hankyypoo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
illidia316's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorites for 2017. I absolutely love the characters, they each had their quirks and issues, and were so relatable. The book is funny, light hearted and emotional all at the same time. Highly recommended!
(I received an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. - Great Thought's Great Readers Ninja)
(I received an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. - Great Thought's Great Readers Ninja)
gillianewise's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this book. Probably more of a 4.5 here. Definitely recommend.
tobyyy's review against another edition
4.0
One of my #25inFive readathon finished books.
This was surprisingly good. It was one of those books that I didn’t really want to check out at the library for fear it wouldn’t be good. However, it exceeded my expectations for it, which was fantastic!
It’s more of a family saga, a relational exploration, and an introspective analysis of flawed humanity than it is chick lit or contemporary fiction. Garvin’s writign spoke to me as, well, a flawed and fairly introspective human, as well as a therapist.
Overall, would recommend for those who enjoy fairly thoughtful but engaging reads.
This was surprisingly good. It was one of those books that I didn’t really want to check out at the library for fear it wouldn’t be good. However, it exceeded my expectations for it, which was fantastic!
It’s more of a family saga, a relational exploration, and an introspective analysis of flawed humanity than it is chick lit or contemporary fiction. Garvin’s writign spoke to me as, well, a flawed and fairly introspective human, as well as a therapist.
Overall, would recommend for those who enjoy fairly thoughtful but engaging reads.
ecn's review against another edition
The characters are so ducking annoying, ableist, fatphobic, and all around the WORST. I have no interest in their life and the writing was mediocre at best
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Fatphobia
erinecarroll's review against another edition
5.0
Spoiler
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! The characters had so much dimension and were so easy to relate to. There were so many great quotes throughout the novel and so many parts that had me laughing out loud.- I loved when Tig had her session with the Harmeyers and ended up calling Newman a prick.
- The callers on Tig's on-air show that spilled their marriage problems.
- Fern was a great character, she had me laughing a lot.
- Tig being reunited with Wendy and watching their relationship grow.
- Trying to figure out the family secret and the clues (the bracelet and the poem on the back of the picture)
- Tig taking care of Clementine
"Happiness is a side effect. It's a secondary happening, but not the main event. Happiness is what you feel when you've been kind, fair, or loving in the face of hardness. It is the feeling of light that comes after behaving the way you ultimately want."
"Worry is what you do when there is nothing to be done."
I hope that Tig ends up with Alec. In my world, this book ends with Tig surrounded by her family (Wendy, Clementine, Hallie, Thatcher, Alec, Erin, and Jeff Jenson) and she opens the envelope and reveals that her father is Dr. Jenson.
madelineniledam's review against another edition
4.0
A quick read that tackles difficult situations with humor, honesty, and grace. Readers will recognize how much Tig and Wendy have in common, in the best and worst ways, well before Tig herself is forced to admit it.
amandae129's review against another edition
3.0
I finished this yesterday and have been trying to figure out how to rate it. The main character is rather annoying, but the side characters are great, as is the radio show.
kkstilp's review against another edition
3.0
The book had some very humorous moments that made me laugh out loud.
However, I feel there was a lot of "fluff" in the book to make it longer, in terms of the number of pages. It could have been much shorter. The characters did not have an optimistic way of looking at life, but it also meant they were helping each other get through their own individual battles.
I did like the fact that the story was based in Madison, WI, where I live. It was neat to see mentions of the Univ of Wisconsin-Madison, the Packers, weather, WI "twang", etc. The author resides in Stoughton, WI, a small town just outside of Madison.
However, I feel there was a lot of "fluff" in the book to make it longer, in terms of the number of pages. It could have been much shorter. The characters did not have an optimistic way of looking at life, but it also meant they were helping each other get through their own individual battles.
I did like the fact that the story was based in Madison, WI, where I live. It was neat to see mentions of the Univ of Wisconsin-Madison, the Packers, weather, WI "twang", etc. The author resides in Stoughton, WI, a small town just outside of Madison.