lori_reads_everything's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a hard read. Not because of big words, or poor writing, or dry content.
It's a hard read because by page 50 you find yourself narrating your life in the same way the main character of this book narrates hers. And not long after that, you're invested in her kids lives, hoping they will be alright. And then tragedy strikes. Not the one you expected, another one. And it's awful. And not only is it awful, but you're reading it in the same voice that you've been narrating your own life with.
If you're a Mom, this book will be an especially hard read - I personally found myself crying multiple times by the end of this book. It is beautifully written - but read at your own risk.
It's a hard read because by page 50 you find yourself narrating your life in the same way the main character of this book narrates hers. And not long after that, you're invested in her kids lives, hoping they will be alright. And then tragedy strikes. Not the one you expected, another one. And it's awful. And not only is it awful, but you're reading it in the same voice that you've been narrating your own life with.
If you're a Mom, this book will be an especially hard read - I personally found myself crying multiple times by the end of this book. It is beautifully written - but read at your own risk.
kmhawley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
amandagstevens's review against another edition
4.0
Mary Beth Latham's life revolves around raising three teenagers and keeping up the home that "all the kids come to." Her marriage, her landscaping business, her world--all is content routine until one of her sons begins to exhibit signs of depression, until her daughter's long-time boyfriend refuses to accept the break-up. And until someone commits a hideous crime on New Year's Eve.
Because I figured out the crime before I cracked the cover (read the title; now look at the hardcover art), I nearly didn't read this book. I nearly missed this literary gem. Anna Quindlen's prose wrings meaning from every word without becoming sparse, weaves beauty without becoming pretentious. Her pitch-perfect dialogue breathes life into characters constructed from intimate, endearing detail. The crushing crime doesn't happen until halfway through the book, and yes, the first 100 pages are a tapestry of an ordinary life. But the author chooses each scene for a reason, never indulging in filler. Without the book's first half, its last half could not break the reader's heart.
Not many books bring me to tears. This one did. This is a tragic, terrible story, yet it's believable. Stories like this happen every day. Quindlen depicts human behavior in all its blind or willful egocentrism, all its momentary generosity, and all its in-between that we fail to notice. She paints mortality, reminds us that we will someday cease to be here. She paints grief in all its whelming tides and subtle undertows. She makes us wonder who we will miss someday, who we won't know well enough to miss, and what scraps of self we will leave behind when it comes our time to leave.
Because I figured out the crime before I cracked the cover (read the title; now look at the hardcover art), I nearly didn't read this book. I nearly missed this literary gem. Anna Quindlen's prose wrings meaning from every word without becoming sparse, weaves beauty without becoming pretentious. Her pitch-perfect dialogue breathes life into characters constructed from intimate, endearing detail. The crushing crime doesn't happen until halfway through the book, and yes, the first 100 pages are a tapestry of an ordinary life. But the author chooses each scene for a reason, never indulging in filler. Without the book's first half, its last half could not break the reader's heart.
Not many books bring me to tears. This one did. This is a tragic, terrible story, yet it's believable. Stories like this happen every day. Quindlen depicts human behavior in all its blind or willful egocentrism, all its momentary generosity, and all its in-between that we fail to notice. She paints mortality, reminds us that we will someday cease to be here. She paints grief in all its whelming tides and subtle undertows. She makes us wonder who we will miss someday, who we won't know well enough to miss, and what scraps of self we will leave behind when it comes our time to leave.
sheilahope's review against another edition
4.0
A well written story of family, love, loss, what life dishes out and how to move forward even in times of great pain. Love Anna Quindlen from her days of OP Ed at the NY Times.
nocto's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up to read mostly because I have got to Q in my challenge where I'm trying to read a new author beginning with every letter of the alphabet. I'd seen earlier books by Anna Quindlen on my search that looked quite interesting so I got the latest one without knowing anything about it and wasn't expecting anything particularly special. Then it turned out the book was all over the place as one of Richard & Judy's book choices of the summer. (On the whole I think R&J come up with a decent selection of interesting books, not all to my taste and the odd one that looks like a terrible clunker to me (one man's poison...) but I find it an interesting selection to peruse if not necessarily to read.)
It's definitely a book to read without knowing too much about what happens. It reminded me of authors like Anita Shreve and Jodi Picoult. Small town American family life with added disaster/trauma. I thought the author did a good job of the characters, their interactions, reactions to situations, motivations and what-not. I can see why it's a book that some people would write off with a 1-star review and others will rave about with a 5-star review which would make me hesitant to recommend it. Personally I thought it all worked and I'm glad I knew very little of the story before I started reading. For me it was a moving read but stopped somewhere short of fabulous.
It's definitely a book to read without knowing too much about what happens. It reminded me of authors like Anita Shreve and Jodi Picoult. Small town American family life with added disaster/trauma. I thought the author did a good job of the characters, their interactions, reactions to situations, motivations and what-not. I can see why it's a book that some people would write off with a 1-star review and others will rave about with a 5-star review which would make me hesitant to recommend it. Personally I thought it all worked and I'm glad I knew very little of the story before I started reading. For me it was a moving read but stopped somewhere short of fabulous.
caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
3.0
Another book about the seething undercurrents of suburbia - I seem to be reading a lot of this these days. It's ironic because I've spent my whole life as an urban person without much exception. Every time I've spent any time in suburbia I've moved back into an urban neighborhood as fast as possible. I think Blue Velvet - David Lynch's fabulous and fiendish take on suburbia - is the template for these kinds of stories (even though it's a film). His vision is so compelling that I find myself thinking of the very first shot every time I read a book like this.
The first Anna Quindlen book I ever read was Black and Blue, a book that managed to be utterly compelling and brutally, uncomfortably honest. More than anything I've ever read about domestic violence, Black and Blue captures what it's like inside the house where those things happen.
I'd say the same of Every Last One, a book that neatly delineates before and after without spending much time on the line between the two. There is before, when it's all suburban and family sunshine, but with those seething currents I mentioned earlier. On the surface, it's all perfect, but right underneath, just a fingernail scrape away things are a lot darker. Then there is after, when it's all about healing from grief and redemption.
I appreciated how subtle this book was - no self-indulgent dwelling on ugly things, but rather a quiet acknowledgment of events and more concern about how events change lives. Although I found the main character somewhat frustrating - always so safe, always turning her eyes away from what might not be safe - I also deeply related to her story. Not an easy read, but a good one.
The first Anna Quindlen book I ever read was Black and Blue, a book that managed to be utterly compelling and brutally, uncomfortably honest. More than anything I've ever read about domestic violence, Black and Blue captures what it's like inside the house where those things happen.
I'd say the same of Every Last One, a book that neatly delineates before and after without spending much time on the line between the two. There is before, when it's all suburban and family sunshine, but with those seething currents I mentioned earlier. On the surface, it's all perfect, but right underneath, just a fingernail scrape away things are a lot darker. Then there is after, when it's all about healing from grief and redemption.
I appreciated how subtle this book was - no self-indulgent dwelling on ugly things, but rather a quiet acknowledgment of events and more concern about how events change lives. Although I found the main character somewhat frustrating - always so safe, always turning her eyes away from what might not be safe - I also deeply related to her story. Not an easy read, but a good one.
susanne_latour's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nikkibisbee's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75