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tacobelle_26's review against another edition
3.0
This was a much needed light read for me- and I appreciated it for that. Unfortunately however, most people said that it would catch your emotions- but I didn't feel that at all. Which was kind of a let down. I know that seems hypocritical after I just said I wanted a light read- but from the reviews I read, I expected getting more into the emotions of the book than I did. The writing (from the perspective of a 17/18 year old very wealthy girl) was much more shallow than I expected and I think took away from the deep emotional pull the book was trying for. It had potential to go much much deeper than it did. It could have pulled a lot harder on the heart strings- death, life, love, memories, etc were all main points in the book- and yet the immaturity of the writing pulled all the depth out of those topics. I was more interested in the adult characters in this book than the girl narrating. I don't like criticizing this book, because it was good! But to be completely honest, it could have been so much better! The idea in itself about a cruise on a dream like ship around the world where people can live their last few weeks on their own terms, was fantastic and well described. Yet, the book lacked the emotional pull it needed. I recommend this book as a light read for the summer on the beach or for people who don't mind reading a book through the eyes of a very young teenager.
lezenmetwillemijn's review against another edition
5.0
I first knew about this book back in the beginning of the year, when I was searching for books I really want to read for my Waiting on Wednesday's posts. The Loose Ends List looked like a perfect book for me: it's a contemporary and the story is original. So I bought the book and started reading.
When I started reading The Loose Ends List, I could feel right away that this is a precious book. Only, I couldn't get myself to be rating it 5 stars because of some minorities.
There were a lot of characters involved and we had to meet and understand them all. We meet Maddie's friends, Maddie's entire family and the entire patient/ Wishwell crew and all. While reading, I found this so annoying because I didn't know who was who and that was getting in the way of enjoying the reading. I had to constantly stop and think about who said it and what kind of relative it was.
But at the end of the book my opinion changed - I don't know why, maybe because I saw a deeper meaning to it. Maddie just gets on the cruise and doesn't know any of the cruisers. I got to experience getting to know the characters with Maddie - through Maddie, and somehow, that's really special to me. I know my reasonings are quite weird but that's why I do give it five stars.
A thing that was below my expectations was the romance between Maddie and Enzo. Because that's some serious case of insta love - they saw eachtother for the first time in an elevator and they just instantly fell in love. The Loose Ends List is rated as a romantic read but honestly? There wasn't much romance what so ever. But in the end, I'm still a hopeless romantic so yeah whatever, I'll go for anything that has to do with romance. It didn't bother me that much because there was a bigger thing happening.
And that was the concept of the book - death. The Loose Ends List is basically about death, experiencing the terminal fase of a loved one. And I know, if I say it like this way it sounds like a book that's quite heavy but it wasn't - it's due to the humor that this book is so special. Because damn, this book is freaking hilarious (if you love dark humor). I had to laugh several times and it's unique how Carrie manages to find that perfect balance between humor and death. I don't know how to put it another way, but you did a hell of a good job there Carrie.
And I have to say, this book can also be very emotional. The last 60 pages or so - damn, I cried my freaking eyes out!
The Loose Ends List was just one very special book and I'm glad I got to experience it. Oh and by the way, I love the snow globe phrase. I'm definitely going to use that one.
When I started reading The Loose Ends List, I could feel right away that this is a precious book. Only, I couldn't get myself to be rating it 5 stars because of some minorities.
There were a lot of characters involved and we had to meet and understand them all. We meet Maddie's friends, Maddie's entire family and the entire patient/ Wishwell crew and all. While reading, I found this so annoying because I didn't know who was who and that was getting in the way of enjoying the reading. I had to constantly stop and think about who said it and what kind of relative it was.
But at the end of the book my opinion changed - I don't know why, maybe because I saw a deeper meaning to it. Maddie just gets on the cruise and doesn't know any of the cruisers. I got to experience getting to know the characters with Maddie - through Maddie, and somehow, that's really special to me. I know my reasonings are quite weird but that's why I do give it five stars.
A thing that was below my expectations was the romance between Maddie and Enzo. Because that's some serious case of insta love - they saw eachtother for the first time in an elevator and they just instantly fell in love. The Loose Ends List is rated as a romantic read but honestly? There wasn't much romance what so ever. But in the end, I'm still a hopeless romantic so yeah whatever, I'll go for anything that has to do with romance. It didn't bother me that much because there was a bigger thing happening.
"You're a wise old lady, Astrid North O'Neill." I lean over and kiss her cheek.
"Who's calling me old, you little shit?"
And that was the concept of the book - death. The Loose Ends List is basically about death, experiencing the terminal fase of a loved one. And I know, if I say it like this way it sounds like a book that's quite heavy but it wasn't - it's due to the humor that this book is so special. Because damn, this book is freaking hilarious (if you love dark humor). I had to laugh several times and it's unique how Carrie manages to find that perfect balance between humor and death. I don't know how to put it another way, but you did a hell of a good job there Carrie.
"Say snow globe moment," Dad yells.
"Snow globe moment!" everybody yells.
I wonder what the guy taking the picture thinks of our unruly crowd.
"I like that," Paige says. "Snow globe moment, like we're suspended in a snow globe."
"It's our family saying," I explain. "One of them. Our family also likes the phrase 'you're an asshole.'"
And I have to say, this book can also be very emotional. The last 60 pages or so - damn, I cried my freaking eyes out!
“The pain of losing doesn't get less with each person I lose. But I have the wisdom of knowing the pain isn't forever. That fades. The memories stay. And the love isn't going anywhere.”
The Loose Ends List was just one very special book and I'm glad I got to experience it. Oh and by the way, I love the snow globe phrase. I'm definitely going to use that one.
camilaferreira's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, isso foi muito, mas muito bom. Um livro que começa bem esquisito, parecendo que não vai agradar e eis que eu me deparo com uma história bem emocionante que retrata o luto de uma forma que eu nunca tinha visto - e que sinceramente? A eu adorei. The Loose Ends List me fez pensar muito sobre a vida, sobre como ela é curta e sobre várias outras coisas. Único ponto negativo foi o romance que não conquistou. De resto; tudo sensacional.
sharonsm_28's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting read. The story was about Maddie and her family going on a cruise with her Gram after learning she is dying. The story showed how close Maddie's family is. I really liked the memories that Astrid had. The characters were great. They were well-written. I really like Maddie. The romance was nice. I thought Maddie and Enzo had really good chemistry. It was sweet to see their relationship grow. The ending was sad. This book really surprised me. I can't wait to read more books by Carrie Firestone. Overall, a great read.
emleemay's review against another edition
4.0
“You’re a wise old lady, Astrid North O’Neill.” I lean over and kiss her cheek.
“Who’s calling me old, you little shit?"
A wonderful, character-driven story about family, that is both touching and hilarious, though maybe steer clear if you don't have a slightly dark, dirty sense of humour.
I didn't really know what to expect from [b:The Loose Ends List|27161846|The Loose Ends List|Carrie Firestone|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1458111980s/27161846.jpg|41902548]. There have been plenty of positive reviews, but negative ones too, and it seemed like it could be a total cheesefest. A grandparent suddenly announcing that they are dying and forcing the family to go on a "death with dignity" cruise ship? Sounds like a recipe for heavy-handed messaging and emotional manipulation.
But this book has a sharp, comical edge that lets it get away with the premise. It's funny. It's cynical. It's rude. Maddie is surrounded by these old people sharing their last moments and she gets the sudden hysterical urge to laugh (I sympathize because this is so me).
The large cast of characters sparkle off the pages of the book. Notably, Maddie's extremely funny and "slutty" cousin, her two gay uncles who are her only source of sanity amid her absolutely crazy family, and especially her shameless and totally inappropriate Gram.
“I’ve always said, if girls don’t get attention from their fathers, they’ll find it in all kinds of sordid ways. I sure did.” Gram gives me her naughty schoolgirl grin.
“What the hell is ass play?” Gram says. “In my day, ass play was when your husband goosed you in the elevator.”
I love these kinds of family dramas - maybe a little because they always remind me of my own big, loud, melodramatic family who seem to make waves wherever they go. I enjoy all the relationship dynamics and seeing the amount of love and exasperation Maddie has for her relatives. I also even enjoyed the sweet romance and the openness about sex and sexuality.
Between the flowery cover and the corny title, this could easily be mistaken for something it isn't. It's actually smart, funny, and full of adventures. As with all YA contemporaries, there are some subtle messages thrown in, but they're probably not the ones you'd expect. It's not about death. It's about growing up, learning that not all "great loves" are the kind that you can make work, day after day, for decades, learning that sex is a positive thing but - as Gram puts it - "sex is not love".
Warm, very funny, and just the right amount of sad.
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ashurq's review against another edition
2.0
Rich Girl Goes on Extravagant Cruise with Dying Grandma & Complains A Lot
That's basically what you're getting with this book. I had such high expectations and with everyone's high reviews, I feel extremely let down. I did not find Maddie likable. At all. She's selfish and entitled and extremely immature. In fact, basically every character in this book is selfish, entitled, and extremely immature (with the exception of Bob Johns, I liked that guy).
We're introduced to a HUGE cast of characters which makes it very difficult to keep things straight as the story progresses. In general, I felt that the characters in this book were underdeveloped and experienced minimal growth throughout the story. I especially had an issue with Maddie's grandma, Astrid. My grandma has very few personal boundaries herself, but she's not the kind of person who would peer pressure an underage granddaughter into getting an impulsive butt tattoo. I just felt like Astrid needed to be more of an adult about a lot of things. I get that she's supposed to be this "cool" and "classy" lady, but it came off feeling kind of cheap.
There are so many small things in this book that are so nonsensical and do nothing to drive the story forward. For example, Maddie has Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is brought up multiple times but literally has nothing to do with the story. The romance between Maddie and Enzo. So pointless. Neither character grew from that relationship and it was a serious case of instalove. The "E's", Maddie's friends from back home (plus her one actually COOL friend). Why even bother to write them in?
I feel like this book could have been really amazing. The author had this great opportunity to make her audience feel something for these characters (since the entire book is about death) as well as giving us an awesome view of other places around the world. Maddie does tour some pretty amazing places, but she's also a little too busy following her drunk cousin around to actually appreciate any of the sights. She's also too busy complaining about the food, or the smell, or the creepy cats, or her family so when would she really have time to soak in any culture?
In the end, I'm left extremely disappointed by this book. It had a huge amount of potential but ended up feeling crude and extremely immature. Being a book that deals so much with death, I would expect it to be a little more meaningful. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That's basically what you're getting with this book. I had such high expectations and with everyone's high reviews, I feel extremely let down. I did not find Maddie likable. At all. She's selfish and entitled and extremely immature. In fact, basically every character in this book is selfish, entitled, and extremely immature (with the exception of Bob Johns, I liked that guy).
We're introduced to a HUGE cast of characters which makes it very difficult to keep things straight as the story progresses. In general, I felt that the characters in this book were underdeveloped and experienced minimal growth throughout the story. I especially had an issue with Maddie's grandma, Astrid. My grandma has very few personal boundaries herself, but she's not the kind of person who would peer pressure an underage granddaughter into getting an impulsive butt tattoo. I just felt like Astrid needed to be more of an adult about a lot of things. I get that she's supposed to be this "cool" and "classy" lady, but it came off feeling kind of cheap.
There are so many small things in this book that are so nonsensical and do nothing to drive the story forward. For example, Maddie has Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is brought up multiple times but literally has nothing to do with the story. The romance between Maddie and Enzo. So pointless. Neither character grew from that relationship and it was a serious case of instalove. The "E's", Maddie's friends from back home (plus her one actually COOL friend). Why even bother to write them in?
I feel like this book could have been really amazing. The author had this great opportunity to make her audience feel something for these characters (since the entire book is about death) as well as giving us an awesome view of other places around the world. Maddie does tour some pretty amazing places, but she's also a little too busy following her drunk cousin around to actually appreciate any of the sights. She's also too busy complaining about the food, or the smell, or the creepy cats, or her family so when would she really have time to soak in any culture?
In the end, I'm left extremely disappointed by this book. It had a huge amount of potential but ended up feeling crude and extremely immature. Being a book that deals so much with death, I would expect it to be a little more meaningful. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
thebookberrie's review against another edition
1.0
Uhh okay this one did not work for me. The idea was interesting at first but the writing and the tone was just really weird and not funny.
This book begins with Maddie planning her summer before college when she learns that her beloved grandmother is dying. Instead of going the slow route, Gram decides she's going out with a bang- an eight week "dying-with-dignity" cruise and she's taking the entire family with her. While Maddie promises to live with no regrets on their trip, she makes new friends on the Wishwell cruise. She goes down memory lane with her grandmother and the rest of her family and grows closer to a cute boy named Enzo. As the trip goes on, Maddie tries to cope with the fact that her Gram isn't going to come home after their amazing summer of new experiences, love, and grief.
This book was an impulse buy for me a few years ago. I saw the cover and I just grabbed it, and only got around to reading it now because it was a random pick. Basically I don't think I was ever interested in this book and even after reading it, meh.
All of the characters in this book were insufferable, flat out. They were judgemental, they were annoying, and honestly a few of them were interchangeable at a point. A book about family and I barely knew anyone. These characters were all adults, with even Maddie turning eighteen in the book... but everyone was immature as hell. So many awkward penis jokes. So many.
The worst character was the mc, Maddie. Every person she meets, she describes by a negative trait they have and even after learning their names, she still calls them by their mildly rude nickname. She describes disabled and sick people as "grotesque" and even mentions how when she was a child, she didn't like looking at them in fear she would become one. Of course throughout the book she learns that hey- maybe sick people are people too but that message is pretty messed up. I get the point is for her to learn to live in the moment and enjoy life but using sick and dying people to teach her that lesson doesn't work for me.
For some reason this book about a family and a girl learning to say good-bye to her grandmother has a pretty strong romance in it- which it could have done without. I'm sorry but it was pretty bad too. It was insta-love at it's finest and I wasn't buying their confessions of love quickly after either. It was pointless and I disliked them together so much. Also it was kind of gross and not romantic at all.
The tone of this book was just bizarre and so was everything that happened. None of this was believable and it was just so weird. The tone and "jokes" make this book seem like it wants to be a dark comedy but nothing is funny and it doesn't do anything to balance out how sad the situation is. I understand with such a situation dark humor could have made everything better but it didn't work. At least not for me. There were also a lot of weirdly repeated phrases.
This entire book was just not my thing and I've gone back and forth between one and two stars but I really didn't enjoy anything about it.
This book begins with Maddie planning her summer before college when she learns that her beloved grandmother is dying. Instead of going the slow route, Gram decides she's going out with a bang- an eight week "dying-with-dignity" cruise and she's taking the entire family with her. While Maddie promises to live with no regrets on their trip, she makes new friends on the Wishwell cruise. She goes down memory lane with her grandmother and the rest of her family and grows closer to a cute boy named Enzo. As the trip goes on, Maddie tries to cope with the fact that her Gram isn't going to come home after their amazing summer of new experiences, love, and grief.
This book was an impulse buy for me a few years ago. I saw the cover and I just grabbed it, and only got around to reading it now because it was a random pick. Basically I don't think I was ever interested in this book and even after reading it, meh.
All of the characters in this book were insufferable, flat out. They were judgemental, they were annoying, and honestly a few of them were interchangeable at a point. A book about family and I barely knew anyone. These characters were all adults, with even Maddie turning eighteen in the book... but everyone was immature as hell. So many awkward penis jokes. So many.
The worst character was the mc, Maddie. Every person she meets, she describes by a negative trait they have and even after learning their names, she still calls them by their mildly rude nickname. She describes disabled and sick people as "grotesque" and even mentions how when she was a child, she didn't like looking at them in fear she would become one. Of course throughout the book she learns that hey- maybe sick people are people too but that message is pretty messed up. I get the point is for her to learn to live in the moment and enjoy life but using sick and dying people to teach her that lesson doesn't work for me.
For some reason this book about a family and a girl learning to say good-bye to her grandmother has a pretty strong romance in it- which it could have done without. I'm sorry but it was pretty bad too. It was insta-love at it's finest and I wasn't buying their confessions of love quickly after either. It was pointless and I disliked them together so much. Also it was kind of gross and not romantic at all.
The tone of this book was just bizarre and so was everything that happened. None of this was believable and it was just so weird. The tone and "jokes" make this book seem like it wants to be a dark comedy but nothing is funny and it doesn't do anything to balance out how sad the situation is. I understand with such a situation dark humor could have made everything better but it didn't work. At least not for me. There were also a lot of weirdly repeated phrases.
This entire book was just not my thing and I've gone back and forth between one and two stars but I really didn't enjoy anything about it.
nhi_nguyen's review against another edition
3.0
I'm just so...disappointed. I hate to feel this way about book but it's my honest opinion. I was hoping to get a deep and moving story. This...was so not it. I really like the concept of the book. Which was why I picked it up in the first place. But...
I also like the family and friendship aspect of the book. It wasn't well-done but it made the book a little bit more enjoyable.
I wanted to love it...but sadly, I was disappointed.
There were several things I didn't like about this book. The first was the beginning. We start off right away and the pacing felt off to me. Everything was going by so fast. Not only that, I got introduced to so many characters. I'm not good with names in real life and in books so it was a struggle to figure out who's who because I was introduced to them way too quickly. It was overwhelming, honestly. The characters aren't that well-developed but, fortunately, that changed the more I got into the story. There was a lot of dialogue and explanations of stuff that was happening. But it felt like I was reading a textbook. I didn't feel anything for the MC because I wasn't able to read about her that much. I hope this makes sense. A lot of characters are pretty judgemental and it got annoying very quickly. I really hate talking bad about the book but I want to share my opinion.
The whole book was about tying up "loose ends", judging from the synopsis and the title of the book. But there were rarely mentions of tying up "loose ends". One was at the beginning and one near the very end. I don't know if I'm emotionless or what but I didn't feel anything when some of the passengers
Spoiler
got put to sleep. Which I found as an interesting way to die. I mean this in the nicest way possible but it sounds like putting pets to sleep. I know my dog was put to sleep (rip Tia) and I couldn't help but compare it to that. But it's a painless and peaceful way to leave the world. I've never known anyone who died like that.It seemed like it took me forever to read this book, even though it was only two days. Since it read so much like a textbook, I felt like I was dragging through it. I almost DNF it, but I was so invested and I really wanted to know the ending so I finished the book. The ending was sweet, but not the best ending I've read to a sentimental book.
There's some stuff I have to warn you about. There are multiple references to crude and inappropriate stuff. So if you're sensitive to things like that or don't want to read about that stuff, I suggest not picking up this book.
While there were quite a few things I did not enjoy about this book, there were a few things I did like. It made me not give this book a two-star. The first was the romance. I found it was cute and honestly, the best written part of the story. Gram was definitely my favorite character. She was funny and a crazy grandmother who we all want.
Spoiler
When Gram died, I did feel for Maddie...so I'm not that emotionless afterall.Maybe it was because I read a book about pancreatic cancer (ironically) before I read this one. But I didn't feel any emotions I would normally feel when I read sad books. Maybe I wasted my money by getting it but the cover is gorgeous so I might keep it for that reason only.
I wanted to love it...but sadly, I was disappointed.
janerouth's review against another edition
4.0
After the first few pages I thought this was going to be a DNF - senior in high school and her superficial thoughts about her superficial party-girl friends. I can take some of that, but not a lot. I'm very glad I stuck with it, what a surprisingly rich, funny book. Spoiler alert: grandma is terminally ill, and wants the family to go on a cruise with her. Some family drama, but most go, including our teen POV. The rest of the book was a lovely mix of sadness, loss, death, illness, rekindled romance, theme parties, cupcakes, growing, snark, humor, and learning. I was very impressed with this book.