, a has-been rock guitarist, and his band finally have a chance for a comeback. But just as he’s about to head for a big gig in California, his longtime girlfriend Stella goes into the coma in part because of the drug Simon persuaded her to take, along with too much wine. Simon and Stella had both been having doubts about their future together, but now Simon devotes himself to her recovery.
SPOILER ALERT
Amazingly, Stella does emerge from the coma. And what I also really like about this book is that, as with the novel “Room,” the author wisely recognizes that the escape from a traumatic situation is not the end of the story. It’s only the beginning of new problems. Stella is a different person when she awakens, and therefore the people around her also change.
My main criticism is that the ending ties up too many strings too neatly.
Actually , “best” is tied with the spoiler alert below
.
The story in brief: Simon, a has-been rock guitarist, and his band finally have a chance for a comeback. But just as he’s about to head for a big gig in California, his longtime girlfriend Stella goes into the coma in part because of the drug Simon persuaded her to take, along with too much wine. Simon and Stella had both been having doubts about their future together, but now Simon devotes himself to her recovery.
SPOILER ALERT
Amazingly, Stella does emerge from the coma. And what I also really like about this book is that, as with the novel “Room,” the author wisely recognizes that the escape from a traumatic situation is not the end of the story. It’s only the beginning of new problems. Stella is a different person when she awakens, and therefore the people around her also change.
My main criticism is that the ending ties up too many strings too neatly.