ginnikin's review
4.0
I zoomed through this in an afternoon. I really liked Maribeth and empathized with her situation. I bought her reconciliation with Jason and what he said over e-mail. (It may help that my gentleman is not the most expressive, but thank goodness he's very very present in our household.) I liked how all the characters felt like they had lives off the page and weren't just waiting in limbo for the story to visit them.
sonia_reppe's review
5.0
Of all the ARCs I got last week while BEA was in Chicago, this is the one I chose to read first, and I loved it. The premise hooked me: a harried mother of twin 4-year-olds has a heart attack, and then finds it impossible to recuperate at home with the demands of the household, and her husband is being a jerk, so she withdraws money from savings and leaves (she leaves a note for her husband). This is a fantasy that I can relate to, as other women can too, I'd bet. So I loved the premise and also I liked Forman's YA book, If I Stay, (made into a movie which was really good too). Where would Forman take this, I wondered? So many possibilities.
The writing flows along and is fresh, lean and trim. There is not a superfluous word in here, and it captures so much; it makes you sympathize with the main character, Maribeth.
As for the story, Forman doesn't go all out fantasy--she keeps it realistic. Maribeth's inner journey is very interesting; what will she decide for her future?
Forman explores deep questions, not just about marriage but about how close friendships change over the years too.
The one thing that I wasn't interested in were the short letters Maribeth wrote--but didn't send--to her kids while she was on vacation (or in hiding, whatever you want to call it). So I skimmed over those. At least they were very short.
This book will make you think, and keep you guessing. Maribeth isn't perfect. Maybe she tries to do too much and maybe she will realize that. Maybe her husband will never forgive her, or maybe he will apologize, or maybe...? I would love to discuss this with a book club. (And Okay, I'm not a harried mom anymore, haven't been for years, (my daughter is a self-sufficient 13-year-old), but I'm sometimes an exasperated wife). If you're looking for another good book with a similar premise, [b:Nine Months|13517120|Nine Months|Paula Bomer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359951378s/13517120.jpg|19074946] by Paula Boomer.
The writing flows along and is fresh, lean and trim. There is not a superfluous word in here, and it captures so much; it makes you sympathize with the main character, Maribeth.
As for the story, Forman doesn't go all out fantasy--she keeps it realistic. Maribeth's inner journey is very interesting; what will she decide for her future?
Forman explores deep questions, not just about marriage but about how close friendships change over the years too.
The one thing that I wasn't interested in were the short letters Maribeth wrote--but didn't send--to her kids while she was on vacation (or in hiding, whatever you want to call it). So I skimmed over those. At least they were very short.
This book will make you think, and keep you guessing. Maribeth isn't perfect. Maybe she tries to do too much and maybe she will realize that. Maybe her husband will never forgive her, or maybe he will apologize, or maybe...? I would love to discuss this with a book club. (And Okay, I'm not a harried mom anymore, haven't been for years, (my daughter is a self-sufficient 13-year-old), but I'm sometimes an exasperated wife). If you're looking for another good book with a similar premise, [b:Nine Months|13517120|Nine Months|Paula Bomer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359951378s/13517120.jpg|19074946] by Paula Boomer.
abbyreads8's review
4.0
Maribeth Klein is overworked and under appreciated. She slaves all day at work before coming home to care for her rambunctious twins and husband. So when she starts having sharp pains in her chest, she doesn’t think much about it. Fast forward to the end of the day: she’s in the hospital because she is having a heart attack. She comes out of surgery okay but needs quite a bit of recuperation time– something that seems to be an imposition to her children, husband, and boss. Frustrated, she does what she once thought was unthinkable: she buys a train ticket and leaves without a trace.
I absolutely adored Gayle Forman’s If I Stay series, so I was naturally thrilled to get my hands on a copy of her debut adult novel Leave Me. I had high hopes for this book and thoroughly enjoyed getting a chance to read it!
Maribeth was an incredibly relatable character. She managed to whine without getting annoying to me as a reader. She managed to do something that I thought to be horrible (leaving her children without as much as a goodbye) without making me dislike her. I felt as though I understood her motives and truly cared for her well-being, something quite vital for me in a novel.
That being said, I wasn’t thrilled with the semi-love-triangle in the book. I won’t go into too much detail as to not give away parts of the plot, but I was disappointed that a majority of Maribeth’s storyline was centered around her husband and a new potential love interest. When I started the book, I thought this would be a time of great individual growth for her, regardless of the individuals with whom she surrounded herself.
Love triangle aside, I found this to be an easy read that kept my interest and created an emotional connection to the story. If you like Gayle Forman’s other work and are looking for something in a more adult subgenre, I highly recommend this book! 3.5 stars.
Note: I was given a digital ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely adored Gayle Forman’s If I Stay series, so I was naturally thrilled to get my hands on a copy of her debut adult novel Leave Me. I had high hopes for this book and thoroughly enjoyed getting a chance to read it!
Maribeth was an incredibly relatable character. She managed to whine without getting annoying to me as a reader. She managed to do something that I thought to be horrible (leaving her children without as much as a goodbye) without making me dislike her. I felt as though I understood her motives and truly cared for her well-being, something quite vital for me in a novel.
That being said, I wasn’t thrilled with the semi-love-triangle in the book. I won’t go into too much detail as to not give away parts of the plot, but I was disappointed that a majority of Maribeth’s storyline was centered around her husband and a new potential love interest. When I started the book, I thought this would be a time of great individual growth for her, regardless of the individuals with whom she surrounded herself.
Love triangle aside, I found this to be an easy read that kept my interest and created an emotional connection to the story. If you like Gayle Forman’s other work and are looking for something in a more adult subgenre, I highly recommend this book! 3.5 stars.
Note: I was given a digital ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
katherine_f16's review
2.0
I don't know... this one was readable and engaging, but I didn't like it. I feel like the angst was unnecessarily schlopped on. Yes, I know schlopped isn't a word. But that is what it was like. It WAS an interesting concept. Every mom wants to run away. The thing is: you SHOULDN'T. The end.
roaming_rachael's review
5.0
My review from Audible:
"This heartwarming book put a smile on my face."
Where does Leave Me rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This was definitely a happy read and a quick read as well. I flew through it and thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Leave Me?
I absolutely loved the ending. It was so happy without being corny.
Have you listened to any of Eva Kaminsky’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No I have not but I really enjoyed her narration of this book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes and it was easy to listen to. The characters made me chuckle and smile and also get choked up with their kindness. Definitely a great read.
"This heartwarming book put a smile on my face."
Where does Leave Me rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This was definitely a happy read and a quick read as well. I flew through it and thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Leave Me?
I absolutely loved the ending. It was so happy without being corny.
Have you listened to any of Eva Kaminsky’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No I have not but I really enjoyed her narration of this book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes and it was easy to listen to. The characters made me chuckle and smile and also get choked up with their kindness. Definitely a great read.
cook_memorial_public_library's review
3.0
Recommended by Andrea. Read her review on Cook Library's Shelf Life: https://shelflife.cooklib.org/2016/09/28/andreas-pick-of-the-week-leave-me-by-gayle-forman/
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sleave%20me%20forman__Orightresult__U;jsessionid=FBCCBAF1C8D676AE1E733A310A4BA8AE?lang=eng
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sleave%20me%20forman__Orightresult__U;jsessionid=FBCCBAF1C8D676AE1E733A310A4BA8AE?lang=eng
sprainedbrain's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.5
dja777's review against another edition
2.0
This book was quite readable, but just not quite believable. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t sympathize with her running away from her family, but in particular her abandonment of her preschool aged children didn’t seem realistic at all. The resolution at the end comes far too easily, and I just couldn’t buy it.
msethna's review
5.0
I have been a huge fan of Gayle Forman since reading If I Stay/Where She Went. I love her writing and how she can suck me into a storyline within pages of opening the book. Her latest novel and her adult debut, Leave Me, did not disappoint. The book begins with Maribeth having a heart attack and not even realizing it. After having bypass surgery she is sent home to recover. At home with two children to care for, a mother who is of no help, and a husband who decides to work late every night, Maribeth struggles to get better. Instead of asking for help, she leaves home and does not return.
While I am not sure I could ever do this to my family, I could see exactly why Maribeth walked away. She needed to get herself healthy so that she could be there for her family. This story is about facing fears and learning how to stand on your own. It is about taking care of yourself so you can take care of those you love. It is about family, friendships, marriage, and love.
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Algonquin Books.*
While I am not sure I could ever do this to my family, I could see exactly why Maribeth walked away. She needed to get herself healthy so that she could be there for her family. This story is about facing fears and learning how to stand on your own. It is about taking care of yourself so you can take care of those you love. It is about family, friendships, marriage, and love.
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Algonquin Books.*