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dovesfalling's review
5.0
It's very difficult to believe that this is Christina Clancy's first book. It reads like it comes from a confident and seasoned author. While there are (of course) stumbles along the way, for the most part, I just loved The Second Home. I found it... beguiling. Both in its premise and its acute sense of place.
With one eye firmly on the past, The Second Home introduces us to the Gordons - Ed and Connie, the loving parents, Ann the elder sister, free-spirited Poppy, and their adopted brother Michael. While they live in Milwaukee, their hearts reside in their much-loved summer home on the Cape - and its there that the Gordons' lives change forever. During one summer, Ann develops a secret that threatens to tear the family asunder, and when the repercussions finally land, they are devastating - for both the siblings and their parents.
Fifteen years later, Connie and Ed have died, and it's up to Ann and Poppy to sort out what will happen to their beloved home on the Cape. When Michael makes an unexpected return - everything that the sisters believed to be true is up-ended, and their memories are opened up to reveal new truths, like prisms of light.
A caveat that much of the book rides on miscommunication, which is somewhat annoying - there's this sense of just TALK to each other). The ending is also very rushed, and I wanted much more time to savour the new relationships forming. In the beginning, I felt Poppy might be a waste of a POV - but over time, she became one of my favourites. Always searching for her place in the circle, always looking for inclusion. Never settling, never still, always riding that wave. She's a fascinating bundle of insecurities and bursting with love that she's never able to express.
Many reviewers have written about their dislike of Ann. While I agree she's not all that likable as an adult, I think what happened to her justifies that prickliness and distrust. At her most sensitive and at that cusp-age of just sixteen, she had everything ripped apart and scattered to the winds. It's no wonder that she struggles to reconnect with Michael, or Poppy for that matter. Everyone she loved went away, in the end.
I felt a real sense of grief over the deaths of Ed and Connie, and most of all, for Michael. It's Michael who is the true tragic figure in this story - on the brink of a family, and only to have it torn out from under his feet. I loved what Clancy did with his character, but I so wish he could have had that final moment with his parents, and again, I wanted so much more from his reunion with Ann. That ending is just too quick, like the blink of an eye.
(Perhaps that is a testament to the power of the book... I just didn't want to leave it)
Oh, but the journey toward that ending is gorgeous. The writing is slyly funny in parts and beautifully volatile and vulnerable in others. The descriptions of the Cape and Wellfleet and Milwaukee and even all of the exotic locales that Poppy visits - you could just sink into them, like a languid drowning, like the pond that Ann slipped into and never really returned from ... this story is like that, you submerge yourself only to be changed, the water like silk scarves, pulling you under and away.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With one eye firmly on the past, The Second Home introduces us to the Gordons - Ed and Connie, the loving parents, Ann the elder sister, free-spirited Poppy, and their adopted brother Michael. While they live in Milwaukee, their hearts reside in their much-loved summer home on the Cape - and its there that the Gordons' lives change forever. During one summer, Ann develops a secret that threatens to tear the family asunder, and when the repercussions finally land, they are devastating - for both the siblings and their parents.
Fifteen years later, Connie and Ed have died, and it's up to Ann and Poppy to sort out what will happen to their beloved home on the Cape. When Michael makes an unexpected return - everything that the sisters believed to be true is up-ended, and their memories are opened up to reveal new truths, like prisms of light.
A caveat that much of the book rides on miscommunication, which is somewhat annoying - there's this sense of just TALK to each other). The ending is also very rushed, and I wanted much more time to savour the new relationships forming. In the beginning, I felt Poppy might be a waste of a POV - but over time, she became one of my favourites. Always searching for her place in the circle, always looking for inclusion. Never settling, never still, always riding that wave. She's a fascinating bundle of insecurities and bursting with love that she's never able to express.
Many reviewers have written about their dislike of Ann. While I agree she's not all that likable as an adult, I think what happened to her justifies that prickliness and distrust. At her most sensitive and at that cusp-age of just sixteen, she had everything ripped apart and scattered to the winds. It's no wonder that she struggles to reconnect with Michael, or Poppy for that matter. Everyone she loved went away, in the end.
I felt a real sense of grief over the deaths of Ed and Connie, and most of all, for Michael. It's Michael who is the true tragic figure in this story - on the brink of a family, and only to have it torn out from under his feet. I loved what Clancy did with his character, but I so wish he could have had that final moment with his parents, and again, I wanted so much more from his reunion with Ann. That ending is just too quick, like the blink of an eye.
(Perhaps that is a testament to the power of the book... I just didn't want to leave it)
Oh, but the journey toward that ending is gorgeous. The writing is slyly funny in parts and beautifully volatile and vulnerable in others. The descriptions of the Cape and Wellfleet and Milwaukee and even all of the exotic locales that Poppy visits - you could just sink into them, like a languid drowning, like the pond that Ann slipped into and never really returned from ... this story is like that, you submerge yourself only to be changed, the water like silk scarves, pulling you under and away.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
mickikala's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I have recently been getting let down by book endings but this one I was really happy with. The author did a great job of emotionally connecting you with each character, keeping you along for the ride.
aallyoop_reads's review
4.0
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an early copy of The Second Home!
This was a wonderful family drama. It reminded me a bit of an Elin Hilderbrand novel, which I always enjoy. Christina Clancy is a talented writer, and I was engrossed in the teenage years of Poppy, Anne and Michael. Michael’s story was really heartbreaking, and I loved that he found a family in the Gordon’s. That all changed one night in Cape Cod, which affected the family for years to come.
This book had me turning the pages to see what, if anything, would bring the family back together. I was so invested in this book until Poppy returned to Cape Cod, then I became a little frustrated with the characters. Still, I really enjoyed the story and look forward to Christina Clancy’s next book!
This was a wonderful family drama. It reminded me a bit of an Elin Hilderbrand novel, which I always enjoy. Christina Clancy is a talented writer, and I was engrossed in the teenage years of Poppy, Anne and Michael. Michael’s story was really heartbreaking, and I loved that he found a family in the Gordon’s. That all changed one night in Cape Cod, which affected the family for years to come.
This book had me turning the pages to see what, if anything, would bring the family back together. I was so invested in this book until Poppy returned to Cape Cod, then I became a little frustrated with the characters. Still, I really enjoyed the story and look forward to Christina Clancy’s next book!
sp3cia1j's review
5.0
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Once again, I’m thankful to NetGalley - otherwise I’m not sure I would have ever picked up this book. This book took me by surprise - I was expecting a very character driven drama, and it was so much more than that. I was very engrossed by the plot. The characters are wonderfully written. They are certainly flawed - I did read a review complaining that they were unlikable, but it didn’t bother me at all.
There were points when I found myself guessing what would happen or thinking that circumstances were too convenient to be realistic, but by the end things had shifted enough to not be so cookie cutter clean. My only gripe is that there is a part of the ending intentionally left vague that I would have loved to have seen fleshed out. A surprising 5 stars for me - I love an underhyped book
Once again, I’m thankful to NetGalley - otherwise I’m not sure I would have ever picked up this book. This book took me by surprise - I was expecting a very character driven drama, and it was so much more than that. I was very engrossed by the plot. The characters are wonderfully written. They are certainly flawed - I did read a review complaining that they were unlikable, but it didn’t bother me at all.
There were points when I found myself guessing what would happen or thinking that circumstances were too convenient to be realistic, but by the end things had shifted enough to not be so cookie cutter clean. My only gripe is that there is a part of the ending intentionally left vague that I would have loved to have seen fleshed out. A surprising 5 stars for me - I love an underhyped book
milenagallo's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I enjoyed this read for the most part, but I always hate a miscommunication troupe which this included. I felt so bad for Ann because to what she went through but she was also kind of an annoying adult. Bottom line is all these people need therapy. I also didn’t like how at the end Ann and Michael just got together with little to no explaination. I still think it’s a little weird that they’re technically siblings and are dating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident and Abortion
jess_mango's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, St. Martin's Press!
The Second Home is a family drama that centers around a family summer house in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. The old cottage has been in the Gordon family for several generations and the family still ventures out from Wisconsin every year to spend the summer. The family is made up of the 2 parents who both work at a school and their 2 daughters Anne and Poppy. The family adopts Michael, a high school classmate of Anne's, after he becomes orphaned. Michael falls in love with Cape Code during his first summer there with the Gordons. During Michael's 2nd summer there, some events set wheels in motion that will drive wedge between the family for more than a decade.
Cape Cod holds a special place in my heart. I've gone there almost every summer since I was a kid. Lots of memories there. I love reading books that help transport me there and this one definitely helped bring me to Wellfleet. It had all the stuff I needed to get that sense of place: local businesses, landmarks, flora & fauna, etc.
The story definitely showed how keeping secrets and not being open with your family can cause lasting misunderstandings. The chapters alternate between Anne, Poppy, and Michael. The first part of the book is set during their teen years and the latter part is set about 15 years later. It is sad to see how their great family dynamic was hurt by the events of that one summer. While this may not be a light and fluffy beach read, I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good summer read.
The Second Home is a family drama that centers around a family summer house in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. The old cottage has been in the Gordon family for several generations and the family still ventures out from Wisconsin every year to spend the summer. The family is made up of the 2 parents who both work at a school and their 2 daughters Anne and Poppy. The family adopts Michael, a high school classmate of Anne's, after he becomes orphaned. Michael falls in love with Cape Code during his first summer there with the Gordons. During Michael's 2nd summer there, some events set wheels in motion that will drive wedge between the family for more than a decade.
Cape Cod holds a special place in my heart. I've gone there almost every summer since I was a kid. Lots of memories there. I love reading books that help transport me there and this one definitely helped bring me to Wellfleet. It had all the stuff I needed to get that sense of place: local businesses, landmarks, flora & fauna, etc.
The story definitely showed how keeping secrets and not being open with your family can cause lasting misunderstandings. The chapters alternate between Anne, Poppy, and Michael. The first part of the book is set during their teen years and the latter part is set about 15 years later. It is sad to see how their great family dynamic was hurt by the events of that one summer. While this may not be a light and fluffy beach read, I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good summer read.
asstgelais's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lbaggy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Re-read