Nina

Clunky fairy tale for 3rd graders

Reviewed: 01-26-19

This might be the worst audio book I've ever listened to. Thats no fault of the narrator, who did the best she could with lines that were so desperately "Southern" that they made me cringe. The book makes oppression and bullying a central concept, however, there is essentially no issue with a white woman spending time with an old black man in the 60s, or any indication of racial dynamics other than the rather obviously named mention of "colored town." I don't think there is one plausible moment in this entire book. I don't understand how two completely different men would fall in love with a woman who has absolutely zero social skills, and I'm not talking popularity-I'm talking about the fact she barely knows how to count change or make eye contact. then there is the fact that one of them would behave in a suddenly different manner towards her after years. The miraculous self education. The immediate forgiveness for those who abandoned her. It is honestly so far fetched that it stopped being enjoyable. I love fiction, but the insane simplicity and complete nonsense of a plot made this a book that might as well have been written by the marsh girl after she went to "schoo one day in her gosh darn whole life." gag.

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15 people found this helpful

finally, an excellent book

Reviewed: 01-06-18

I was so worried this was going to turn into some sort of fairy tale, but it was disturbing through and through. I haven't been on the edge of my seat for a while, but the courtroom scene made me stop what I was doing to find out what was happening next.

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no real surprises here

Reviewed: 06-19-17

Have you ever watched a single episode of a soap opera? Even just one, maybe in high school Spanish class? If so, there are not going to be any surprises for you in this book. It was perfectly good, not horrible. But really, it has all of your stereotypical twists and turns and anyone who reads books like this, or watches soap operas will not be caught off-guard by any of the big reveals.

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Gone Girl + Dexter = utter disaster

Reviewed: 07-29-16

Do you like books with completely shallow, sex-obsessed, unemployed men and vapid women who are little more than semen receptacles? Well do I have the book for you! This gem of a book has all the likable characters of Gone Girl, the serial killer element of Dexter and none of that pesky plot to get in the way. I am about 2/3 through and would listen to the sweet music of my lunch digesting for 2 hours in the car each day than spend one more minute slowly dying on the inside while listening to the main character obsess over his next blow job.

Perhaps something miraculous occurs in the last third of the book. I will never know because I will be in therapy, pining for ways to get the last 7 hours back and praying that people like the characters in this book either do not exist, or all contract a virulent, deadly strain of herpes and vanish off the face of the earth. And please have them take the author with them, because anyone who names a pair of twins Forty and Love is truly deserving of a virulent pox.

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1 person found this helpful

goes nowhere

Reviewed: 04-29-16

What a cool concept wasted on a book with zero plot development. I get that the total lack of likeability is part of the storyline, but it sure made me wonder when things would pick up.

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1 person found this helpful

Villains from hell!

Reviewed: 03-30-15

It's hard to write much about this book without giving things away, but the villains are truly some of the most evil people I have ever encountered (in fiction). The dual tragedies of survivor's guilt and Stockholm syndrome make for a very somber look at the aftereffects of war, particularly during an era when men were expected to keep a stiff upper lip. I loved the story, I loved the unfolding. I think that the last page or two did not end the way that I thought it might, but it wasn't disappointing, just on the dull side of unexpected.

I would imagine that it would be tough to read because it is rather slow and intricate, but the narration is exquisite, complete with accents, so listening was delightful.

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Makes you want to scream, "JUST SAY HOW YOU FEEL!"

Reviewed: 01-20-15

This book was so painful to listen to, but not because it was poorly written or badly narrated, or boring. (It is actually quite lovely.) But, it is painful to listen to because you are privy to the thoughts of family members who want to make all the right choices, but through sheer lack of communication with each other, they all end up destroying themselves, and consequently one another.

Dad is trying to escape his past, mom is trying to relive hers and the results are so, so depressing. Add in the sexism and racism of the 60's and 70's and you just wish you could go into the Lee household and just tell the adults in the book to say how they feel, and that would be the most valuable gift they could give to their children. But you cannot, and you see how, depressingly, their complicated upbringings put them into a cycle of pushing their children to be what they could not, and even more heartbreaking, why the children act the way they do.

Jack's sidestory is just as heartbreaking, and nothing made me so sad as the end when we see that there actually are people who are willing to reach out to the family for a touch of kindness (Officer Fiske, the liquor store clerk, Jack), but, just like the Lees, we were so caught up in family matters, that we don't see all this until it is too late.

This is actually a very good book, it just was such a downer that I couldn't give it more stars.

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Hullo, Eeyore

Reviewed: 01-20-15

Why hullo Eeyore, I see you have come back to literary life as a female undertaker with a bunch of baggage...

I cannot blame the narrator on this one, because I think she hits the nail on the head with her reading. However, the problem is, that the main character is so despondent, so lifeless, that it is not all that appealing to listen to. Even when Clara has a brief moment of -out-of-character strength, she is semi-conscious, literally.

I think the people who compared this book to one of Gillian Flynn's must have thought so because Clara is not all that likable, much like many of Flynn's characters. However, to pull that off, you need to have a better storyline and, preferably, some other females who are at least making poor decisions and sticking with them instead of the doormat style life planning that Clara does here.

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Funny, smart, and a real treat

Reviewed: 01-05-15

This book really surprised me. I am not really sure what compelled me to buy it, because I haven't jumped onto the zombie craze. But this book was more than just post-apocalyptic silliness. It is one of the few books that has had me actually laugh out loud and the descriptions of characters and scenes are so clear, that I can still picture the characters and settings vividly in my mind. The narrator is a real character too.

Wait for Mr. Blunt's kitchen scene and you will find it hard to stay in your seat. Imagining a wooden James Bond bouncing around with a samurai sword is as awesome as it sounds.

And as a side note, the main character is a male, but there are some truly awesome female characters, and in fact, many of the characters in the book who play critical roles are kick-ass women. So, if you are looking for a fun read with some really cool women, and a completely enjoyable storyline, go pick this one up. You won't regret it.

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Who is this book meant for?

Reviewed: 11-10-14

I guess I was too caught up in trying to figure out the target audience for this book. Theme feels childish, and geared towards junior high, but there are a few adult concepts in there- sexual assault, murder- that threw me for a loop. its a cute story, but not what I was looking for overall.

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