mamalemma's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fantastic book, a quick read that I couldn't put down. The characters are well drawn, the prose well written, and the story unique. I highly recommend it!
didactylos's review against another edition
3.0
Worked very well until the last part where I felt it was rushed and almost had to meet a deadline. Thus a lot of good possible material was jettisoned to ring the conclusion into actuality. Lots of good material for a much longer exploration of this unique idea was just thrown int the trash can.
phenixsnow's review against another edition
5.0
Much more than i expected from a book about stroke victims.It wasn't depressing. It was witty, honest and moving.Not a storyline I had heard before.
sbunyan's review against another edition
3.0
I like the premise of this book and thought the author did a good job of presenting the view of a stroke victim. But I found the story too predictable. A quick read and I'm not sorry I read it.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
2.0
This is the second novel I've read this year featuring someone in their late 20s/early 30s having a traumatic brain injury that changes their personality. It wasn't my intention to double up since it's not a plot device I'm particularly drawn to, but it was interesting for me to do a compare-and-contrast with the other novel (The Art of Forgetting). I preferred this novel over The Art of Forgetting as I found the characters a bit more likable, appealing, and relatable.
I had described The Art of Forgetting as a Hallmark movie; I think this book might be more ABC Family Night. There's a bit of mystery as Jonathan, the hero, learns that he was a very different man before his stroke, and he has to balance healing himself and making peace with his past. I found his family to be a bit aggravatingly tight-lipped and emotionally damaged in a way that made me want to put them all in to family therapy. There's a cute romantic entanglement and some quirky wrangling-a-mistake-into-a-victory twist that was a bit too neat and kind of fun all at once.
The novel has a bit of on an inspirational feel but isn't a 'clean' novel; it's a bit predictable but there's some satisfaction in the story unfolding in a way you can anticipate. I rather liked Jonathan -- he was funny and genuine -- and I liked Rebecca, the romantic interest.
I wasn't minding the vibe or narrative style until the author whipped out 'fag' as an insult to the straight male lead. The character that uttered it is supposed to be an earthy sort of man (he leers at all the women), but good (he clues the hero in to when the love interest needs some help) so it's not as if the author inserted this in as quickie shorthand to make the character unlikable. It felt unnecessary and affected my ability to really get in to the rest of the book. This sounds like a little thing, I suppose, but it was so unnecessary and so callous, it was like having someone slap me in the middle of a conversation for no reason; I spent the rest of the time skimming the book, waiting for the next slap to come. (There wasn't one, so the single instance of 'fag' felt all the more outrageous.)
I had described The Art of Forgetting as a Hallmark movie; I think this book might be more ABC Family Night. There's a bit of mystery as Jonathan, the hero, learns that he was a very different man before his stroke, and he has to balance healing himself and making peace with his past. I found his family to be a bit aggravatingly tight-lipped and emotionally damaged in a way that made me want to put them all in to family therapy. There's a cute romantic entanglement and some quirky wrangling-a-mistake-into-a-victory twist that was a bit too neat and kind of fun all at once.
The novel has a bit of on an inspirational feel but isn't a 'clean' novel; it's a bit predictable but there's some satisfaction in the story unfolding in a way you can anticipate. I rather liked Jonathan -- he was funny and genuine -- and I liked Rebecca, the romantic interest.
I wasn't minding the vibe or narrative style until the author whipped out 'fag' as an insult to the straight male lead. The character that uttered it is supposed to be an earthy sort of man (he leers at all the women), but good (he clues the hero in to when the love interest needs some help) so it's not as if the author inserted this in as quickie shorthand to make the character unlikable. It felt unnecessary and affected my ability to really get in to the rest of the book. This sounds like a little thing, I suppose, but it was so unnecessary and so callous, it was like having someone slap me in the middle of a conversation for no reason; I spent the rest of the time skimming the book, waiting for the next slap to come. (There wasn't one, so the single instance of 'fag' felt all the more outrageous.)
erikab543's review against another edition
5.0
Such an interesting premise for a story-- I enjoyed it from the first page. I would have loved for it to be twice as long, actually-- I want to know more about Jon and Rebecca!
crose1210's review against another edition
5.0
I read this entire book during a single road trip. A book about a serious topic (strokes), the narrator Jon Hooper is a witty character who kept me laughing during the entire book. I can't imagine what It would be like to wake from a coma after 6 years and not know anyone, but Jon takes us on his journey of "rebirth". An amazing work of fiction!
susanscribs's review
3.0
Predictable but humorous, heartfelt and well-meaning book about 34 year old man who awakes from a 6 year coma. Not sure I'm a big fan of the "disabilities make you a better person" trope (see the movie Regarding Henry, et al) but Cronin is so sincere that you can't really protest. One of the better Amazon freebies I have downloaded in a while.
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