Reviews

Damn, what an emotional read.

I’m not usually someone who allows my emotions to get the better of me in books, but this one… this one hit a nerve. Or it hit two nerves… or, more accurately, more than I’ll admit to.

That being said, such is why it received a three star review rather than a two. The fact that I finally found a book that managed to hit all the right places emotionally instantly pushed it up a star. But the actual book itself… it let me down.

I’ll admit that this is not my usual kind of read. So I guess my view is somewhat biased. However, even when I compare to the other books I have read in this genre – which whilst there are not that many I believe there are enough for me to make a general judgement – this one does fall just below the midline. Don’t get me wrong, I have read much worse, but this one… it wasn’t the best.

For me this is a book which exists solely to pull at heartstrings. The way we’re given details truly rips you apart. It’s the little things that get at you – and that is what makes is so great. But when it comes to the story itself I just couldn’t bring myself to truly enjoy it. I was following the story and yet I didn’t feel as though I was doing more than following the categorising of events. If there’d been more to it (I’m not saying there was no story, we did follow the heartbreak of the family, but it felt to me as though we could have had more than just the meltdown and occasional smiles) I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more.

Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a truly horrible book; I just failed to love it.

jules72653's review

Go to review page

4.0

Wow, what a book! I will remember the character of Alice Bliss for a long time. She ranks right up there with Olive Kitteredge. I loved this book and really loved the relationship Alice shared with her dad, Matt Bliss. It is a tear jerker, though. I was crying within the first ten pages.

stelly68's review

Go to review page

4.0

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11223587

crystalmethany's review

Go to review page

4.0

Being young can be so lonely, she thinks; more lonely than anything.

This book sat on my shelves half-read for far too long and with no good reason at all! This is a lovely, wonderfully written book, and Harrington totally nails the characters and their relationships and interactions. Everything about it feels very real - often in quite tragic ways - and it sets such a great mood; my eyes were definitely watering towards the end. My only other thought is that with the writing style and characters used, something about this book made it seem like it should have been set further back in the past than the recent Iraq war and I found that I actually had to remind myself when it was set every now and then because my imagination couldn't place it in recent times, for whatever reason. The story does go a bit slow at times, but I never got too bored with it and it was well worth the read.

ginabeirne's review

Go to review page

5.0

A absolutely beautiful book! One quibble: for a narrator who is 15 years old, Alice Bliss seems wise beyond her years.

More...