idratherliveinbooks's review against another edition
The author was trying too hard to be whimsical and lyrical with the book and it failed. I could barely stomach chapter 1
sheila_p's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book almost as much, and in some ways more, than her first book, "Broken For You". In both books the ending were a little too neat and tidy but I'm glad it turned out that way, I like the characters and would feel sad for them if it were different. I'm such a sap.
steph_davidson's review against another edition
2.0
I started and stopped this at the first chapter many times. This time, I was determined to get through it. My interest waned at times, but then I'd get sucked back in. But by the end, I was just annoyed that I'd wasted so much time without any satisfaction. It almost seemed like it was written by two different people: one for the philosophizing, another for the characters. I kept wondering when some revelation was going to drop, after so many hints, but it never really did. Plus, I wanted to kick Bonnie in the taco by the end.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
2.0
There are so many ways, so many places this book could have been fantastic. Why did the author drop the dead mothers and fathers in the middle of the story? That was original, novel and compelling. Were they woven through the rest of the story, they could have added a lot of richness. Was it necessary to make the children such whiners, and for Bonnie to be stuck in a perpetual state of whining? Ending the story with another tornado caused me to sprain my left eyeball. As is the case with so many novels, this book would have benefited from a forceful editor; it needed some serious pruning to shape the story. I can't remember the last time I complained about a book being too long, but in this case, the book was far too long. The author's voice has lots of potential, but it left me gnashing my teeth.
maureenmcc's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story of the relationships between the siblings running parallel with the mom’s diary-the back and forth in chronological order and the different perspectives made it interesting. The story as a whole was not as cohesive as it might have been.
kdferrin's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book up after reading a good review in the newspaper and it just reaffirmed to me that I should stick to getting recommendations from my friends on goodreads. About 50 pages in when I realized this was yet another book about dysfunctional adults I thought about returning it back to the library unfinished. I wish I had but because of the positive review I persevered. Unfortunately it is filled with things I don’t care to read; adultery, excessive use of the “f” word and explicit sex scenes. At times the author tried for a whimsical/quirky feel and it just never really seemed to jell with the rest of the book. The story was okay but not nearly strong enough to overcome all the negatives.
magdon's review against another edition
4.0
Sibling rivalry, weather and crazy Welsh traditions-- what a great combo. I remember being vaguely disappointed at Broken for You but not this one. Just beautiful (really 4 3/4 stars)
lisagray68's review against another edition
4.0
Stephanie Kallos certainly is an unusual writer. Her first book, Broken For You, is one of the only books I've ever read with an octogenarian main character. She's followed this up with yet another very strange book. She gives dysfunctional family a new name! This book was too long, she could have pared it down quite a bit and still told the story -- nevertheless, I really liked it. It's refreshing to read a book that is not made out of the same mold as every other book on the market. Quirky characters, good morals and themes -- not a pageturner, but worth your time.
lizmart88's review against another edition
2.0
Overall, thus wasn't a bad book and I did enjoy it enough to finish it. But it was really lacking in heart. There were too many plot lines, and the characters weren't developed enough for me to really care about them. Because there were so many characters, I never really felt like I was able to understand each of them individually.
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
Nice, thick novel centered on a Nebraska family whose mother was borne away by a tornado. Great characters. Also, a fun take on "the dead." This is my favorite type of novel.