Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Sink or swim
Too bad her kids didn’t get the memo.
Between
the troublesome family secrets, old sibling rivalries, and her two
teenage grandkids, Annette’s birthday vacation is looking more and more
like the perfect storm. Adrift together on the open seas, the Feldmans
will each face the truths they’ve been ignoring–and learn that the
people they once thought most likely to sink them are actually the ones
who help them stay afloat.
Review:
I've never been on a cruise, but judging from The Floating Feldmans, by Elyssa Friedland, I don't think it would be for me. I actually loved this book, but it will make me think twice before I book such a vacation. With fun characters and a nightmarish setting, this novel was a fun, fast read.
What I Liked:
Setting:
Nothing says fun like a family vacation, right? The cruise ship, with its forced socialization, makes for several funny situations. The daily activities, people fighting over the buffet (they seem to forget that there will be enough for everyone), and nightly themed dinners are all opportunities for the author to make us laugh. Oh, I did laugh out loud over many of the antics in this book.
Characters:
Elise:
I really connected to the character of Elise. Not her shopping addiction (okay, I sort of have a book buying addiction...), but her stress over her family. She's in a place in life where the kids are moving on to college, and she is left wondering what her purpose will be in the future.
Freddy:
Elise's brother, Freddy, is the family screw-up. Everyone expects the worst from him. He is constantly put down. The family thinks he is getting into debt on the cruise in order to impress his beautiful, young girlfriend. Little do they know he is a wildly successful businessman.
Annette:
The family matriarch, Annette, is a control-freak (much like her daughter). So a cruise seems like a perfect setting for her to corral her children to spend time with her and her husband, David. But even having everyone in the same place is no guarantee that they will notice each other. I found her to be a very sympathetic character.
Darius:
Darius (Elise's teenage son) is much like Freddy. Everyone expects him to mess up. He's under pressure from Elise to finish (start, actually) his college essay. But he can't seem to get started. Wow, this has been my own life! Guiding one's kids through the college application process is incredibly stressful, and this book captured the tension, and absurdity, of all of it.
Story:
Getting all the members of the Feldman clan on a boat was a genius way to force confrontations and expose secrets. And wow, do they ever have some secrets! Elise has a shopping addiction, which could ruin her husband's plans (which she knows nothing about), and force her son to go to a (gasp!) community college. Her brother, who everyone assumes is a screw-up, is actually a multi-millionaire marijuana distributor. And one of the grandparents has a life-threatening illness. All their dirty laundry gets aired out over the course of the book.
Rating:
Release Date: July 23rd, 2019
Author: Elyssa Friedland
Publisher: Berkley Press
Genre: General Fiction
Page Length: 368 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: Fun family vacation antics on the high seas. An entertaining summer book.
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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the content of my review in any way. Also, I participate in the Amazon Affiliate program. If you buy this book through the links on this page I will get a small fee.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
A richly layered novel of love, ambition, and duplicity, set against the storied seascape of Newport, Rhode Island
A
reckless wager between a tennis pro with a fading career and a drunken
party guest--the stakes are an antique motorcycle and an heiress's
diamond necklace--launches a narrative odyssey that braids together
three centuries of aspiration and adversity. A witty and urbane bachelor
of the Gilded Age embarks on a high-risk scheme to marry into a
fortune; a young writer soon to make his mark turns himself to his craft
with harrowing social consequences; an aristocratic British officer
during the American Revolution carries on a courtship that leads to
murder; and, in Newport's earliest days, a tragically orphaned Quaker
girl imagines a way forward for herself and the slave girl she has
inherited.
In The Maze at Windermere Gregory Blake Smith
weaves these intersecting worlds into a brilliant tapestry, charting a
voyage across the ages into the maze of the human heart.
Review:
It took me a long time to get into reading this book. At first I just didn't understand what was happening. The format of this book is a challenge, with changing timelines and five different stories happening at once. Like a maze, I was often lost at first. But as I ventured further in, I became immersed in these stories and loved it!
What I Liked:
Format:
As I said, the format is very challenging. Often, the reader is plopped right into the middle of a scene with no reference as to what is happening. But I later found this to be exciting, and fun. As the book progresses, the boundaries of the different stories blur, and jump around paragraph by paragraph. This heightens the tension as each story comes to it's dramatic conclusion.
Characters:
There are so many characters to love in this book. I particularly enjoyed the modern character of Alice, the crippled heiress who can never know if anyone will love her for herself, or for her money. Her raw emotions are filled with passion, longing, and desperation as she pursues Sandy, a handsome tennis pro.
Sandy is repulsed by her, at first. I liked how complicated is character was. He is both an opportunist, and sincerely interested in Alice. He sees that he is used by the rich people of Newport, but still seeks the access to the good life they can provide. How much is he willing to compromise to get what he wants?
Not all the characters are people I could root for. In the revolutionary war story, a British soldier schemes to bed the beautiful Jewish daughter of the richest merchant in town. What starts out as a simple grudge against the merchant turns into an obsession with the girl. He becomes the epitome of the entitled male. It was infuriating, but I also followed this story with great interest. I did not want him to succeed.
Setting:
I have never been to Newport, Rhode Island but now I would love to visit. All the stories take place there. Through the ages it transforms from small, prosperous village into a playground for the ultra rich. I loved how each of the stories added a new layer to the town itself. One character even walks the streets and points out all many of the events that take place over hundreds of years. It was eerie and beautiful.
What I was mixed about:
Ending:
I have mixed feelings about the ending of the various stories. On the one hand, it was frustrating as a reader to not get firm resolutions to each story. However, I think the point of it all is that the stories never truly end. I could have followed several of the characters much further on in their stories, as they were really fascinating. But I have to respect the author for ending it as he did.
Rating:
Release Date: January 9th, 2018
Genre: General Fiction/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Viking
Page Length: 352 pages
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: This is a haunting story of how similar our struggles are throughout the ages. Challenging, but satisfying. This would be an interesting choice for a book club to tackle.
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Please Note: I received an advance audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way. Also, I am in the Amazon Affiliate program. If you buy the book using the link on this page, I will get a small fee.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
In Shaker Heights, a
placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned -- from
the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the
successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies
this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is
playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren -- an enigmatic artist
and single mother -- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her
teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon
Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are
drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a
mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to
upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends
of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody
battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena
on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is
determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will
come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Review:
I wasn't sure, at first, what to make of Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng. With its dual plot of teens, and of their parents, it's part YA, part women's fiction. It did take me a while to delve in to this book. But once I did, I was engulfed! With a huge cast of characters, and a twisty story line, this book would be a wonderful choice for a book club, and will surely be the next big movie. If you liked Big Little Lies by Lainey Moriarty, you will adore this book.
What I Liked:
Characters:
I really like all the teens in this book (except for Moody). As the title suggests, each of them have small (and large) fires going on in their lives. It reminds me that, even when people seem all perfect, everyone has something going on!
Mia, the artist/photographer who moves into the Richardson's rental unit with her daughter Pearl, is a very complex character. She also seems to have everything figured out. She moves randomly from city to city just on a whim. But there is also more going on... I had very mixed feelings about her, and her choices. She is actually quite selfish, and doesn't think about how all of their moving around affects Pearl.
Story:
There is so much going on in this book! Little fires and big fires all converge to ignite the (actual) house fire that consumes the Richardson's home. This is not giving anything away, as this happens at the beginning of the book. The rest of the story is about everything that leads up to it.
This is also a story about pregnancy, adoptions, and a custody battle. Of people desperate to have a baby, and people desperate once they have them. My heart went out to both mothers in the custody battle over an Asian baby who is being adopted into a Caucasian family. Is it right to place a child into an environment where they will surely lose their cultural identity? Or should a person who is skirting the edge of poverty be allowed to raise her own child?
Narration:
I think the narrator, Jennifer Lim, did a fine job with the characters in this story. While she does do an accent with the Asian character, she does so subtly, and with respect. She is versatile, performing as a teenage boy one minute, and a scared middle-age mother the next.
What I Didn't Like:
Characters:
I really disliked Mrs. Richardson! What a busybody. Not only does she interfere in the lives of several people, but she doesn't really pay any price for it. I really wanted her to get caught and have some consequences for her actions, but she doesn't. I know this is probably how things would turn out in "real life", but I was itching for her to pay for what she had done. The author tries, somewhat, to have one result that will haunt her, but I didn't see it as much of one. She doesn't have much regard for the person who eventually leaves, so I didn't see it as much of a loss for her.
I also thought Moody's character wasn't given much to do beyond mooning over Pearl. I wish the author had gone a little deeper into being the rejected friend. But he only seems angry, not hurt, about Pearl not liking him. All he does is trash-talk her, he doesn't even act on his anger. So this made me feel like he was just a filler character.
Rating:
Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Genre: General Fiction
Listening Length: 11 hours, 27 minutes
Page Length: 352 pages
Narrator: Jennifer Lim
Recommendation: This would make a wonderful selection for a book club. The actions of the characters will make for some heated discussions!
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Please Note: I am in the Amazon Affiliate program. If you click on the book cover, and buy the book through that link, I will get a small fee.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Thirty-three-year-old
Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college
town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares.
Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s
legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown
team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a
job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she
has remained for more than a decade.
But when an unexpected
tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable
world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is
really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out
on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the
people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront
her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only
is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart,
and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the
one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.
Review:
While I was looking for a fun romance to delve into a friend graciously let me borrow this book. This was just the ticket. The characters were compelling, and unique, and the setting (college football) was new to me. And it was very romantic, as well.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Shea Rigsby is a fun-loving woman who is not desperate to find a husband and start a family. I found this to be so refreshing! She does have relationships with men, but she is just enjoying her life. I love how smart and strong Shea is, as she questions some of her safe life choices. But she does have her faults. For a woman in her thirties, she seems to behave more like a college student, getting drunk several times in the book. This leads to some situations that I feel are far-fetched, given how mature Shea is.
I found the Coach to be more than a stereotypical man's man. He works hard and has many people looking up to him. But being stuck standing on that pedestal is lonely. He sees in Shea an opportunity to relax and be himself. He is also not perfect. As the head coach of a major college football program, he may have looked the other way when some of his players have done unethical things. But why? And does that automatically make him a terrible person?
Domestic Abuse:
I thought the author handled this difficult issue very well. She showed how easily the victim (and even bystanders) makes excuses for the abuser. If the person is someone well regarded in the community, most people will choose not to see the obvious. She also shows the aftermath of how the victim blames herself, and how the abuser promises and promises to change.
Romance:
At first, I was put off by where I thought the book was going in the romance department. But I think my discomfort was actually beneficial to my reading experience! What happens when you are attracted to someone you know all of your friends and family will object to? Do you have the courage to follow your heart? Does that person also have the guts to let the chips fall where they may, and stand up for love? That uncomfortable dread I felt was what the character felt, and it made me empathize with her.
Sports:
Shea is the ultimate football fan. She memorizes stats, playbooks, and even all the Heisman trophy winners! Reading about her obsession is contagious, and makes me want to pay attention to college football in the future!
What I Didn't Like:
TMI:
I am not a fan of explicit sex scenes in books, and there are one or two of these in this novel. I didn't find them too offensive, but I think if you are looking for a "clean" romance book, you should look elsewhere. Which is a shame. I don't think these scenes added much to the story. Thankfully, they were not a frequent aspect of the book, so that is why I am only subtracting half a star from my rating.
Rating:
Release Date: May 20th, 2014
Genre: General Fiction
Trigger Warning: This book does have scenes of domestic abuse.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Length: 432 Pages
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Format: Paperback
Recommendation: This is a fun romance that will keep you entertained, especially if you enjoy football!
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Please Note: I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way. Also, I have linked up the cover to Amazon. If you click on the links and ultimately buy the book, I will get a small fee. This did not influence how I rated this book.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
When powerful
real-estate tycoon Nero Golden immigrates to the States under mysterious
circumstances, he and his three adult children assume new identities,
taking 'Roman' names, and move into a grand mansion in downtown
Manhattan. Arriving shortly after the inauguration of Barack Obama, he
and his sons, each extraordinary in his own right, quickly establish
themselves at the apex of New York society.
The story of the
powerful Golden family is told from the point of view of their
Manhattanite neighbour and confidant, René, an aspiring filmmaker who
finds in the Goldens the perfect subject. René chronicles the undoing of
the house of Golden: the high life of money, of art and fashion, a
sibling quarrel, an unexpected metamorphosis, the arrival of a beautiful
woman, betrayal and murder, and far away, in their abandoned homeland,
some decent intelligence work.
Invoking literature, pop culture,
and the cinema, Rushdie spins the story of the American zeitgeist over
the last eight years, hitting every beat: the rise of the birther
movement, the Tea Party, Gamergate and identity politics; the backlash
against political correctness; the ascendancy of the superhero movie,
and, of course, the insurgence of a ruthlessly ambitious, narcissistic,
media-savvy villain wearing make-up and with coloured hair.
Review:
The tale of the Golden family is a saga on par with no less than the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. With the larger than life character of Nero Golden, you see a man who is trying to act, after years of criminal activity, like a legitimate, wealthy businessman. He is surrounded by his three grown sons (who each have crosses to bear, despite their privileges) and a scheming trophy wife, yet he is alone in his adopted country of America.
This novel not only chronicles the downfall of a powerful man, but also of the United States, as both transform from the envy of the world into caricatures of crass reality-television based drama and politics.
What I Liked:
Narrative device:
The narrator, René, acts (mostly) as a fly on the wall, witnessing the story as though he is writing a movie script of the Goldens. Author Salman Rushdie uses this device to show what voice overs might occur in various scenes, allowing the reader to hear the inner dialogue of the characters.
René is also drawn into the family's story by the seductive nature of wealth and power. He is symbolic of all of us who swear we will never watch The Kardashians or The Bachelor, yet are curious of the spectacle. We watch one episode and we are hooked! Like anyone, René can't stop watching the ensuing drama and leaps into the fray. His guilt is the collective guilt of a population of Americans who say they want civility and cooperation, but engage in the opposite behavior when no one is looking.
New York State of Mind:
Reading this book reminds me of a Woody Allen movie. With his advanced education and professor parents, René represents the elite that the far right rally against. All of the characters constantly analyze themselves and each other. The home of the Goldens and other families surround The Garden. This idealized patch of land is where wealthy neighbors let their young children play, released from the concerns of the outer world. Much like reality television, this close proximity also sets up each resident's life to be viewed for the consumption and entertainment of their neighbors. There are many references to Hitchcock's Rear Window, which now seems like an omen warning of the easy voyeurism our society now indulges in.
Characters:
Nero's sons are each very conflicted. The oldest, Petya, struggles with high-functioning Autism. While some of Petya's habits are stereotypical, the author does show the social anxiety of people on the autism spectrum, and the ways these individuals can harness these traits to find success.
Apu seems to be the most well-adjusted, yet he is plagued by the ghosts of the people his father trod upon to reach the top. He is an artist who takes what he wants (like his father), even when it hurts Petya. His guilt over his privilege causes him to behave recklessly, which leads him to his ruin.
D (short for Dionysus), is trying to come to grips with his/her gender identity. Born male, she identifies as a woman, but is terrified of the surgery that would align her body with her identity. I found this one of the most fascinating aspects of the novel. The author very succinctly explains the bewilderment that many older Americans feel over Identity. Younger people easily accept ideas such as gender fluidity, and multiple kinds of pronouns. But many well-meaning people (who want to be supportive) have a hard time understanding the difference between what is a choice, and what is inborn in a person. D's character allows the author to explore these issues without judging the characters on their confusion.
Social Commentary:
Without naming names, Rushdie takes jabs at the recent presidential elections. He uses the analogy of Bat Woman and the Joker to represent Hillary and The Donald. The surreal feeling of the election season mirrors the dark turn America has taken during the Obama years. Racist, sexist, and misogynistic opinions that would have been unacceptable to express just a few years ago, are proudly yelled from the rooftops. As mass shootings become more common, solutions to gun violence, such as keeping firearms from mentally disturbed people, are blocked just because one side doesn't want the other to score a victory.
What I Was Mixed About:
Female Characters:
Most of the women in this book are deeply flawed. They are portrayed as manipulative, scheming people who use men to further their own interests. Most of the women who become involved with the main male characters shy away from commitment, and want nothing to do with bearing children. Once they do become close to men, they immediately try to emasculate them by constant criticism and absurd power plays. Aren't there any good women in this world? Perhaps this was the mindset that men unconsciously attached to Hillary? Could this be why she wasn't elected?
Rating:
Release Date: September 5th, 2017
Publisher: Random House
Genre: General Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: ARC E-book
Recommendation: This is an epic book that is sure to resonate with many Americans. It encompasses the immigrant experience, political theater, and our obsession with wealth and power.
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Please Note: I received an audio book copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
When the revered
children's author Mort Lear dies accidentally at the Connecticut home he
shares with Tomasina Daulair, his trusted assistant, she is stunned to
be left the house and all its contents, as well as being named his
literary executor. Though not quite his daughter or his wife, Tommy was
nearly everything to the increasingly reclusive Lear, whom she knew for
over forty years since meeting him as a child in a city playground where
Lear was making sketches for Colorquake, a book that would become an
instant classic.
Overwhelmed by the responsibility for Lear's
bequest, she must face the demands of all those affected by the sudden
loss, including the lonely, outraged museum curator to whom Lear once
promised his artistic estate; the beguiling British actor recently cast
to play Lear in a movie; and her own estranged brother. She must also
face the demons of Morty's painful past the subject of that movie and a
future that will no longer include him. A visit from the actor leads to
revelations and confrontations that challenge much of what Tommy
believed she knew about her boss's life and work and, ultimately, about
her own."
Review:
As someone who has been an executor of an estate for a family member, I felt an immediate kinship with Tommy, the main character in the novel, A House Among The Trees, by Julia Glass. Tommy is trying to juggle the competing interests of people who are affected by the will of Morty, the famous children's author, while also mourning a man who was the central figure in her life.
What I Liked:
Situation:
I just loved all the competing interests in Morty's estate. There is the museum curator who thought she had an agreement with Morty for him to leave all his archives to the museum, Danny (Tommy's brother), who feels Morty owes him because his likeness was the inspiration for his most famous character, Evo, and Nick, the actor who wants to find out as much personal information he can about the reclusive author. Poor Tommy! She must be part counselor, part referee, as she struggles to figure out how to carry out Morty's wishes.
Characters:
There is more to Tommy role as Morty's assistant than most people know. She has been with him for nearly thirty years and became his sounding board and companion, or so she thinks. When she is charged with being the executor of his estate, she begins to wonder if he saw her as anything more than an employee. She has a lot of conflicting emotions that she needs to work through before she can get over this chapter of her life.
Tommy's brother, Danny, was a child when Morty drew him for a character in one of his books. Little did anyone know that these books would become hugely popular and sell millions of copies. Is Danny entitled to anything for this? He certainly thinks so. He has had a chip on his shoulder for decades, thinking that he is owed for inspiring Morty, especially since the author never acknowledged him). Is this the reason why he hasn't been successful in life? Danny's sense of entitlement is maddening. While I didn't like his character, he was well-written and represents a kind of person I have interacted with in my own life.
Nick is the actor who is set to portray Morty in an upcoming movie about the author. Having just won an Academy Award, he is fawned over by fans and chased by the paparazzi. He had an ongoing exchange of emails with Morty prior to his death, and is determined to continue his research by spending time at Morty's (and now Tommy's) house. While he was extremely unethical at times, he was earnestly trying to understand Morty for his job. But sometimes, I wanted to slap him!
Theme:
The theme that I came away with from the book was that of finding your own house among the trees, a place where you choose to put down roots and live the life you were meant to live. All the characters struggle with how to set priorities, and choose to do what they feel is their life's work. While most of us want to be settled this way, others would feel tied down. There is no right way to live one's life.
What I Was Mixed About:
Narration:
The Narration for this book was performed by Mary Stuart Masterson. I felt her style was okay, but not terribly exciting. I think she could have done more to distinguish between the female voices, as sometimes it was confusing.
This was a very intriguing book with characters that will give a book club plenty to discuss. It pays tribute to those who have support roles in life. While they may not be stars, they are what keep society functioning. And their value cannot be overestimated.
Rating:
Release Date: June 13th, 2017
Genre: General Fiction
Source: Penguin Random House
Format: Audio Book
Narrator: Mary Stuart Masterson
Recommendation: A great choice for book clubs, and people who enjoy complicated characters.
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Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Northern California,
during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely
and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park,
and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their
dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a
mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be
infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the
hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is
exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be
accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms
of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie
does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable
violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go
horribly wrong.
Review:
When the book came out, the publicity for The Girls hinted at an inside look into a late 1960's cult (much like Charles Manson's "Family"). I was really interested in trying to understand why young teen girls would be involved with such a group. But as I read The Girls, by Emma Cline, all I got was a depressing story of repeated victimization. It was a tough read that did not give me much insight.
What I Liked:
Setting:
I did feel that the author captured the essence of the 1960's, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although I was a young kid, I remember that time well. The young adults of the time were trying their best to be shocking to the adults. Long hair, unwashed bodies, wild clothes, all of these were signals that people were rebelling against the norm of the times. This book gets the feel of the time right.
Evie is an outsider who is ripe for joining this new, perhaps dangerous, way of thinking. The book shows how enticing the group must have been to Evie. Everywhere they go, the girls in the group act invincible.
What I Didn't Like:
Evie:
As much as I was rooting for Evie and understood how lost she was during her transition from child to adult, I didn't feel her character had any growth. The book is told in flashbacks as an older Evie (possibly in her 40's or 50's?) recalls her involvement with a notorious 60's group who committed an horrific murder. She herself did not participate in the crime that is the climax of the book. But for a random incident, Evie considers if she would have followed through with what the others in her group did. You never learn how Evie's life turned out or how she even feels about what happened with the group.
Normalization of Rape:
Throughout the book, as Evie recalls terrible moments of victimization, she doesn't seem to see these situations as abuse. She doesn't seem to learn to be weary of the others in the group, even after she is abused.
Also, it was strange, and upsetting, reading about essentially rapes. The older Evie reminisces about her fourteen-year old self being used by the much older men (and women) in the group for sexual pleasure. This is rape. But even as an adult, she doesn't see it that way.
The ending of the book goes on to mention further abuse as the normal course of one's life. This left me angry and deflated that Evie didn't become stronger. She just accepted that this was how life was.
Rating:
Release Date: June 14th, 2016
Genre: General Fiction
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: I cannot recommend this book. The depictions of the rapes of a fourteen-year old as normal were too much for me.
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