jgellington's review
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
sadieloureads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
catreader18's review against another edition
4.0
I feel in love with Katherine Center’s books over her past two books. I was thrilled when I was offered an ARC of her latest book. It is a great book to escape into. I loved the setting in a small island town in Texas. I had one big frustration with the book in that the main character, Sam, could have had a much better understanding of Duncan if she had looked into his career history. Despite that I loved the way Sam and Duncan developed and felt the book ended perfectly!
booqsgal's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
lpip's review against another edition
3.0
I spent the first half of this book annoyed at how repetitive Sam’s complaints were, but then the story picked up with “operation Duncan” & the whale scene really saved it all for me.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
2.0
This is a really hard review to write. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Happiness for Beginners is my all time favorite book. I was thrilled when I learned this book would be about a character from that story - Duncan. I came into it intending to love this book. And unfortunately that didn’t happen. The parts I loved I LOOOOOOOVED - and there were definitely 5 star parts. But overall I was disappointed and there was much more I didn’t love than I did. Spoilers ahead to remind myself why I felt this way.
What I loved:
- I loved the “old Duncan” - learning about who he grew into and was at the school in CA. I loved seeing glimpses of that side of him.
- I loved the themes of choosing joy and being brave and vulnerable. I am 100% here for that.
- There were some 5 star scenes that I absolutely adored - when Sam took care of Duncan after his surgery, when she convinced him to dance with her, when we saw Helen and Jake. Yes yes yes!!!! Wanted more of all of this!!!!
- Helen and Jake and their kids - this was so good they need their own bullet. Loved checking in on characters I love so much in the future!!!!
- Max - I loved Max so much and I want a book of his life - falling in love with Babette, starting the school, growing his philosophy and motto, all of it.
What I didn’t:
- Sam - right from the very start I felt she made rude and selfish decisions. Turning to Babette right after Max died and saying “didn’t he know to get up and walk around?” Taking Clay from the funeral WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE and not understanding why they were upset with her. She is a teacher. Unacceptable.
- Duncan for half the book. I knew he had something in his past making him that way but it was still awful and hard to read. Pulling out a (fake) gun at his first meeting, saying teachers are expendable, painting over the mural. Awful. And for half the book I was reading about two characters I really didn’t like. If this was written by anyone else, I probably would have DNF’d.
- Plot - there were way too many moments that just were too much to believe - for example: the teachers all desperately wanted to get Duncan out but not one of them googled him or the school he came from? If so - I’m sure they would learn about the shooting. And blackmailing for joy - really weak premise but I was willing to go along because I knew it would be good.
- The scene on the pier - all around another example of Sam being AWFUL. Duncan just told her about a traumatic experience in his life that he never told anyone and she responds by jumping off a pier and causing him to worry about her life??? Omg grow up Sam. Let this moment NOT BE ABOUT YOU. Be a friend.
- Speaking of that scene, let’s talk about the whole ending packed into the last 50-ish pages. We have the horrible pier scene. Immediately followed by a seizure. Immediately followed by a missing kid (and of course it’s Clay, the only kid in the whole book who we get to know at all). And THEN a beached whale. And THEN Tina and Kent dramatically break up publicly on the beach and IN FRONT OF THEIR KID. This all happens in one night. Way way too much and not necessary.
I am glad I read this for the parts I loved but overall wouldn’t recommend this book. Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy.
What I loved:
- I loved the “old Duncan” - learning about who he grew into and was at the school in CA. I loved seeing glimpses of that side of him.
- I loved the themes of choosing joy and being brave and vulnerable. I am 100% here for that.
- There were some 5 star scenes that I absolutely adored - when Sam took care of Duncan after his surgery, when she convinced him to dance with her, when we saw Helen and Jake. Yes yes yes!!!! Wanted more of all of this!!!!
- Helen and Jake and their kids - this was so good they need their own bullet. Loved checking in on characters I love so much in the future!!!!
- Max - I loved Max so much and I want a book of his life - falling in love with Babette, starting the school, growing his philosophy and motto, all of it.
What I didn’t:
- Sam - right from the very start I felt she made rude and selfish decisions. Turning to Babette right after Max died and saying “didn’t he know to get up and walk around?” Taking Clay from the funeral WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE and not understanding why they were upset with her. She is a teacher. Unacceptable.
- Duncan for half the book. I knew he had something in his past making him that way but it was still awful and hard to read. Pulling out a (fake) gun at his first meeting, saying teachers are expendable, painting over the mural. Awful. And for half the book I was reading about two characters I really didn’t like. If this was written by anyone else, I probably would have DNF’d.
- Plot - there were way too many moments that just were too much to believe - for example: the teachers all desperately wanted to get Duncan out but not one of them googled him or the school he came from? If so - I’m sure they would learn about the shooting. And blackmailing for joy - really weak premise but I was willing to go along because I knew it would be good.
- The scene on the pier - all around another example of Sam being AWFUL. Duncan just told her about a traumatic experience in his life that he never told anyone and she responds by jumping off a pier and causing him to worry about her life??? Omg grow up Sam. Let this moment NOT BE ABOUT YOU. Be a friend.
- Speaking of that scene, let’s talk about the whole ending packed into the last 50-ish pages. We have the horrible pier scene. Immediately followed by a seizure. Immediately followed by a missing kid (and of course it’s Clay, the only kid in the whole book who we get to know at all). And THEN a beached whale. And THEN Tina and Kent dramatically break up publicly on the beach and IN FRONT OF THEIR KID. This all happens in one night. Way way too much and not necessary.
I am glad I read this for the parts I loved but overall wouldn’t recommend this book. Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy.
celinab22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jleet1337's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
3.25
She was always running away from stuff and I just know I would not have gotten along with her but it was really fun to read about a school and teachers and I related a lot to the little things and there were a lot of harsh realities in there but overall I enjoyed it but it was a buffer book for me
buried_in_stories's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75