lucasgarner's review
5.0
While this book is definitely not in a genre that I usually find myself reading, I was completely captivated and pulled-in to the Bravo family's story line. The story may seem simple at a first glance, but author Smith has really pulled off an impressive feat by creating a small town that seems to be really alive. The characters and setting feel authentic and are fun to read about. The Bravos are a very unpredictable family, and will leave you stunned, laughing, horrified, and just about any other emotion you can imagine. Smith is an amazing writer, and I look forward to reading other books by her in the future.
cook_memorial_public_library's review
5.0
A 2013 staff fiction favorite recommended by Andrea. Read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/621801440
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sheart%20of%20palm%20smith__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sheart%20of%20palm%20smith__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
dana_in_denver's review against another edition
5.0
I rarely enjoy books that I randomly pick off the shelf, but this one was really a pleasant surprise. This book takes place in Florida and there is a lot of discussion about how hot it is... which was a very nice reprieve while watching it snow during a mountain vacation in May. I always enjoy a messed up family to read about!
imanreads's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was an unexpected gem. I blame Sarah Dessen and Nicholas Sparks for instilling my formative reading years with a love for small town family dramas. It's a big reason why this book felt a little like coming home.
skyroxy's review
5.0
You can't judge a book by it's cover. The book looks like a sappy romance novel, but it still interested me because it was about the part of Florida that you have to look really hard to find these days. I have been a Floridian for 42 years and I have seen in grow from small town beauty to city upon crowded city.
Beyond that the book had a great plot line about a very dysfunctional family with lots of twists and turns. The characters all had a likable quality and most also had a hard to like side.
A great book about a Florida that seems to be lost forever in the midst of Disney, South Beach, and the sprawling megalopolis of South Florida...gave me a little twinge of "remember when..."
Ps. Had many references to Florida Gator football-gotta love that!
Beyond that the book had a great plot line about a very dysfunctional family with lots of twists and turns. The characters all had a likable quality and most also had a hard to like side.
A great book about a Florida that seems to be lost forever in the midst of Disney, South Beach, and the sprawling megalopolis of South Florida...gave me a little twinge of "remember when..."
Ps. Had many references to Florida Gator football-gotta love that!
cuelake's review
1.0
I was wanting this to be a good read because it took place in North Florida but it had little character development and had a simplistic approach to developers taking over "Old Florida". I think the author checked off her list every white trash stereotype she heard of and included it as well as followed a scaffolding of how to write a novel. I always learn at least one thing from each book I read and I learned nothing from this simplistic book. It is very close to chick lit and if that is your thing so be it.
melissarochelle's review
3.0
I wish Goodreads would make half stars available because I like this more than 3 stars, but didn't "really" like it enough for 4 stars. It's simply a good story about a family in a small North Florida town.
We first meet Arla when she's 18 years old. After she marries Dean, we jump forward about fifty years and meet Arla's children. This isn't really a book with action, it's just a story about a small-town and the Bravo family. There were a few slow moments, but I was always interested in learning more about the Bravo's tough times -- both past and present.
We first meet Arla when she's 18 years old. After she marries Dean, we jump forward about fifty years and meet Arla's children. This isn't really a book with action, it's just a story about a small-town and the Bravo family. There were a few slow moments, but I was always interested in learning more about the Bravo's tough times -- both past and present.
lindsay_loves_literature's review against another edition
4.0
Utina is a fictional town in Northeast Florida that progress has passed by, until the real estate developers finally show up. The Bravo’s are a family just trying to survive in a small town and deal with their painful past.
It’s always fun to read a story set where you live. The swampy areas set between the Atlantic Ocean and Intercoastal were described so perfectly. I loved reading about my college and my church in Saint Augustine!
Each member of the Bravo family has their own secrets and troubles, and they are learning to come together as a family to deal with their shared grief. They were funny, flawed, and so deeply human you couldn’t help but hurt for them and cheer for them at the same time.
The ending fell a little flat for me, I think I was wanting a little more of a resolution. But if you are looking for a summer read that’s not all fluff, this is a good pick!
It’s always fun to read a story set where you live. The swampy areas set between the Atlantic Ocean and Intercoastal were described so perfectly. I loved reading about my college and my church in Saint Augustine!
Each member of the Bravo family has their own secrets and troubles, and they are learning to come together as a family to deal with their shared grief. They were funny, flawed, and so deeply human you couldn’t help but hurt for them and cheer for them at the same time.
The ending fell a little flat for me, I think I was wanting a little more of a resolution. But if you are looking for a summer read that’s not all fluff, this is a good pick!
canadianbookworm's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2021/06/heart-of-palm.html
elizabeth75's review against another edition
4.0
A story about a dysfunctional family that I liked infinitely more than This Is Where I Leave You. Funny, sad, and witty. Warning: deplorable language scattered throughout!