ashenlar's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I picked this up for book club after reading a review in the NYTimes ('The mysteries of friendship, illuminated by spooky quantum physics') and deciding its themes of friendship and lost possibilities sounded right up my street. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as I'd hoped - some of the scientific writing felt unnecessarily dense (I can accept that perhaps this was a deliberate choice, to portray how much physics is a part of the character of Helen, a professor of physics, but it took away from the flow of the book), and the storylines felt slightly underdeveloped - the 'ghost' storyline regarding the deceased friend Charlie was redeemed at the end with the message in the logbook , but after hints of spookiness, e.g. Helen's son seeing Charlie in their home in the first half, it seems missing for most of the second half of the book. (I do feel this expectation is perhaps an issue with the blurb, and also the review I read)
I did really like how the different relationships are developed - they felt very realistic and relatable, with a focus on friendships rather than romance which I'm very glad for - I feel another novelist may have made Helen and Charlie's widower get together, which I would not have liked
Overall, it was a really interesting book and pretty well written, but I think I wanted more - especially more linking quantum physics to the relationships, as the premise of the book seemed to suggest would be significant.
I did really like how the different relationships are developed - they felt very realistic and relatable, with a focus on friendships rather than romance
Overall, it was a really interesting book and pretty well written, but I think I wanted more - especially more linking quantum physics to the relationships, as the premise of the book seemed to suggest would be significant.
jedamath's review
3.0
I really wanted to like this more than I did. It was well-written with well-developed characters, but the plot was slow and meandered. I enjoyed the mini physics lessons for the layperson, but not sure how much I’ll retain.
obscuredbyclouds's review
4.0
The blurb makes this sound like a ghost story, a woman haunted by her dead friend, and while I get why I did this, it sounded horrible. I'd never have picked up this book if I hadn't liked everything else Freudenberger put out before.
This is a fun and easy to read novel about relationships and loss, being a parent and a friend. I liked the physics backdrop and didn't find it confusing at all, since it's not a plot point - but I also find the subjects very fascinating. If anything, it's a tad gimmicky at times, but thankfully the characters and their relationships to each other are more important here. I read this in a day and was sad to let go of them.
This is a fun and easy to read novel about relationships and loss, being a parent and a friend. I liked the physics backdrop and didn't find it confusing at all, since it's not a plot point - but I also find the subjects very fascinating. If anything, it's a tad gimmicky at times, but thankfully the characters and their relationships to each other are more important here. I read this in a day and was sad to let go of them.
rachael_perry's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
4.0
kristie5's review
3.0
I really like the idea of this novel, the synopsis drew me in and made me want to read more however, the book fell flat for me. I enjoyed the beginning of the story and the science aspect of the book but throughout the middle of the book nothing was really happening, and when something did finally happen I was a little underwhelmed. Overall, the book was just ok for me, I enjoyed some parts of the story but this isn't something I would read again.
kelseygriesheim's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
melissakuzma's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy.
This is a tough book to review. I liked it while I was reading it, and kept looking for opportunities to get back to it, but at about 3/4 of the way through, I realized nothing that I was hoping was going to happen, was going to happen. And then something did finally happen and it just fell flat for me. I think I was attracted to this book about a woman whose best friend dies because I just lost my beloved doggy, and I was hoping for some profound thoughts on loss or proof of life after death, or something that would help me get through my grief. But I didn't really get what I was looking for.
This is a tough book to review. I liked it while I was reading it, and kept looking for opportunities to get back to it, but at about 3/4 of the way through, I realized nothing that I was hoping was going to happen, was going to happen. And then something did finally happen and it just fell flat for me. I think I was attracted to this book about a woman whose best friend dies because I just lost my beloved doggy, and I was hoping for some profound thoughts on loss or proof of life after death, or something that would help me get through my grief. But I didn't really get what I was looking for.
cwalsh's review
5.0
Helen Clapp is a professor of Physics at MIT. When she is not working on ground breaking projects in her field, she's working as a single mother to her eight year old son, Jack. In the middle of her busy life, one day she randomly receives a text message from her old Harvard roommate, Charlie. What's strange about this interaction isn't the fact that she hadn't spoke to Charlie in years, but the fact that Charlie had died a few days prior to when Helen received the text. This chance encounter shakes Helen, causing her to reflect upon her past, present, and future.
I have to say this definitely NOT a book for everyone. Much like Elif Bautman's The Idiot (a novel in which I completely adored), I think most readers will either love or hate this book due to the fact that it interweaves an extremely character driven plot with a very niche discipline. I wouldn't particularly call this book a difficult read, but it does include a lot of scientific jargon that could be off-putting to some readers. Personally, I love books that really make me think a little outside of my comfort zone, so when I read that this book was a bit "brainy" and eccentric in execution, I was PUMPED.
Anyway, I pretty much adored everything about this book (with the minor exception of the plot twist which was predictable). I loved learning about Helen's life in college and her life in the present day. I loved reading about her history with Neel and about the complexities of their working relationship with each other. I loved learning about Charlie's life and family, as well as her battles with her disease and beyond. But honestly, what I loved most about this book has nothing to do with the plot, but with how seamlessly Freudenberger was able to interweave all of the narratives together. I felt like she did an excellent job of conveying genuine emotions in characters that would stereotypically read as cold people who were wrapped up in their work. I was also COMPLETELY shocked when I read Freudenberger's Acknowledgement page where she stated that she did not have any scientific background prior to her research for Lost and Wanted. I cannot imagine the amount of time and energy that she must have dedicated to crafting such a gorgeous novel.
I have to say this definitely NOT a book for everyone. Much like Elif Bautman's The Idiot (a novel in which I completely adored), I think most readers will either love or hate this book due to the fact that it interweaves an extremely character driven plot with a very niche discipline. I wouldn't particularly call this book a difficult read, but it does include a lot of scientific jargon that could be off-putting to some readers. Personally, I love books that really make me think a little outside of my comfort zone, so when I read that this book was a bit "brainy" and eccentric in execution, I was PUMPED.
Anyway, I pretty much adored everything about this book (with the minor exception of the plot twist which was predictable). I loved learning about Helen's life in college and her life in the present day. I loved reading about her history with Neel and about the complexities of their working relationship with each other. I loved learning about Charlie's life and family, as well as her battles with her disease and beyond. But honestly, what I loved most about this book has nothing to do with the plot, but with how seamlessly Freudenberger was able to interweave all of the narratives together. I felt like she did an excellent job of conveying genuine emotions in characters that would stereotypically read as cold people who were wrapped up in their work. I was also COMPLETELY shocked when I read Freudenberger's Acknowledgement page where she stated that she did not have any scientific background prior to her research for Lost and Wanted. I cannot imagine the amount of time and energy that she must have dedicated to crafting such a gorgeous novel.
rinnfoskey's review
3.0
A "good book" but not for me. I normally like character driven pieces but the science got in the way for me, I still don't really understand the importance of the gravitational wave and different ways Einstein thought about determinism etc. I felt it was trying to make a more profound point, by juxtaposing these science concepts with the grief and the way that can warp our experience of time and the flashbacks of her friend Charlie but it was either too above my head or too subtle for me.
beccadamb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5