willowbiblio's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Just wow. The last time I cried from a book was from Dobby's death in Harry Potter. So to be overcome by emotion with the simultaneous need to keep reading, well, it sort of shocked me. I related to this book on so many different levels. You can tell the author has done her research into various aspects of this disease and it's effect on everyone around it. I've recommended it to everyone I know. Thank you for this Roxana Robinson.
meesm's review against another edition
3.0
Had a hard time deciding what to rate this book. I read a synopsis about the author in the program for the National Book Festival in September 2013. We did not get to hear her speak but the reviewer was highly complimentary. I enjoyed her style of writing; I just did not enjoy this story line very much. At the beginning I thought it was going to be about the main character and her relationship with her aging parents. I loved the way she jumped between the 3 of them and how they viewed themselves and each other. But then the main story line became the heroin addicted son and I just did not enjoy it as much. I will try another one of her books with a different story
kickpleat's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel. The flitting in and out of each characters thoughts and storyline and how it all meets up in the greater scheme of things. This story deals with family and growing older, but it also deals with heroin addiction, which wasn't dealt with as successfully. Still, a good read.
sarahpjs's review against another edition
2.0
There's nothing unexpected here, no surprises. There is some beautiful bits of prose here and there, some characters worth remembering - the elderly parents, mostly. There is no real development; just the plodding along of a story until the inevitable and unfortunate conclusion.
lisagray68's review against another edition
3.0
Ugh. What a horrible and depressing book. Good writing, nicely done. But a story about one's son becoming a heroin addict isn't exactly what the mother of a young son wants to read. This one will be hard to forget.
goodin10tions's review against another edition
Writing is strong, going to try it again later
nikkibisbee's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD.
I have someone I love that is a recovering heroin addict, so I went into this book with some pre-concieved notions of what it would be like. After all... I've lived it.
This book did not meet my standards. I wanted so badly to love it. It was like reading about drug addiction from someone who only knows about addiction from watching Breaking Bad. I felt the characters weren't developed enough. What is the root of the reason Jack is a drug addict? There should have been more background to play off of. I would have loved to have known more about their childhood, how Julia and Wendall's marriage feel apart... even more about how Julia and Harriet were raised and how that lended a hand into their relationship with their parents. So much backstory could have been used and really made for a wonderful book.
Also... the actual drug aspect was ok. The intervention pulled at the heartstrings for sure. But- not all drug use takes place is smelly New York apartments. It can happen in the bathroom of your well lit home after a spaghetti dinner on a Sunday afternoon. It doesn't always have to be cliche. At this point, drugs affect most everyone in some shape or form, whether that be through a family member or a friend, or themselves.
I have someone I love that is a recovering heroin addict, so I went into this book with some pre-concieved notions of what it would be like. After all... I've lived it.
This book did not meet my standards. I wanted so badly to love it. It was like reading about drug addiction from someone who only knows about addiction from watching Breaking Bad. I felt the characters weren't developed enough. What is the root of the reason Jack is a drug addict? There should have been more background to play off of. I would have loved to have known more about their childhood, how Julia and Wendall's marriage feel apart... even more about how Julia and Harriet were raised and how that lended a hand into their relationship with their parents. So much backstory could have been used and really made for a wonderful book.
Also... the actual drug aspect was ok. The intervention pulled at the heartstrings for sure. But- not all drug use takes place is smelly New York apartments. It can happen in the bathroom of your well lit home after a spaghetti dinner on a Sunday afternoon. It doesn't always have to be cliche. At this point, drugs affect most everyone in some shape or form, whether that be through a family member or a friend, or themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Drug use, Addiction, and Drug abuse
alizaryn's review against another edition
4.0
This gripping novel insightfully tackles heroin drug addiction, but there is way more to this book than meets the eye. The family relations, recurrently oscillating between unspoken resentments and deep affection, are explored with sensitivity and subtlety.
internpepper's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0