melissakuzma's review
3.0
I liked the premise of this book was about and thought it was really well written, but I just HATED everyone in it. If there had been any likable characters this could have easily been 4 or more stars. It reminded me of Amy Sohn (who I love). And usually I hate ambiguous endings but this one was pretty brilliant.
margjar's review
1.0
Not worth reading. The story has some mistakes, the author has two characters interact while one is out on a boat and not in the house. Apparently this really bothers me.
bklyn76's review
4.0
well written but often uncomfortable to read, maybe b/c it's about a mommy group in my current neighborhood and the characters are all a bit off yet so "real". ;)
wildreaderkim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
robmingione's review
3.0
A good, character-driven drama. A little hard to relate to, as I'm not a parent, but definitely an entertaining novel.
irurian's review
1.0
No idea why everyone was recommending this one. Every single character is a whiny and irredeemable jerk, with the exception of Tenzin, who seems like a stereotype.
lisaolisa's review
1.0
Holy Hell I hated everyone in this book, children included, and everything they did or that happened to them.
amyweed's review
2.0
I received this book courtesy of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. This book seemed like something I’d really enjoy. Its subject matter - life with young children, the difficulty making making ‘mommy’ friends - are all things I can relate to in my everyday life.
However, I found the characters to be one-note and they didn’t seem like real people to me. Each character was primarily defined by his/her main characteristic and their sections of the narrative revolved around that single trait. For example the character of Tenzin seemed to be solely defined by her selflessness and almost seemed like a caricature of a kind, earnest, spiritual nanny who exists to ‘save’ the messed-up mommies.
Julia Fierro’s writing was good, especially her dialogue, and the book was very readable. While I did not enjoy it, I can see how this book could have a lot of appeal for a different reader.
However, I found the characters to be one-note and they didn’t seem like real people to me. Each character was primarily defined by his/her main characteristic and their sections of the narrative revolved around that single trait. For example the character of Tenzin seemed to be solely defined by her selflessness and almost seemed like a caricature of a kind, earnest, spiritual nanny who exists to ‘save’ the messed-up mommies.
Julia Fierro’s writing was good, especially her dialogue, and the book was very readable. While I did not enjoy it, I can see how this book could have a lot of appeal for a different reader.
jaclynday's review
3.0
Hmm. I don’t know. This novel (about a group of New York-based members of a mommy group doing a weekend together with their families at the beach) was stressful. I like flawed, annoying characters as a general rule, but this group’s passive aggressive/sometimes actually aggressive in-fighting grew exhausting. There is the requisite adulterous temptation and the sanctimommy of the group unable to shut up about how advanced her child is. (The others think the girl is sociopathic instead.) There are the kids, causing extreme emotional grief and upset for the parents. The kids bite each other. They whine. They cry. One suffers a particularly memorable midnight constipation episode. There are at least 15 personal or interpersonal conflicts happening in one claustrophobic beach house and I stopped caring about most of it about halfway through. I enjoy fiction about parents dealing with honest, realistic problems, whether in their partnership (or non-partnership), or in their life in general or what-have-you, but goddamn—these people were awful. It was an interesting setting and the issues each character faced were compelling, but the characters themselves—my god. The increasingly unrealistic events of the book were emotionally manipulative—a propulsion system designed to keep me reading. “I know you hate these people by now, but how will they cope with THIS AWFUL THING? STAY TUNED!” If nothing else, this is an excellent cautionary tale: A weekend vacation with dramatic adults and too many kids in a too-small house is no vacation at all.
emiliesommer's review
4.0
One of my favorite genres is "friends gather for a weekend away together; tensions mount." I had some quibbles with the book, but I enjoyed the bulk of it enough that I wanted to stay up later than usual reading.