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A review by zinelib
The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
The protagonist, Prudence, is a grown up child prodigy and married, middle-aged, empty nester manic pixie dream girl. The lesser protagonist, Alexei Petrov, is an overprotected, underdeveloped person, and a highly skilled pianist.
Prudence is a sandwich-generation 48 year old, but seems untroubled by perimenopause? Or maybe she is, and that's why she's so vulnerable to insecurity and feeling bad about herself. She was raised by a monstrous grandmother and has a loser husband (annulled) in her past, but her present is pretty good, and she's kind of a dick about it. However, she is really good at piano, to a magical extent. So, kind of annoying, but also relatable:
Prudence is a sandwich-generation 48 year old, but seems untroubled by perimenopause? Or maybe she is, and that's why she's so vulnerable to insecurity and feeling bad about herself. She was raised by a monstrous grandmother and has a loser husband (annulled) in her past, but her present is pretty good, and she's kind of a dick about it. However, she is really good at piano, to a magical extent. So, kind of annoying, but also relatable:
Prudence woke the next morning with a nameless trouble in her heart. She went through a list: Her children were safe; Stuart was well; Mrs. Wintour [dog] was at her feet; they had not run out of toilet paper.
Despite how critical I sound, I liked the book quite a bit! Definitely an enjoyable read.