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A review by katykelly
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison
3.0
Some rave reviews for this, but I didn't find is exceptional.
A man who has lost his family applies for a job as a carer to a disabled teenager. We know that Ben is estranged from his wife after the death of their two young children, is refusing her a divorce and just generally not coping all that well. Trev is stuck in his wheelchair and also stuck in a bit of a rut, but sees something in Ben and hires him as his carer, even if he's not properly qualified.
Partway through the book, after Trev's deadbeat dad drops into his life again, Trev and Ben end up on a road trip. Yes, it turns into a road trip book. I was listening to an audio version of the book and actually started tuning out a bit from this point onward, I just didn't find it as interesting. They travel over large parts of America and meet various quirky and unusual people, with a few funny scenes but forced quirkiness, in my opinion.
Ben and Trev have a nice easy relationship, Ben makes a chatty and likeable narrator, but the story just didn't grip me as they got into Ben's clapped-out car.
I spent most of the book longing to know what had happened to Ben's kids, hints of the past creep in throughout, Ben's wife sends in someone to force him to sign their divorce papers and we see their happier times. But I never found out what happened to the children. Reading reviews, it sounds like I tuned out for two vital lines that explained it all. And now I can't find them again (if you know what did happen, please send me a private message!!).
At the end I was left feeling that I've read (and seen) this kind of redemptive plot done before, but better. Such as the wonderful French film Untouchable.
Left feeling frustrated that I didn't catch the vital sentences , but wonder if they would justify the build-up anyway.
A man who has lost his family applies for a job as a carer to a disabled teenager. We know that Ben is estranged from his wife after the death of their two young children, is refusing her a divorce and just generally not coping all that well. Trev is stuck in his wheelchair and also stuck in a bit of a rut, but sees something in Ben and hires him as his carer, even if he's not properly qualified.
Partway through the book, after Trev's deadbeat dad drops into his life again, Trev and Ben end up on a road trip. Yes, it turns into a road trip book. I was listening to an audio version of the book and actually started tuning out a bit from this point onward, I just didn't find it as interesting. They travel over large parts of America and meet various quirky and unusual people, with a few funny scenes but forced quirkiness, in my opinion.
Ben and Trev have a nice easy relationship, Ben makes a chatty and likeable narrator, but the story just didn't grip me as they got into Ben's clapped-out car.
I spent most of the book longing to know what had happened to Ben's kids, hints of the past creep in throughout, Ben's wife sends in someone to force him to sign their divorce papers and we see their happier times. But I never found out what happened to the children. Reading reviews, it sounds like I tuned out for two vital lines that explained it all. And now I can't find them again (if you know what did happen, please send me a private message!!).
At the end I was left feeling that I've read (and seen) this kind of redemptive plot done before, but better. Such as the wonderful French film Untouchable.
Left feeling frustrated that I didn't catch the vital sentences , but wonder if they would justify the build-up anyway.