annnaelisabeth's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
turner1277's review
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
caramacsherry's review
3.0
A well thought out tale of broken families, blended families, addiction, grief, lies and love
cathi77's review
3.75
Thus book is from 3 different characters perspective. 1st is Edwina and I wasn't enjoying the story. I found it to be confusing and vague. Fortunately we moved onto Fern and then I began to start enjoying it. I began to see how the characters lives were entwined and the story began to move forward. The last character, Lucas, I was not expecting to like but it was bittersweet and drew the story to a beautiful close.
anu2208's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kath61's review
4.0
I felt involved in the story and thought it was woven together skilfully. However I felt it would have been just as good without some of the explicit passages and coarse language.
andrew61's review
3.0
I liked the format of this book which began in the present as Edwina an elderly lady living alone in a large London house contemplates selling the property. As she invites a young estate agent to view each chapter takes us into a separate room where memories allow us to glean some of her history. We learn that she married twice, that she had twins Charlie and Rowena and a step son Lucas, that Lucas did something she couldn't forgive and the consequences created a rift in her family. In part two we go back 35 years and meet Fern a rich London student starting a drama course at Manchester University and moving into digs. Part two ties up the thread of the story. In Part 3 we meet Lucas in present day.
The book left enough unsaid at the beginning to create a tension that made it a page turner. the sense of Manchester in the early 80's was well done, even to the description of the local flea pit cinema sadly now no longer there in Withington, and I suppose as I was a similar age in 1980's Manchester and live in the area I enjoyed the recognition. The ending as well didn't disappoint so overall a good read and I will look for more by this celebrity author.
The book left enough unsaid at the beginning to create a tension that made it a page turner. the sense of Manchester in the early 80's was well done, even to the description of the local flea pit cinema sadly now no longer there in Withington, and I suppose as I was a similar age in 1980's Manchester and live in the area I enjoyed the recognition. The ending as well didn't disappoint so overall a good read and I will look for more by this celebrity author.