claudiaswisher's review
2.0
Not sure what Lecesne's purpose was in this one...I see the issues: identity, grief and loss, loss of innocence, magic realism, belief...but for some reason in my heart and mind they never gelled into a story I believed in.
Dylan and his father Doug work hard to avoid dealing with the death of Dylan's mother, Doug's wife, Kat. They move away from their home; they deliberately build walls, run away from their talents. They seem to be punishing themselves for surviving when Kat didn't.
Add Doug's mother, Marie, to the mix...and a miraculous sighting of the Virgin Mary in the bark of a tree...and the crazies who follow BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) appearances, and you end up with a mis-matched mess...
With likeable characters and an interesting setting...
Dylan and his father Doug work hard to avoid dealing with the death of Dylan's mother, Doug's wife, Kat. They move away from their home; they deliberately build walls, run away from their talents. They seem to be punishing themselves for surviving when Kat didn't.
Add Doug's mother, Marie, to the mix...and a miraculous sighting of the Virgin Mary in the bark of a tree...and the crazies who follow BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) appearances, and you end up with a mis-matched mess...
With likeable characters and an interesting setting...
srousseau's review
4.0
The title isn’t what you think. Dylan lives in Florida, almost against his will. He and his dad moved from New York City and he still hasn’t really adjusted. They live in his grandmother’s house. His dad works as a landscaper and he works as a caddy at local golf course after his dad threatens to take him to work with him during the summer break. Then an image of the Virgin Mary is seen on a tree at the golf course and everything changes. Suddenly all kinds of people show up and gather the golf course to see the image. Dylan becomes friends with some of the kids whose parents follow sightings of the Virgin Mary throughout the country.
This is an interesting book about faith of all sorts and taking risks to truly live.
This is an interesting book about faith of all sorts and taking risks to truly live.
carosene's review
Let me just start off by saying I didn't finish this book. I made it to maybe page fifty before I could no longer take it.
I really don't know how to sum up this book, since I didn't experience much of it, but alas, I will attempt... It was boring. The MC, Dylan, was boring. The descriptions were boring. Just boring. I really think this has the potential of being a John Green-esque self discovery novel, but I couldn't connect with it enough to find out.
Let's meet the MC:
Dylan: Rough home life, an asshat of a father, and a mother who's passed on. His thoughts in a sentence, 'My life sucks and so does everyone in it.' AKA, mopey to no end. I get that the dude has a rough home life, but he's portrayed as the kind of person who curses at the Sun for being bright. I really would've liked to stick around and see how he progressed, but I just couldn't stand the kid. Also, I really disliked the way the difference between the relationship Dylan had with his mother and the relationship he now has with his father was presented. When discussing his mother he uses, 'mom' which is normal, but always refers to his father as Doug. 'Doug said this, Doug did that, Doug sucks eggs.' It got to be a bit too much. But, hey, I'm not the author.
Summing it up:
I don't have anything else to say about this really, but that I do plan on returning to this someday. It just wasn't something I was into this week. I wasn't intending on bashing this book or author, it just was not happening for me. Hopefully someone else will adore this story and every word in it.
I really don't know how to sum up this book, since I didn't experience much of it, but alas, I will attempt... It was boring. The MC, Dylan, was boring. The descriptions were boring. Just boring. I really think this has the potential of being a John Green-esque self discovery novel, but I couldn't connect with it enough to find out.
Let's meet the MC:
Dylan: Rough home life, an asshat of a father, and a mother who's passed on. His thoughts in a sentence, 'My life sucks and so does everyone in it.' AKA, mopey to no end. I get that the dude has a rough home life, but he's portrayed as the kind of person who curses at the Sun for being bright. I really would've liked to stick around and see how he progressed, but I just couldn't stand the kid. Also, I really disliked the way the difference between the relationship Dylan had with his mother and the relationship he now has with his father was presented. When discussing his mother he uses, 'mom' which is normal, but always refers to his father as Doug. 'Doug said this, Doug did that, Doug sucks eggs.' It got to be a bit too much. But, hey, I'm not the author.
Summing it up:
I don't have anything else to say about this really, but that I do plan on returning to this someday. It just wasn't something I was into this week. I wasn't intending on bashing this book or author, it just was not happening for me. Hopefully someone else will adore this story and every word in it.
More...