mattnixon's review
3.0
highly enjoyable, intriguing premise and some cool ideas...an altogether enjoyable read. It's docked 1.5 stars for what I can only describe as several missed opportunities. Perotta had a great concept that (I'll choose to believe) half-assed in execution to collect his fee (or something)
ljrousse's review
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ellecee's review
5.0
Anyone who was raised Evangelical (or in some way came of age in the mid-to-late 90s, at the height of the Left Behind series) has some sort of baggage about the Rapture (slash Sudden Departure), and being "left behind" (slash left over). The Leftovers triggered these anxieties for me in the best, most artistic way possible. Seeing the characters grieve for lost loved ones and the way the world used to be and (for most of them) to come out on the other side was refreshing and cathartic. A truly amazing book and well worth the read.
adamsfall's review
2.0
DNF but read well over half of it. This book was a total bore for me. The interconnecting storylines of each family member was cool, but poorly executed and the overall lack of “plot” or story really lost me. The most interesting part of the book, people disappearing, was criminally under utilized or explained.
spiderfelt's review
4.0
I picked up the book after finishing three seasons of the show with lots of unanswered questions. The show differed in several aspects from the original book, so it was both interesting and satisfying. While this book was recommended to me several years ago, it languished on my to-read shelf simply because it was written by a white male author, and I made a commitment to read books written by women and people of color. However, considering our current climate of intolerance and despair, it moved up to the top of my list. How does a person recover from an overwhelming grief and pervasive sense of dread? It seems like this would be a great bookclub selection.
dougharris's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating book. It's classified as sci-fi but there's almost nothing in the book that might be considered sci-fi. Another term that I've heard used for sci-fi is "speculative fiction" and that's a better term for this book. Perotta stipulates a crazy scenario but then tells a very realistic story of what might happen as a result.
Many people disappeared suddenly and without explanation - however, that's a few years before the action in this story. This focuses on the event's effects on one small town.
Many people disappeared suddenly and without explanation - however, that's a few years before the action in this story. This focuses on the event's effects on one small town.
abstract_amber77's review
3.0
I've had this book in my "to read" list for quite some time, but was more motivated to read it after enjoying another book, Mrs. Fletcher, by this same author. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the former, and I felt it got off to a real slow start. I was also hoping for a conclusion that didn't quite come. It proved to be interesting at times and I appreciated the author's unique perspective on the concept of the apocalypse, but all in all it was an average read that I probably won't delve into a second time. Nonetheless, I'm interested enough in the plot that I want to see what HBO has done with it in television form. Perhaps I will enjoy that a bit more.
robport's review
2.0
This just wasn't a very good book, and it is surprising to me that HBO has made it into a series. Basically, there's some sort of unexplained rapture event that claims about 2% of the population, and shakes the foundations of society. But then, after that intriguing set up, everyone pretty much goes on with life as usual. I felt like I was reading the script of some strange sci-fi/soap opera mashup.