chehr's review against another edition
3.0
I received The House of Memories by Monica McInerney through the Goodreads.com giveaways.
I enjoyed this book. The book allows the reader to see many different ways people grieve, like avoidance and denial. You also see the way one person’s grief affects another. At first I could not stand the character Jess at all, but as the story went on you come to realize that she isn’t the person she tries to come across as. I loved her tattoo and the meaning behind it. And even though the story is told from several different points of view, I thought that it flowed very well. I didn’t have any problems following the shifts in characters as I have in other book.
I enjoyed this book. The book allows the reader to see many different ways people grieve, like avoidance and denial. You also see the way one person’s grief affects another. At first I could not stand the character Jess at all, but as the story went on you come to realize that she isn’t the person she tries to come across as. I loved her tattoo and the meaning behind it. And even though the story is told from several different points of view, I thought that it flowed very well. I didn’t have any problems following the shifts in characters as I have in other book.
loriencw's review
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
sonja_mj's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Monica novel! I felt like she broke through her own cliche and really explored an interesting and poignant issue! I was hooked from the first word, and loved the way Ella and Aiden worked it out in the end! I was quite frustrated with Ella, especially in the middle of the book, but liked the way this made it a very real exploration of grief! I liked the character of Lucas and how he forced Ella to think outside herself and also gave the reader a real insight into how other members of the family grieved also. My only criticism was sometimes Jess's diary entries were a bit drawn out and it was hard to see their purpose. Though by the end I was so swept up in rooting for Ella and Aiden that I forgot how they annoyed me at the time! A great read!!
shelleyrae's review
4.0
Heartfelt and poignant, The House of Memories explores the overwhelming nature of grief in the wake of tragedy. In pain and anger, Ella O'Hanlon blames her husband, Aiden and her half sister, Jess, for the accident that ripped her life apart. Unable to forgive them, she leaves her life behind in a futile attempt to manage the devastation that engulfs her. When her beloved Uncle Lucas invites her to stay with him in England, Ella agrees, hoping for some respite from the agony of her loss but soon discovers there is no escape from the memories of love.
The House of Memories has such a simple premise but is a wonderful novel with compelling emotional depth. Tragedy inspires a maelstrom of emotions and each person touched by it deals with it differently. The first person point of view provides insight into Ella's process of grieving, her heartbreak, confusion and bitterness bared to the reader with an honesty that incites heartfelt compassion.
How Aiden, Ella's husband, and Ella's family are faring both with their grief and their concern for Ella, is glimpsed through email exchanges, diary entries and letters. I admired the way in which McInerney lets us believe that perhaps Ella's skewed perception of her family's reaction to the loss is accurate but slowly we learn that her view is coloured by her own insular grief. Having cut herself off from them all Ella, and therefore we, cannot see the ways in which they are hurting too.
It's important that you know, however, that there is as much heart and warmth in The House of Memories as there is angst and drama. The family dynamics are complex but at its core there is real love between it's members. There are touches of delightful humour too, memories of childhood pleasures, Charlie's family email missives and even Jess's over enthusiastic use of exclamation marks.
A moving story of family, love and forgiveness, I thought The House of Memories was a captivating novel and one I would happily recommend.
booksbytheboats's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Firstly, it’s important to say straight away that this book comes with some serious trigger warnings with some topics that some of you will struggle with so please ask if you’d like to know which ones.
But… I loved this book. Very emotional but with some humour thrown in, this book had me hooked. Real life stopped me from binging it in one sitting but if I could have done, I would have. I was really rooting for so many of the characters. A wide range of characters, siblings all linked together by various step parents, an uncle thrown in for only one character and one little human tying them all together. Really strong family themes.
Following the life of Ella who has fled her life and her love in Australia on a journey to London to escape the things she can’t deal with the hope of forgetting everything she ever worked for. I thought this was going to be a lot lighter than it was, the main plot is actually quite difficult but Ella is a really lovable character. I’d really like a follow up on her character!
This book explores lots of different kinds of relationships - love, family and friends and how sometimes life can stop everything you thought you knew. If I said anymore I’d give too much a way but I highly recommend picking this one up - but like I said check the TW first!
moizd's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Grief, and Child death
bern_loves's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm
I bought this book on a bit of whim one day in October 2012 when I was in the CBD trying to kill a few hours. I was there for an appointment in the early afternoon and I was meeting up with some friends later in the evening, but I didn’t realise the appointment would finish so quickly, leaving a huge gap of time for me to fill… And what better way to fill time than with a book! I already owned two of Monica McInerney’s books at the time but I hadn’t read them, and this was a new release so I thought I’d give it a whirl. And boy I’m I glad that I did!
I read this book from start to finish in two sittings that day; I sat in my car and read for several hours before meeting up with my friends, and then I finished it off in bed that night (and early morning) when I got home. It completely engrossed me and I couldn’t put it down – I almost ditched my friends so I could finish reading it! The writing style reminded me a little of Jodi Picoult, with the book mostly written from Ella’s POV with occasional chapters from Aidan, Jess and Charlie’s respective POVs, and also in the way it jumped around a bit from the present to the past and back again. I’ve always enjoyed this style of writing, and McInerney masters it beautifully in The House of Memories.
This book was heartfelt, poignant and it touched my heart. The characters were realistic and written in a way that evoked sympathy for their situation after the tragic accident, especially Ella. I don’t know how I would ever cope if I was to experience what Ella and Aidan went through, it’s got to be the worst thing that could ever happen to a parent. This book had all the feels, and I cried many times throughout. We all react to grief in different ways, and this book was a realistic protrayal of that and how it affected each character.
I remembered Henrietta’s words to me that night in the kitchen.
Grief is selfish.
Page 398
The bond and relationships between the characters was well-developed, especially the relationship between Ella and her Uncle Lucas. He’s her go-to in all the hard times, from childhood to adulthood, and he’s the anchor she needs to help get her through her grief. I couldn’t stand Jess, she brought out such a negative reaction in me which is a testament to McInerney’s writing, and Ella’s parents drove me up the wall with their insensitivity at times.
I’ve since read most of McInerney’s other books, but this one still remains my favourite. If you’re looking for something heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time, you should give it a shot.
I bought this book on a bit of whim one day in October 2012 when I was in the CBD trying to kill a few hours. I was there for an appointment in the early afternoon and I was meeting up with some friends later in the evening, but I didn’t realise the appointment would finish so quickly, leaving a huge gap of time for me to fill… And what better way to fill time than with a book! I already owned two of Monica McInerney’s books at the time but I hadn’t read them, and this was a new release so I thought I’d give it a whirl. And boy I’m I glad that I did!
I read this book from start to finish in two sittings that day; I sat in my car and read for several hours before meeting up with my friends, and then I finished it off in bed that night (and early morning) when I got home. It completely engrossed me and I couldn’t put it down – I almost ditched my friends so I could finish reading it! The writing style reminded me a little of Jodi Picoult, with the book mostly written from Ella’s POV with occasional chapters from Aidan, Jess and Charlie’s respective POVs, and also in the way it jumped around a bit from the present to the past and back again. I’ve always enjoyed this style of writing, and McInerney masters it beautifully in The House of Memories.
This book was heartfelt, poignant and it touched my heart. The characters were realistic and written in a way that evoked sympathy for their situation after the tragic accident, especially Ella. I don’t know how I would ever cope if I was to experience what Ella and Aidan went through, it’s got to be the worst thing that could ever happen to a parent. This book had all the feels, and I cried many times throughout. We all react to grief in different ways, and this book was a realistic protrayal of that and how it affected each character.
I remembered Henrietta’s words to me that night in the kitchen.
Grief is selfish.
Page 398
The bond and relationships between the characters was well-developed, especially the relationship between Ella and her Uncle Lucas. He’s her go-to in all the hard times, from childhood to adulthood, and he’s the anchor she needs to help get her through her grief. I couldn’t stand Jess, she brought out such a negative reaction in me which is a testament to McInerney’s writing, and Ella’s parents drove me up the wall with their insensitivity at times.
I’ve since read most of McInerney’s other books, but this one still remains my favourite. If you’re looking for something heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time, you should give it a shot.
kmmi_booklover's review
5.0
After reading and loving "Hello from the Gillespies", I decided to go back and try some of McInerney's prior books. I'm glad I have plenty to choose from because I also loved "The House of Memories". In this book, Australian Ella O'Hanlon flees a tragedy and goes to stay with her uncle Lucas. Ella blames her husband Aiden and half-sister Jess for the tragedy and avoids contact with all of her family other than Lucas. I love the format of this book with the main story line from Ella's point of view interspersed with alternating chapters from her step-brother Charlies' family letters, Jess' diary entries, and Aiden's story of their son Felix. I absolutely loved some of the secondary characters, particularly Charlie and Lucas.