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jansbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
I started this a few years ago and just couldn't get into it. However I hung on to it because I thought it was worth another try. I finally got around to the second time and I'm glad I hung on to it.
celjla212's review against another edition
3.0
I decided to read this book because of the comparisons to Friday Night Lights, a series my husband and I watched and loved. I guess what the synopsis writer meant was that it has some of the emotional core that FNL has, because there's no football in the book. Yes, the main character was a coach, but that's as far as it goes in this story. High emotion running throughout the novel is basically the main thing it has going for it.
Dean Renner is a high school football coach and suddenly single father of three after his wife commits suicide. His adopted stepdaughter Stephanie is starting college and struggling with the guilt that she should have saved her mother. Son Robbie is in middle school and beginning to delve into the angst that comes around this age, compounded by the loss of his mother. Youngest child Bryan is the peacekeeper and seems to unknowingly provide clarity to his family when they need it most.
I found this book to be pretty slow moving and I had to put some effort into finishing it. I would compare the story to that of a Lifetime TV movie. Yes, there are dark threads dealing with death and depression, but they are never really explored heavily and get somewhat glossed over rather quickly.
Dean appears to move on pretty quickly, starting a relationship with someone new just a few months after his wife's death. We learn that not everything was great in their marriage, but this really didn't do much to make me feel better about how long it took him to hook up with other women. I guess I felt that their thirteen year marriage and having kids together should have meant more to him. Or maybe he was reaching out and trying to find any connection. This could go either way and I guess it's all in how the reader interprets it.
Stephanie, who had before her mother's death been so excited at the prospect of leaving her tiny town and reputation as "the coach's daughter" behind, suddenly feels alone and vulnerable when she gets to college. She acts out, taking drugs, drinking, and failing classes. In a lot of ways, she's doing the same things as her father, which says a lot when a 40 something year old dad is acting the same as his 19 year old daughter.
There were several predictable moments for me, a lot of cliches hit: a stepchild telling her dad he is not her real dad, those left behind wondering about the existence of God, the family coming back together because of a crisis. All this made Home Field a "just OK" read for me. If cozy or family type novels are your thing, you'll love this, it hits all the bases. But it wasn't a standout for me.
Dean Renner is a high school football coach and suddenly single father of three after his wife commits suicide. His adopted stepdaughter Stephanie is starting college and struggling with the guilt that she should have saved her mother. Son Robbie is in middle school and beginning to delve into the angst that comes around this age, compounded by the loss of his mother. Youngest child Bryan is the peacekeeper and seems to unknowingly provide clarity to his family when they need it most.
I found this book to be pretty slow moving and I had to put some effort into finishing it. I would compare the story to that of a Lifetime TV movie. Yes, there are dark threads dealing with death and depression, but they are never really explored heavily and get somewhat glossed over rather quickly.
Dean appears to move on pretty quickly, starting a relationship with someone new just a few months after his wife's death. We learn that not everything was great in their marriage, but this really didn't do much to make me feel better about how long it took him to hook up with other women. I guess I felt that their thirteen year marriage and having kids together should have meant more to him. Or maybe he was reaching out and trying to find any connection. This could go either way and I guess it's all in how the reader interprets it.
Stephanie, who had before her mother's death been so excited at the prospect of leaving her tiny town and reputation as "the coach's daughter" behind, suddenly feels alone and vulnerable when she gets to college. She acts out, taking drugs, drinking, and failing classes. In a lot of ways, she's doing the same things as her father, which says a lot when a 40 something year old dad is acting the same as his 19 year old daughter.
There were several predictable moments for me, a lot of cliches hit: a stepchild telling her dad he is not her real dad, those left behind wondering about the existence of God, the family coming back together because of a crisis. All this made Home Field a "just OK" read for me. If cozy or family type novels are your thing, you'll love this, it hits all the bases. But it wasn't a standout for me.
leach2225's review against another edition
5.0
Library Thing sent me an advanced copy of Home Field and somehow I just received the book last week. I'm glad the postal service finally got this delivered . Hannah Gersen's first book is a great read. I started and put it down, started again read a little more and put it down. Started again and I was hooked. The book drew me in and I could not put it down. Hannah Gersen is an excellent author when it comes to putting family emotions down on paper. She tells the story of a family who must try to get their lives back together after the wife commits suicide. Heartwarming, sad, emotional, realistic and many more adjectives that I could put down. This is just a well wrote book. I can't wait till she writes another. A great 5 ★read.
Thanks again Library Thing for the copy.
Thanks again Library Thing for the copy.
shannon_reidwheat's review against another edition
2.0
I really looked forward to reading this book, but I have to say I was greatly disappointed in it. This story could of been so much better, but it rambled around too much. And to introduce another "drama" within the last 80 pages, and not to resolve iit completely? This book left me with too many questions unanswered.
anionce's review against another edition
4.0
Read the review here >> Do you love the 90s and small-town stories? If so, you should get your hands on this book. It’s a bit long and not a lot happens, but I felt like I was watching a beautiful film, one of those movies I used to love when I was kid. I really believe this could become a great film.
This is not one of those plot-driven novels I usually read, it’s actually more character-driven: everything revolves about Dean, the high-school football coach, her teenage “daughter” Stephanie and her brothers Robbie and Bry. The story takes place in 1996, about two months after their wife and mother’s unexpected suicide.
Mainly, this book is told by Dean and Steffy’s points of view. Both storylines:Dean dealing with the children and his feelings for other women and Steffy at college, trying to figure out who she is, were equally appealing. I didn’t lose interest at any point and both characters were interesting (although Dean was harder to like, especially when he seemed to care more about football than his children). However, the character I loved the most was Bry: he was so sweet and innocent that you couldn’t help but adore him.
This is not one of those plot-driven novels I usually read, it’s actually more character-driven: everything revolves about Dean, the high-school football coach, her teenage “daughter” Stephanie and her brothers Robbie and Bry. The story takes place in 1996, about two months after their wife and mother’s unexpected suicide.
Mainly, this book is told by Dean and Steffy’s points of view. Both storylines:Dean dealing with the children and his feelings for other women and Steffy at college, trying to figure out who she is, were equally appealing. I didn’t lose interest at any point and both characters were interesting (although Dean was harder to like, especially when he seemed to care more about football than his children). However, the character I loved the most was Bry: he was so sweet and innocent that you couldn’t help but adore him.
purrfectpages's review against another edition
3.0
With Home Field being compared to the likes of Friday Night Lights and My So-Called Life, I should have known better. I mean, they are both two of my all time favorites and thus, really hard shoes to fill. While I definitely see the comparisons, I didn't find myself riveted to the story Home Field was telling. Instead sadness permeated this book, almost like a cloud. I suppose you might call it a true slice of life. I guess I just wanted less realness if it meant sacrificing something special and memorable in the process. Bonus points however, go to Gersen's suggested related novels and playlists at the end of the book.
amaceachern's review against another edition
3.0
The author does a good job of tackling a heavy subject, suicide, and the ways that it impacts different people within the same family. The added complexities of the father's love life and aunt's religious focus seem to take away from the overall storyline of the novel. Overall, it was a good read!
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ondbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kstadt110's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0