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Tully
The astonishing debut novel from international number one bestselling author Paullina Simons, now beautifully repackaged
Tully Makker is a tough young woman from the wrong side of the tracks and she is not always easy to like. But if Tully gives friendship and loyalty, she gives them for good, and she forms an enduring bond with Jennifer and Julie, school friends from very different backgrounds. As they grow into the world of the seventies and eighties, the lives of the three best friends are changed forever by two young men, Robin and Jack, and a tragedy which engulfs them all. Against the odds, Tully emerges into young womanhood, marriage and a career. At last Tully Makker has life under control. And then life strikes back in the most unexpected way of all...
Tully Makker is a tough young woman from the wrong side of the tracks and she is not always easy to like. But if Tully gives friendship and loyalty, she gives them for good, and she forms an enduring bond with Jennifer and Julie, school friends from very different backgrounds. As they grow into the world of the seventies and eighties, the lives of the three best friends are changed forever by two young men, Robin and Jack, and a tragedy which engulfs them all. Against the odds, Tully emerges into young womanhood, marriage and a career. At last Tully Makker has life under control. And then life strikes back in the most unexpected way of all...
614 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
251 people are currently reading
5,219 people want to read
About the author
Paullina Simons
41books5,199followersPaullina Simons was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1963. At the age of ten her family immigrated to the United States. Growing up in Russia Paullina dreamt of someday becoming a writer. Her dream was put on hold as she learned English and overcame the shock of a new culture.
After graduating from university and after various jobs including working as a financial journalist and as a translator Paullina wrote her first novel Tully. Through word of mouth that book was welcomed by readers all over the world.
She continued with more novels, including Red Leaves, Eleven Hours, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross (also known as Tatiana and Alexander), The Summer Garden and The Girl in Times Square (also known as Lily). Many of Paullina's novels have reached international bestseller lists.
Apart from her novels, Paullina has also written a cookbook, Tatiana's Table, which is a collection of recipes, short stories and recollections from her best selling trilogy of novels, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross, (also known as Tatiana and Alexander) and The Summer Garden.
After graduating from university and after various jobs including working as a financial journalist and as a translator Paullina wrote her first novel Tully. Through word of mouth that book was welcomed by readers all over the world.
She continued with more novels, including Red Leaves, Eleven Hours, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross (also known as Tatiana and Alexander), The Summer Garden and The Girl in Times Square (also known as Lily). Many of Paullina's novels have reached international bestseller lists.
Apart from her novels, Paullina has also written a cookbook, Tatiana's Table, which is a collection of recipes, short stories and recollections from her best selling trilogy of novels, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross, (also known as Tatiana and Alexander) and The Summer Garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 638 reviews
September 29, 2009
I never thought I would hate a novel by Paullina Simons, but here it is. This overly long first novel deals with the life a young woman named Tully Makker. She comes from a horribly abusive family and her background, as well as tragic loss, sets the stage for the poor life choices she makes throughout the novel.
The plot moves at a turtle's pace taking us through Tully's devastating teen years where her mother's attentions range from nonexistant to severe beatings. Tully dances at frat parties and strip joints for money, loses herself in meaningless sex, and isolates herself from her best friends, Jennifer and Julie. When tragedy strikes, the loss is so overwhelming for Tully that it haunts her well into womanhood and influences her decisions. Tully continues to isolate herself, bouncing from man to man and, at times, two-timing her boyfriends. While all this is happening she is trying to decide the course of her future, but fails miserably because she refuses to share herself with people that might help her. She finally decides to go to college and study social work.
The tone of this book was tragic and disappointing, overly long, and hopeless. (No I don't need to read a page and a half of how she convinces the state of Kansas to allow Child Services a bigger budget and longer training times for prospective foster families.) Tully then marries, out of neccesity, a man who loves her but she feels nothing for. People hate her at her job because she makes waves, her friend Shakie loves a fellow classmate but can't have him because she is married...blah, blah, blah. I was also dissatisfied with the way the relationship between Tully and her mother is wrapped up. It didn't feel realistic to me at all. I never felt any sympathy for her lovers except Jack. He didn't deserve to be hurt by Tully who seems to poison everything she touches.
Towards the end of the book I hoped that Tully would finally get a little happiness and what does the idiot do? She makes another dumb choice. I felt my anger rising and I finally lost my patience with this drivel. Tully muddles through life and just when things seem to be changing for the better, she once again throws happiness away with both hands. I never thought I would dislike a heroine as much as I disliked this one. The entire book had me wondering what the point of it was?
D+ read.
The plot moves at a turtle's pace taking us through Tully's devastating teen years where her mother's attentions range from nonexistant to severe beatings. Tully dances at frat parties and strip joints for money, loses herself in meaningless sex, and isolates herself from her best friends, Jennifer and Julie. When tragedy strikes, the loss is so overwhelming for Tully that it haunts her well into womanhood and influences her decisions. Tully continues to isolate herself, bouncing from man to man and, at times, two-timing her boyfriends. While all this is happening she is trying to decide the course of her future, but fails miserably because she refuses to share herself with people that might help her. She finally decides to go to college and study social work.
The tone of this book was tragic and disappointing, overly long, and hopeless. (No I don't need to read a page and a half of how she convinces the state of Kansas to allow Child Services a bigger budget and longer training times for prospective foster families.) Tully then marries, out of neccesity, a man who loves her but she feels nothing for. People hate her at her job because she makes waves, her friend Shakie loves a fellow classmate but can't have him because she is married...blah, blah, blah. I was also dissatisfied with the way the relationship between Tully and her mother is wrapped up. It didn't feel realistic to me at all. I never felt any sympathy for her lovers except Jack. He didn't deserve to be hurt by Tully who seems to poison everything she touches.
Towards the end of the book I hoped that Tully would finally get a little happiness and what does the idiot do? She makes another dumb choice. I felt my anger rising and I finally lost my patience with this drivel. Tully muddles through life and just when things seem to be changing for the better, she once again throws happiness away with both hands. I never thought I would dislike a heroine as much as I disliked this one. The entire book had me wondering what the point of it was?
D+ read.
May 1, 2007
One of my favourite books ever. I cried buckets when i read this the first time! You will learn to love & hate the character of Tully as she both endears and frustrates you. Fantastic reading
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June 5, 2021لینک خرید کتاب
December 30, 2016
I read this book many years ago, in my late teens and loved it.
Although I no longer remember the details, I do remember the book being long, and it taking over my life for quite a few days, as I was so taken in by the story it told. I also remember it making me cry and my heart aching.
I'm not sure whether I would appreciate it in the same way today, now I'm older and wiser, but Tully is definitely a title that has stayed with me over the years, and each time I see the front cover it fills me with feelings of anguish and sadness, as if I'm back within the pages of the book again.
If you like the sound of the blurb, I recommend this one. I imagine if I read it today it would probably make me feel nostalgic about my days growing up. It might also appeal to fans of Young Adult fiction or teenage readers too.
Although I no longer remember the details, I do remember the book being long, and it taking over my life for quite a few days, as I was so taken in by the story it told. I also remember it making me cry and my heart aching.
I'm not sure whether I would appreciate it in the same way today, now I'm older and wiser, but Tully is definitely a title that has stayed with me over the years, and each time I see the front cover it fills me with feelings of anguish and sadness, as if I'm back within the pages of the book again.
If you like the sound of the blurb, I recommend this one. I imagine if I read it today it would probably make me feel nostalgic about my days growing up. It might also appeal to fans of Young Adult fiction or teenage readers too.
October 8, 2009
I’m not really sure how to rate this book. Reading it involved a lot of eye rolling and cursing out loud every other page. I think my loathing was more for the characters than for any faulty writing or for the book itself. I have never read about a character that I loathed more than Tully, which I suppose is better than being completely indifferent. I couldn’t relate to anyone in this story, which is a good thing considering they were all seemingly masochistic people who, for whatever reason, were all hopelessly in love with Tully.
But here’s the thing. I finished it. It was a 400+ page novel and I finished it simply because I admit � begrudgingly � that the story, as horrible as it was, was engaging. It was kind of like those awful made-for-TV movies that you complain about and yet, two hours later, there you are, still watching it.
But here’s the thing. I finished it. It was a 400+ page novel and I finished it simply because I admit � begrudgingly � that the story, as horrible as it was, was engaging. It was kind of like those awful made-for-TV movies that you complain about and yet, two hours later, there you are, still watching it.
May 7, 2019
Tully, Paullina Simons
عنوان: تالی؛ نویسنده: پولینا سایمونز؛ مترجم: زهرا محمدی؛ تهران، فرهنگ تارا، 1383؛ در 515 ص؛ شابک: 9649461019؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی قرن 20 م
نسخه ای نیافتم
عنوان: تالی؛ نویسنده: پولینا سایمونز؛ مترجم: زهرا محمدی؛ تهران، فرهنگ تارا، 1383؛ در 515 ص؛ شابک: 9649461019؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی قرن 20 م
نسخه ای نیافتم
July 3, 2010
Tully Makker is a survivor. She survives her father's abandonment at the age of 7. She survives her uncle's "attentions" at the age of 12. She survives her mother's abusive hands throughout her childhood and adolescence. Her best friend's betrayal in her senior year of high school is the hardest for Tully to survive. She survives....but not without scars....scars on her wrists, scars that haunt her in her sleep, scars upon her heart. There are those who try to help Tully throughout her life. There's Robin, a good man who loves her unconditionally with all of her scars. A man who asks nothing of her, who endures her silence and betrayal, and still loves her with every ounce of his being. There's Julie, one of her best friends from childhood. Yet she too is trying to come to terms with her own life and her own mistakes and regrets. And there's Jack, the man who open's Tully's eyes and her heart, who makes her face her grief, a grief he too shares.
Undeniably, "Tully" is a story of survival and self-discovery. It's about a friendship so strong that it endures even beyond death. It is about a love so strong that it endures through months of absence and years of dreaming. What makes the character Tully so real is that she is far from perfect. She makes mistakes, big ones, mistakes that made me say "What the hell are you doing?" I disagreed with many of her choices, so much so that I wanted to shake some sense into her. But always throughout the story, I wanted Tully to take that step, to take off the armour, trust someone, let them in, let them help her unburden herself from all of the grief she carried around. I wanted her to see that her life was good....if she would only live it for herself.
Paullina Simons has fast become one of my favourite authors. She makes me adore her characters....fall in love with them...cheer for them...cry for them....mourn for them. She makes me find it within my heart to forgive them their sins...even when I wouldn't forgive myself the same sin. I cried a lot in this book, for the author has left the door open for me to examine my own life decisions, to ask the "what if" questions, to examine the skeletons in my closet. Sure, I have many regrets, and yes, my life could have been different. But like Tully.....I have survived.
Undeniably, "Tully" is a story of survival and self-discovery. It's about a friendship so strong that it endures even beyond death. It is about a love so strong that it endures through months of absence and years of dreaming. What makes the character Tully so real is that she is far from perfect. She makes mistakes, big ones, mistakes that made me say "What the hell are you doing?" I disagreed with many of her choices, so much so that I wanted to shake some sense into her. But always throughout the story, I wanted Tully to take that step, to take off the armour, trust someone, let them in, let them help her unburden herself from all of the grief she carried around. I wanted her to see that her life was good....if she would only live it for herself.
Paullina Simons has fast become one of my favourite authors. She makes me adore her characters....fall in love with them...cheer for them...cry for them....mourn for them. She makes me find it within my heart to forgive them their sins...even when I wouldn't forgive myself the same sin. I cried a lot in this book, for the author has left the door open for me to examine my own life decisions, to ask the "what if" questions, to examine the skeletons in my closet. Sure, I have many regrets, and yes, my life could have been different. But like Tully.....I have survived.
August 19, 2011
I struggled to give "Tully" three stars. This book started out really intriguing - the first third of the book I thouroughly enjoyed. As I started to get into the middle of the book, I realised that it would have greatly benefited from proper editing. It is obvious that 'Tully' is Paulina Simon's first book, and at times it seems she has something to prove.
This book was far, far too long. It repeated itself so much and drew out unecessary sub-plots with too much description. Halfway through the book, I was wondering where it was going and why I was still reading it. The main character, Tully is absoloutley awful and extrememly hard to like or empathise with. Also, the way the men in her life stick with her despite all the things she does and how poorly she treats everyone is very unbelievable. Throughout the whole book, I just kept feeling like every emotion was fake - Tully's 20 year grief for her friend, her undying hatred of her Mother, her relationships with Robin, Jack and Jeremy. There were also so many characters whose storyline's were just written out with no explanation. I felt as though Jeremy, Julie, Tully's Father, Shakie and many others were an unecessary addition to the story. I also had trouble understanding why anyone wanted anything to do with Tully at all, I found myself getting very frustrated with this book.
Also, the character's names were a turn-off. For some reason, I just couldn't believe there were characters called Shakie and Boomerang, among others.
The biggest dissapointment of this book - which originally showed so much promise - was the arduous, drawn out ending, which was a total anti-climax. I kept expecting the story to go somewhere - instead it went around in circles. I felt cheated that I came to the end of such a long and painful read only to find the ending was so dissapointing, and the author could have cut out half the book and the ending still would have been the same and made sense.
Overall, I was dissapointed in 'Tully' and frustrated throughout the course of reading the story. It was a good attempt at a first novel but would have greatly benefited from a serious edit and reshaping of the story. At first I liked this book, but with each page, I grew to dislike it more and more. It was a struggle to finish, and not worth the time it takes to read it. Unfortunate, as it did show some promise.
This book was far, far too long. It repeated itself so much and drew out unecessary sub-plots with too much description. Halfway through the book, I was wondering where it was going and why I was still reading it. The main character, Tully is absoloutley awful and extrememly hard to like or empathise with. Also, the way the men in her life stick with her despite all the things she does and how poorly she treats everyone is very unbelievable. Throughout the whole book, I just kept feeling like every emotion was fake - Tully's 20 year grief for her friend, her undying hatred of her Mother, her relationships with Robin, Jack and Jeremy. There were also so many characters whose storyline's were just written out with no explanation. I felt as though Jeremy, Julie, Tully's Father, Shakie and many others were an unecessary addition to the story. I also had trouble understanding why anyone wanted anything to do with Tully at all, I found myself getting very frustrated with this book.
Also, the character's names were a turn-off. For some reason, I just couldn't believe there were characters called Shakie and Boomerang, among others.
The biggest dissapointment of this book - which originally showed so much promise - was the arduous, drawn out ending, which was a total anti-climax. I kept expecting the story to go somewhere - instead it went around in circles. I felt cheated that I came to the end of such a long and painful read only to find the ending was so dissapointing, and the author could have cut out half the book and the ending still would have been the same and made sense.
Overall, I was dissapointed in 'Tully' and frustrated throughout the course of reading the story. It was a good attempt at a first novel but would have greatly benefited from a serious edit and reshaping of the story. At first I liked this book, but with each page, I grew to dislike it more and more. It was a struggle to finish, and not worth the time it takes to read it. Unfortunate, as it did show some promise.
April 23, 2015
There aren't enough words to describe this book. This story is not for everybody, the idealist or the faint at heart should perhaps stay away. This world isn't one happy place and those that like to pretend it is, will be offended by Tully. I felt this book to the very core. Paullina has done it for me again and Tully will go on my shelf of books I have immense respect for. I haven't picked myself off the floor yet but my heart is weirdly at peace. I would gladly go thru this roller coaster over and over again. 5 stars well deserved Tully.
October 23, 2010
One of the most intense books I have ever read.
Tully is about a group of high school friends that are each individually shattered by a specific tragedy that befalls one of them. And this book shows how this tragedy shapes their lives, pushes them apart, and eventually brings them back together. It follows a small group over the course of a decade and shows how people either learn to cope with grief and loss or they let it destroy them. Tully is the main character and she was horridly abused and neglected during her childhood. She was already on a path of self-destruction when the tragedy throws her even more off the course of normalcy. This girl is out of control. Yet, in the midst of suffering--and the depressive nature of most of this book--there is a subtle, but very present message about the healing power of unconditional love; it binds this girl to two men who are at the heart of the tragedy from her youth. I don't want to say too much more about the plot.
Like all of Paullina Simons's books, Tully is not sugar-coated. The hard times these characters face are totally fleshed-out. Attention to detail is impeccible. Sometimes I hated the main character because of the choices she made, but I was always rooting for her--because deep down I knew Tully was a product of her past just trying to survive. This book was hard for me to get through at times, but I could not put it down. Ever. I think my heart broke 10 different times.
It is not my typical kind of book, but it got me thinking. There were definite times when the characters made horrible, selfish decisions. By the end, I felt like I needed some alcohol to relax....and I kept asking myself "Did I even like this book considering the final course of the story?"
Yes, I really did.
Tully is about a group of high school friends that are each individually shattered by a specific tragedy that befalls one of them. And this book shows how this tragedy shapes their lives, pushes them apart, and eventually brings them back together. It follows a small group over the course of a decade and shows how people either learn to cope with grief and loss or they let it destroy them. Tully is the main character and she was horridly abused and neglected during her childhood. She was already on a path of self-destruction when the tragedy throws her even more off the course of normalcy. This girl is out of control. Yet, in the midst of suffering--and the depressive nature of most of this book--there is a subtle, but very present message about the healing power of unconditional love; it binds this girl to two men who are at the heart of the tragedy from her youth. I don't want to say too much more about the plot.
Like all of Paullina Simons's books, Tully is not sugar-coated. The hard times these characters face are totally fleshed-out. Attention to detail is impeccible. Sometimes I hated the main character because of the choices she made, but I was always rooting for her--because deep down I knew Tully was a product of her past just trying to survive. This book was hard for me to get through at times, but I could not put it down. Ever. I think my heart broke 10 different times.
It is not my typical kind of book, but it got me thinking. There were definite times when the characters made horrible, selfish decisions. By the end, I felt like I needed some alcohol to relax....and I kept asking myself "Did I even like this book considering the final course of the story?"
Yes, I really did.
April 24, 2017
4,5/5 He terminado "El sueño imposible" con el corazón en un puño, pero el camino hasta llegar a ese final no ha sido fácil, quizá porque entender a Tully tampoco ha sido tarea sencilla. Creo que no he llegado a hacerlo del todo, por mucho empeño que he puesto. Tully, Jennifer, Julie, Robin, Jack y Shakie me han dejado poso. He cerrado el libro con cierto desazón porque ya no voy a saber qué va a ser de ellos, si finalmente cumplirán aquellos sueños, si finalmente serán felices. Paullina es maravillosa, hoy lo digo más convencida que nunca.
September 27, 2020
Very intense. Brutally honest. Incredibly real. One of my absolute favorite books.
Years later, this book still sticks with me. There were just so many poignant moments in it and my heart STILL aches for this girl. This is, to me, the best Paullina Simons book (you can keep your Russians) and I will definitely re-read because I have so much love for it and would love to write a proper review immediately after reading.
Years later, this book still sticks with me. There were just so many poignant moments in it and my heart STILL aches for this girl. This is, to me, the best Paullina Simons book (you can keep your Russians) and I will definitely re-read because I have so much love for it and would love to write a proper review immediately after reading.
October 10, 2008
In my top five books of all time. I loved this book more than words can describe!
July 25, 2011
Another amazing book by Paullina Simons! Would have given it five stars if I didn't have to yell at the main character so many times for being a indecisive whore. That being said, I still loved it =)
July 4, 2017
Oh, how I loved Tully. I loved the rhythm of this book. My heart will forever leak from the anguish, the fight, and all the hurt it put me through. I've never experienced angst at this level before. It isn't over for me. I could never get over this book. I'm still holding on to it. Always will.
October 25, 2007
Oh my god the shittiest book I have ever read. No kidding it took me over a year to read this as I just kept getting sick of Tully and her miserable existance.
September 29, 2016
I'm more than overwhelmed, I'm partially broken.
I think it would be helpful to get a mental image of what my poor husband had to deal with while I was reading this book...me crying my eyes out on the couch...me waking him up in the middle of the night making sure he was happy in our marriage. (By which I mean, I woke him up...then asked him if he was happy..."I was happy when I was asleep...yes...can I go back to sleep now")?
It's lucky that my poor hubby is very aware of how baseline crazy I am that he doesn't suspect I'm having an affair with how many times I've asked him if he would "forgive me if I ever..."
Suffice it to say this book straight up mind-fucked me.
Now to the review...
I know that a lot of people didn't like the character of Tully... I LOVED her. I completely and totally related to her. The only person she ever was capable of loving for the majority of her life...was Jennifer. Her best friend. I am blessed with a best friend that is that exact person to me. If I lost her...I would break. So I get her...I get her completely.
Let's not even get into her childhood...I am in awe of her strength and her ability to channel that into her future career. Which she totally dominated in.
In my job, I see things people don't get to un-see, I know the need to emotionally unload before you get home and the difficulty to relate to other "normals" who have no idea the horrible underbelly reality.
Robin and Jack: trying really hard to say something without spoilers...
I LOVED Robin... I don't think I could have cried harder for this man. Let me say it again... I LOVED Robin.
I also really loved Jack. I was smitten. I'm not going to lie, I would have likely done the EXACT same thing as in the book.
I would do ANYTHING for an epilogue...something...just to make my brain relax a little.
I think it would be helpful to get a mental image of what my poor husband had to deal with while I was reading this book...me crying my eyes out on the couch...me waking him up in the middle of the night making sure he was happy in our marriage. (By which I mean, I woke him up...then asked him if he was happy..."I was happy when I was asleep...yes...can I go back to sleep now")?
It's lucky that my poor hubby is very aware of how baseline crazy I am that he doesn't suspect I'm having an affair with how many times I've asked him if he would "forgive me if I ever..."
Suffice it to say this book straight up mind-fucked me.
Now to the review...
I know that a lot of people didn't like the character of Tully... I LOVED her. I completely and totally related to her. The only person she ever was capable of loving for the majority of her life...was Jennifer. Her best friend. I am blessed with a best friend that is that exact person to me. If I lost her...I would break. So I get her...I get her completely.
Let's not even get into her childhood...I am in awe of her strength and her ability to channel that into her future career. Which she totally dominated in.
In my job, I see things people don't get to un-see, I know the need to emotionally unload before you get home and the difficulty to relate to other "normals" who have no idea the horrible underbelly reality.
Robin and Jack: trying really hard to say something without spoilers...
I LOVED Robin... I don't think I could have cried harder for this man. Let me say it again... I LOVED Robin.
I also really loved Jack. I was smitten. I'm not going to lie, I would have likely done the EXACT same thing as in the book.
I would do ANYTHING for an epilogue...something...just to make my brain relax a little.
February 11, 2018
I am sorry to say that I really didn’t enjoy this book � every page making me want to give up entirely on the story. I don’t think I’ve ever rolled my eyes or scoffed in disgust so much in any book before.
The story follows Tully Makker, a wild young woman, as she navigates a life filled with tragedy and hardship. The painfully drawn out plot takes readers through Tully’s teen years, where she throws herself into a life of parties, sex and alcohol in the hopes of avoiding her abusive mother all the while isolating herself from her two best friends, Jennifer and Julie. But a loss, one which Tully carries long into her adulthood, determines the tone of her future. Stupid decision after stupid decision, man after man and drink after drink, Tully’s life returns to the cycle of isolation, cheating and meaninglessness which had dominated the teen years she worked so hard to put behind her.
This book moved through Tully’s life slowly, never focusing on interesting or important events but spending a full two pages describing how she danced on a random guy that she never knew. Any time I found myself approaching what could have been a pivotal moment in the story, it was completely swept under a rug by the sorry combination of poor writing and a lack of emphasis on the moment. The story just moved on like nothing at all happened and so any emotion I felt was just washed away. It was the most disappointing thing to deal with.
And our main character didn’t help all that much either. I have no problem with saying I absolutely hated her. Tully was rude and cold to anyone who tried to show care or affection to her and refused to let anyone in, to let anyone know her. She constantly complained about people not loving her for her but, who is she? Not even I know! Tully spent the entirety of the novel leading on two men, who had fallen deeply in love with her, and complaining about it. She would say no to one but wind up in his bed by the end of the night.
As for the supporting characters, they were equally shallow with equally disinteresting character arcs and I struggled to find anything vaguely admirable about the lot of them. No one liked their lives, everyone settled unhappily and broke their promises, none were loyal to their partners and it was really fucking annoying.
An entire story that tries to make me sympathise with a woman who got into her situation from making stupid decisions and being inconstant and then blaming everyone else for her regrets. I wouldn’t recommend Tully to anyone but I found myself constantly surprised by the number of people who actually loved reading it � I can’t say I understand why but, who knows, you might like it�
Find my entire review on my blog
The story follows Tully Makker, a wild young woman, as she navigates a life filled with tragedy and hardship. The painfully drawn out plot takes readers through Tully’s teen years, where she throws herself into a life of parties, sex and alcohol in the hopes of avoiding her abusive mother all the while isolating herself from her two best friends, Jennifer and Julie. But a loss, one which Tully carries long into her adulthood, determines the tone of her future. Stupid decision after stupid decision, man after man and drink after drink, Tully’s life returns to the cycle of isolation, cheating and meaninglessness which had dominated the teen years she worked so hard to put behind her.
This book moved through Tully’s life slowly, never focusing on interesting or important events but spending a full two pages describing how she danced on a random guy that she never knew. Any time I found myself approaching what could have been a pivotal moment in the story, it was completely swept under a rug by the sorry combination of poor writing and a lack of emphasis on the moment. The story just moved on like nothing at all happened and so any emotion I felt was just washed away. It was the most disappointing thing to deal with.
And our main character didn’t help all that much either. I have no problem with saying I absolutely hated her. Tully was rude and cold to anyone who tried to show care or affection to her and refused to let anyone in, to let anyone know her. She constantly complained about people not loving her for her but, who is she? Not even I know! Tully spent the entirety of the novel leading on two men, who had fallen deeply in love with her, and complaining about it. She would say no to one but wind up in his bed by the end of the night.
As for the supporting characters, they were equally shallow with equally disinteresting character arcs and I struggled to find anything vaguely admirable about the lot of them. No one liked their lives, everyone settled unhappily and broke their promises, none were loyal to their partners and it was really fucking annoying.
An entire story that tries to make me sympathise with a woman who got into her situation from making stupid decisions and being inconstant and then blaming everyone else for her regrets. I wouldn’t recommend Tully to anyone but I found myself constantly surprised by the number of people who actually loved reading it � I can’t say I understand why but, who knows, you might like it�
Find my entire review on my blog
June 1, 2008
I started out this book with apprehension... oh great another coming of age story about a mistreated teenager...
However, I really liked the character Tully, and the story was original and entertaining. The author paints a very vivid picture (warning some very "naughty" scenes) and you very easily are taken back to the 80's. I would not consider this book a real "page turner," as I had no problem putting it down, but it was compelling enough to keep picking it up and wanting to know what was going to happen to Tully. The themes in this novel were presented very clearly and formed slowly and approately so that there was a cathartic sense of understanding during the last chapters. This is one of those books that when finished reading I think, "yep, that's how life is." Even though I wouldn't necessarily have thought of it that way before reading the book. I found the novel to be very Anne Tyler in that way.
This made me think about my own dreams and the things that should be let go of as I approach 30 myself and you start to realize that even though your life is not what you though it would be when you were a teenager or in your earlier twenty's it can still be ok. I think that I agree with Tully in that the best dream of all is to be dream free -- even if this doesn't necessarily mean having all your dreams come true. It sounds like I'm advocating giving up but it's really about reevaluating the value of what you already have.
I actually purchased this first addition copy for resale, but I think I'll be keeping it for my own collection! This book will leave you with something to think about.
However, I really liked the character Tully, and the story was original and entertaining. The author paints a very vivid picture (warning some very "naughty" scenes) and you very easily are taken back to the 80's. I would not consider this book a real "page turner," as I had no problem putting it down, but it was compelling enough to keep picking it up and wanting to know what was going to happen to Tully. The themes in this novel were presented very clearly and formed slowly and approately so that there was a cathartic sense of understanding during the last chapters. This is one of those books that when finished reading I think, "yep, that's how life is." Even though I wouldn't necessarily have thought of it that way before reading the book. I found the novel to be very Anne Tyler in that way.
This made me think about my own dreams and the things that should be let go of as I approach 30 myself and you start to realize that even though your life is not what you though it would be when you were a teenager or in your earlier twenty's it can still be ok. I think that I agree with Tully in that the best dream of all is to be dream free -- even if this doesn't necessarily mean having all your dreams come true. It sounds like I'm advocating giving up but it's really about reevaluating the value of what you already have.
I actually purchased this first addition copy for resale, but I think I'll be keeping it for my own collection! This book will leave you with something to think about.
July 16, 2015
“El sueño imposible� es el primer libro de la autora y creo que empezó con muy buen pie. Pero antes de éste, leí “El jinete de bronce�, al que yo consideré un duro contrincante para poner nota. Sin embargo, los hechos hablan por sí solos y no puedo encontrar comparación alguna entre ambas obras.
Tully no es una protagonista normal, no es la heroína del libro, sino la “antiheroína�; no es amable, ni tierna ni inocente, no es nada de aquello que caracteriza a las mujeres de otras novelas. Es un personaje fuerte, sí, pero esa fuerza a menudo la lleva a alejarse de los que más la aman, esa ausencia ante todo la lleva a ser infeliz y a desear cosas imposibles, cosas contradictorias e inalcanzables... A pesar de todas las adversidades que se le ponen por delante, siempre tratará de cumplir sus sueños, muchas veces sus decisiones la llevan por derroteros que la destruyen, la debilitan, pero ella es dura como una roca, y siempre se levanta, siempre sale adelante, siempre trata de superar o de olvidar su pasado, siempre ignora la mano que le tienden, siempre quiere salir del agujero por sus propios medios. No permite que nadie le ofrezca su ayuda y no permite que nadie la conozca, desea confundirse entre la masa de gente, permanecer en el anonimato, entre personas desconocidas que no sepan de su pasado, de ese turbio pasado que condicionó su forma de ser, y de sentir.
Cada trauma que tuvo que padecer de niña la acompaña en su camino hacia la madurez. Una vez que aceptamos un hecho que tuvo que sufrir nos sorprende con otro aún más duro y aún más perturbador que el anterior. A pesar de su incapacidad para devolver amor, ternura o calor humano, siempre hay alguien allí luchando por ella, aquellos que la aman en silencio o, al contrario, sirven su amor ante sus ojos. Pero ella, aunque percibe esos sentimientos, no los aprecia, no los corresponde, porque no puede y porque no quiere hacerlo. Desea ser una persona diferente y escapar de todo lo que la persigue, de su vida, de su pasado, de su familia, de todos los que constituyeron su entorno a lo largo de los años. En su empeño por escoger el rumbo a seguir, en su terquedad, arrastra a los demás con ella. A veces no sabemos si sentir más compasión por ella o por los que están a su alrededor.
Natalie Anne Makker, o Tully, tiene la etiqueta de chica fácil escrita en la frente, pero eso no puede estar más lejos de la realidad, porque es una persona realmente complicada. Es una auténtica pendón, implacable con sus conquistas, insensible con sus enemigos, leal con los que realmente ama, y totalmente indiferente en todo en cuanto a ella se refiere. Es la chica atractiva de los bailes sensuales y las ropas ajustadas, la chica que no duda en subirse al coche de cualquier tío dispuesto a ello, la chica que al volver a casa sabe que le espera tensión, amargura e incluso un golpe que le destroce la cara. Padece de insomnio, apenas duerme unas horas, y cuando lo hace, sus sueños siempre la acosan, pesadillas que confunde con la realidad y de las que no puede huir. No se siente capaz de sentimientos, pero sí que los tiene, sentimientos hacia sus amigas, sentimientos hacia los hombres, sentimientos hacia sus padres... Confusos, extraños, difíciles, tan extraños y difíciles como lo es ella, de carácter esquivo y confuso, una contradicción para ella misma.
En un principio, al abrir el libro, no encontramos nada de amor, nada en absoluto. Vemos la amistad, el dolor, los recuerdos, los sueños, el deseo de dejarse llevar, la tendencia a la autodestrucción... El amor se caracteriza por su ausencia. Sin embargo, más adelante, no vemos nada más que amor, impregnado en cada una de las páginas que van pasando por nuestros dedos. Estoy muy frustrada porque no consigo plasmar lo que he sentido con este libro, no consigo captar su esencia, ni lo que me ha hecho sentir. Es una historia totalmente diferente, no sólo por la historia en sí, sino por la manera de llevarla. Conocemos a los personajes desde su raíz: sus deseos más ocultos, sus pensamientos más inquietantes y sus sentimientos tan confusos y perturbadores... Conocemos a los personajes sobre todo por lo imperfectos que son, por lo humanos que son, por los fallos tan garrafales que cometen, por sus peores reacciones ante la adversidad, ante el amor o ante la amistad.
La amistad... es uno de los grandes temas de esta novela, uno de los sentimientos más bonitos del libro pero también uno de los más dolorosos. Su relación con su mejor amiga Jennifer, la única amiga verdadera que tiene y la única persona que ama, lo es todo para Tully, todo en una vida disoluta y destrozada, su futuro, su pasado y su presente, todo ligado a ella. Pero esta relación tan profunda condicionará sus vidas de un modo tan intenso hasta el punto de alcanzar la obsesión.
El otro gran tema es, por supuesto, el amor. Aquí se muestra de muchas formas, y de ninguna. En un principio no vemos nada de amor. No voy a decir nada de lo que sucede en el libro, porque la sorpresa es uno de los mayores dones que nos otorga. Ni siquiera voy a decir el nombre del hombre del que, finalmente, se enamora. No voy a contar todo por lo que tiene que pasar este hombre, ni esta mujer, para lograr por fin la felicidad. No voy a decir lo que sufre este hombre, lo que tiene que sufrir esa mujer para darse cuenta de que le amaba desde el principio, porque a ese hombre le conoce desde siempre, y ese hombre posó sus ojos en ella y no los volvió a despegar. No concibe otra vida, no quiere otra mujer.
La novela está ambientada en la América profunda de los 70 hasta principios de los 90. Desde que Tully tiene 17 años hasta cumplir los 30. La historia se teje en torno a una ciudad en el estado de Kansas, Topeka, entre campos de maíz, institutos, fiestas y trabajos de verano para pagar la matrícula de la universidad. Más adelante, la universidad, las cafeterías, el trabajo, el matrimonio... Hay novios, ligues, amores platónicos, maridos, amantes... Hay continuas referencias a libros, películas o grupos musicales que estuvieron muy en boga, e incluso fragmentos de canciones u obras literarias. Algunos de esos mensajes sirven como predicciones o avisos ante lo que sucederá posteriormente, avisándonos del futuro, preparándonos para lo que va a acontecer.
No sé muy bien cómo definir esta novela. Es nuestra Paullina en estado puro, sí, pero no encaja en ningún molde que haya visto antes. Su estilo es inconfundible: su forma de escribir, de describir hechos y recuerdos dolorosos, extraños, humanos, tan humanos que no sabemos cómo reaccionar ante tanto horror o sufrimiento... Esta autora escribe historias muy tristes y muy intensas, pero muy bonitas, con una pizca de nostalgia y dolor, siempre con algo por lo que encogerse el corazón ante cada una de las páginas. Una vez que empiezo una sus historias, sé que me va a atrapar, cautivar y pensar en ella durante días, con la mente rondando en torno al libro y sus protagonistas, tan profundos, tan humanos, con tantos fallos y tantas cualidades...
Paullina me sorprende con cada libro. Creo que es algo inherente a ella y que nunca dejará de cautivarme. No conozco una escritora que me haga sentir ni emocionarme como ella, con su capacidad para plasmar tanto acciones como pensamientos, sentimientos y hechos, resultando un conjunto que podría llamarse obra de arte. Me encanta su forma de escribir, su capacidad de provocarnos emociones, de describirnos sentimientos, de conseguir que conozcamos tan bien a los personajes que nos parecen tan humanos y tan imperfectos que les amamos por ello. La autora nos muestra el lado más crudo del ser humano, adapta el lenguaje y la estructura a la forma de pensar y sentir de nuestra protagonista, Tully. Una protagonista fuerte y endurecida por la adversidad a lo largo de su vida, que aprende de sus acciones a fuerza de golpes, que comete tantos fallos y tan grandes, que ha sufrido tantas veces y en tal medida, que ha reaccionado tan mal y de forma tan inevitable... Su forma de ser y su forma de pensar, de sentir y de no sentir, la conducen a situaciones tan desgarradoras como emotivas, pasando por muchos baches y dificultades, porque el camino es largo y duro... pero al final... al final del todo, está el paraíso.
Finalmente, para acabar, voy a poner un aviso. Estoy segura de que no soy nada imparcial en cuanto a esta autora se refiere. Considero a Paullina una gran novelista, la considero también en otro nivel, ni mejor ni peor, simplemente, otro nivel. Lo siento, pero no puedo resistirme, no soy inmune a Paullina y tampoco quiero serlo.
Este libro me ha gustado de forma diferente a “El jinete de bronce�, no me ha parecido ni mejor ni peor, sino distinto.
Paullina es una maestra en el arte de plasmar sentimientos. Me quito el sombrero.
Tully no es una protagonista normal, no es la heroína del libro, sino la “antiheroína�; no es amable, ni tierna ni inocente, no es nada de aquello que caracteriza a las mujeres de otras novelas. Es un personaje fuerte, sí, pero esa fuerza a menudo la lleva a alejarse de los que más la aman, esa ausencia ante todo la lleva a ser infeliz y a desear cosas imposibles, cosas contradictorias e inalcanzables... A pesar de todas las adversidades que se le ponen por delante, siempre tratará de cumplir sus sueños, muchas veces sus decisiones la llevan por derroteros que la destruyen, la debilitan, pero ella es dura como una roca, y siempre se levanta, siempre sale adelante, siempre trata de superar o de olvidar su pasado, siempre ignora la mano que le tienden, siempre quiere salir del agujero por sus propios medios. No permite que nadie le ofrezca su ayuda y no permite que nadie la conozca, desea confundirse entre la masa de gente, permanecer en el anonimato, entre personas desconocidas que no sepan de su pasado, de ese turbio pasado que condicionó su forma de ser, y de sentir.
Cada trauma que tuvo que padecer de niña la acompaña en su camino hacia la madurez. Una vez que aceptamos un hecho que tuvo que sufrir nos sorprende con otro aún más duro y aún más perturbador que el anterior. A pesar de su incapacidad para devolver amor, ternura o calor humano, siempre hay alguien allí luchando por ella, aquellos que la aman en silencio o, al contrario, sirven su amor ante sus ojos. Pero ella, aunque percibe esos sentimientos, no los aprecia, no los corresponde, porque no puede y porque no quiere hacerlo. Desea ser una persona diferente y escapar de todo lo que la persigue, de su vida, de su pasado, de su familia, de todos los que constituyeron su entorno a lo largo de los años. En su empeño por escoger el rumbo a seguir, en su terquedad, arrastra a los demás con ella. A veces no sabemos si sentir más compasión por ella o por los que están a su alrededor.
Natalie Anne Makker, o Tully, tiene la etiqueta de chica fácil escrita en la frente, pero eso no puede estar más lejos de la realidad, porque es una persona realmente complicada. Es una auténtica pendón, implacable con sus conquistas, insensible con sus enemigos, leal con los que realmente ama, y totalmente indiferente en todo en cuanto a ella se refiere. Es la chica atractiva de los bailes sensuales y las ropas ajustadas, la chica que no duda en subirse al coche de cualquier tío dispuesto a ello, la chica que al volver a casa sabe que le espera tensión, amargura e incluso un golpe que le destroce la cara. Padece de insomnio, apenas duerme unas horas, y cuando lo hace, sus sueños siempre la acosan, pesadillas que confunde con la realidad y de las que no puede huir. No se siente capaz de sentimientos, pero sí que los tiene, sentimientos hacia sus amigas, sentimientos hacia los hombres, sentimientos hacia sus padres... Confusos, extraños, difíciles, tan extraños y difíciles como lo es ella, de carácter esquivo y confuso, una contradicción para ella misma.
En un principio, al abrir el libro, no encontramos nada de amor, nada en absoluto. Vemos la amistad, el dolor, los recuerdos, los sueños, el deseo de dejarse llevar, la tendencia a la autodestrucción... El amor se caracteriza por su ausencia. Sin embargo, más adelante, no vemos nada más que amor, impregnado en cada una de las páginas que van pasando por nuestros dedos. Estoy muy frustrada porque no consigo plasmar lo que he sentido con este libro, no consigo captar su esencia, ni lo que me ha hecho sentir. Es una historia totalmente diferente, no sólo por la historia en sí, sino por la manera de llevarla. Conocemos a los personajes desde su raíz: sus deseos más ocultos, sus pensamientos más inquietantes y sus sentimientos tan confusos y perturbadores... Conocemos a los personajes sobre todo por lo imperfectos que son, por lo humanos que son, por los fallos tan garrafales que cometen, por sus peores reacciones ante la adversidad, ante el amor o ante la amistad.
La amistad... es uno de los grandes temas de esta novela, uno de los sentimientos más bonitos del libro pero también uno de los más dolorosos. Su relación con su mejor amiga Jennifer, la única amiga verdadera que tiene y la única persona que ama, lo es todo para Tully, todo en una vida disoluta y destrozada, su futuro, su pasado y su presente, todo ligado a ella. Pero esta relación tan profunda condicionará sus vidas de un modo tan intenso hasta el punto de alcanzar la obsesión.
El otro gran tema es, por supuesto, el amor. Aquí se muestra de muchas formas, y de ninguna. En un principio no vemos nada de amor. No voy a decir nada de lo que sucede en el libro, porque la sorpresa es uno de los mayores dones que nos otorga. Ni siquiera voy a decir el nombre del hombre del que, finalmente, se enamora. No voy a contar todo por lo que tiene que pasar este hombre, ni esta mujer, para lograr por fin la felicidad. No voy a decir lo que sufre este hombre, lo que tiene que sufrir esa mujer para darse cuenta de que le amaba desde el principio, porque a ese hombre le conoce desde siempre, y ese hombre posó sus ojos en ella y no los volvió a despegar. No concibe otra vida, no quiere otra mujer.
La novela está ambientada en la América profunda de los 70 hasta principios de los 90. Desde que Tully tiene 17 años hasta cumplir los 30. La historia se teje en torno a una ciudad en el estado de Kansas, Topeka, entre campos de maíz, institutos, fiestas y trabajos de verano para pagar la matrícula de la universidad. Más adelante, la universidad, las cafeterías, el trabajo, el matrimonio... Hay novios, ligues, amores platónicos, maridos, amantes... Hay continuas referencias a libros, películas o grupos musicales que estuvieron muy en boga, e incluso fragmentos de canciones u obras literarias. Algunos de esos mensajes sirven como predicciones o avisos ante lo que sucederá posteriormente, avisándonos del futuro, preparándonos para lo que va a acontecer.
No sé muy bien cómo definir esta novela. Es nuestra Paullina en estado puro, sí, pero no encaja en ningún molde que haya visto antes. Su estilo es inconfundible: su forma de escribir, de describir hechos y recuerdos dolorosos, extraños, humanos, tan humanos que no sabemos cómo reaccionar ante tanto horror o sufrimiento... Esta autora escribe historias muy tristes y muy intensas, pero muy bonitas, con una pizca de nostalgia y dolor, siempre con algo por lo que encogerse el corazón ante cada una de las páginas. Una vez que empiezo una sus historias, sé que me va a atrapar, cautivar y pensar en ella durante días, con la mente rondando en torno al libro y sus protagonistas, tan profundos, tan humanos, con tantos fallos y tantas cualidades...
Paullina me sorprende con cada libro. Creo que es algo inherente a ella y que nunca dejará de cautivarme. No conozco una escritora que me haga sentir ni emocionarme como ella, con su capacidad para plasmar tanto acciones como pensamientos, sentimientos y hechos, resultando un conjunto que podría llamarse obra de arte. Me encanta su forma de escribir, su capacidad de provocarnos emociones, de describirnos sentimientos, de conseguir que conozcamos tan bien a los personajes que nos parecen tan humanos y tan imperfectos que les amamos por ello. La autora nos muestra el lado más crudo del ser humano, adapta el lenguaje y la estructura a la forma de pensar y sentir de nuestra protagonista, Tully. Una protagonista fuerte y endurecida por la adversidad a lo largo de su vida, que aprende de sus acciones a fuerza de golpes, que comete tantos fallos y tan grandes, que ha sufrido tantas veces y en tal medida, que ha reaccionado tan mal y de forma tan inevitable... Su forma de ser y su forma de pensar, de sentir y de no sentir, la conducen a situaciones tan desgarradoras como emotivas, pasando por muchos baches y dificultades, porque el camino es largo y duro... pero al final... al final del todo, está el paraíso.
Finalmente, para acabar, voy a poner un aviso. Estoy segura de que no soy nada imparcial en cuanto a esta autora se refiere. Considero a Paullina una gran novelista, la considero también en otro nivel, ni mejor ni peor, simplemente, otro nivel. Lo siento, pero no puedo resistirme, no soy inmune a Paullina y tampoco quiero serlo.
Este libro me ha gustado de forma diferente a “El jinete de bronce�, no me ha parecido ni mejor ni peor, sino distinto.
Paullina es una maestra en el arte de plasmar sentimientos. Me quito el sombrero.
July 28, 2014
I very much enjoyed this book because it wasn't written to please readers in the hopes of them getting the character to do what they wanted them to do. People tend to love fairytales and the idea that life goes smoothly, but this book I felt portrayed the realities of many life circumstances and decisions. It centered around a very broken and selfish woman who made poor choices and good ones. I both loved and loathed Tully Makker at the same time. The fact that she was so selfish and played around with good men had me gritting my teeth, but remembering that she was a victim of sexual abuse and rape as a child, her actions surrounding dancing in strip clubs, engaging in sexual activities with much older men and messing around with their lives seems understandable. To me in the back of her mind, it seemed she was punishing these men in order to get some satisfaction to herself. It seemed clear to me she punished her husband Robin with her cruelty, failure in duties as a wife to him and nonchalant way she had an affair for getting her pregnant. We all know she chose Jeremy first and wanted to leave her life in Kansas behind. As much as she loved her son I think the fact that she had to depend on Robin because of it built up some form of resentment within her. I suppose what I liked most about the book were the themes. Child abuse, negligence, the failure of social service systems, suicide and the resilience to come out as a strong successful person despite it all. Tully was an interesting character to read about. One of many complexities, hypocrisy and strife. In the end though I very much enjoyed the book and could barely put it down.
May 12, 2018
Ah Tully ne zor kadinmissin...Ne yaptin sen? Zavalli Robin seni cok sevmisti....Sadakatsizligin midemi bulandirdi....
Yine de muthis bir roman idi....
Okurken Tully'nin Robin'e yaptiklarina cok sinirlendim..Bir kadin olarak. Degil kadin erkek bile bu kadar kati ve sadakatsiz olmamaliydi. Robin ise onu her sekilde affetti.
Bir cocugun kucukken anne sevgisi gormemesi gormemesi ise ruhunda derin yaralar meydana getiriyor maalesef..Kucuk yasinda ugradigi tecavuz de cabasi..
Paullina Simons'ın kalemi muthis...Telif haklarini alan yayinevinin bu kitabini ve diger kitaplarini bir an once yayinlamasini umut ediyorum...
Yine de muthis bir roman idi....
Okurken Tully'nin Robin'e yaptiklarina cok sinirlendim..Bir kadin olarak. Degil kadin erkek bile bu kadar kati ve sadakatsiz olmamaliydi. Robin ise onu her sekilde affetti.
Bir cocugun kucukken anne sevgisi gormemesi gormemesi ise ruhunda derin yaralar meydana getiriyor maalesef..Kucuk yasinda ugradigi tecavuz de cabasi..
Paullina Simons'ın kalemi muthis...Telif haklarini alan yayinevinin bu kitabini ve diger kitaplarini bir an once yayinlamasini umut ediyorum...
January 29, 2009
Seriously, I can't get a good book to save my life here. What this book taught me is that I can cheat on my husband numerous times, have a baby by a different man while I am still married to him, and at the end just say, "I'm sorry! I wanted you all along!" and have everything be a-ok. Oh, and I have to somehow be in Kansas.
January 8, 2016
This was Paulina Simons debut novel and I adored it ! It was a roller coaster of a read , filled with sorrow, laughter , love and disdain for the characters. I tried a few other books by this author but was disappointed as they just didn't have the same raw emotion as Tully . While not a resent release I would recommend the search to find it .
May 27, 2010
PS introduces us to Tully, someone who has you experiencing lots of mixed emotions. She is a dark character with many secrets and a past that she wants to move on from, but a loveless childhood filled with anguish, abandonment and abuse is difficult to deal with. Tully makes certain choices through her life which leaves you feeling frustrated, sympathetic and emotional throughout the book.
She meets Jennifer and Julie who become her closest friends and help to fill the void and provide an escape from an unhappy childhood. The many torturous dreams she experiences leaves Tully wanting to move on to a happy future. Along comes Robin who loves her unconditionally and wants nothing but for Tully to return his affections, and Jack who shares a connection with Tully through Jennifer. Tully is tormented with the past and struggles to leave it behind. A tragedy that strikes Tully to the core is something that changes her life and the path that she follows forever. The decisions and choices that she needs to make leave her tormented and emotionally drained.
PS has provided yet another book that I thought was enthralling and captivating. Her capability to make you feel that you are there within the storyline, and asking yourself "what would I have done" in certain situations is something that I really enjoyed.
I truly loved this book and PS is certainly one of my favourite authors!!
She meets Jennifer and Julie who become her closest friends and help to fill the void and provide an escape from an unhappy childhood. The many torturous dreams she experiences leaves Tully wanting to move on to a happy future. Along comes Robin who loves her unconditionally and wants nothing but for Tully to return his affections, and Jack who shares a connection with Tully through Jennifer. Tully is tormented with the past and struggles to leave it behind. A tragedy that strikes Tully to the core is something that changes her life and the path that she follows forever. The decisions and choices that she needs to make leave her tormented and emotionally drained.
PS has provided yet another book that I thought was enthralling and captivating. Her capability to make you feel that you are there within the storyline, and asking yourself "what would I have done" in certain situations is something that I really enjoyed.
I truly loved this book and PS is certainly one of my favourite authors!!
August 22, 2017
For the first 50 pages I thought I was going to give up on this book & then it clicked & I was hooked, hooked on Tully. This story is so character driven that I found myself talking to Tully as I read " oh poor Tully " " wow Tully, that's awful " " get your shit together Tully!" " what are you doing Tully?!" So many times I was holding my breath waiting to read what would happen & then my heart was a wreck. After 611 pages I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Tully. She'll stay with me for a while I think.
December 16, 2008
Extremely realistic character - she doesn't do the right thing A LOT. Frustrating and you want to keep reading. There is a "foreign" feeling to this book sometimes - I believe the author is Russian (?) and sometimes the American style of teenage isn't quite right. Nevertheless, Tully's actions and feelings are right on for a girl with a lot of problems.
August 16, 2011
Enjoyed this book a lot... just wish the ending was better!!! Kinda left you hanging hoping everything turned out!!! Just sorta stopped... like the editor said 'wrap it up'... the ending was just thrown at you... 600 pages developing the story then 5 to wrap it up... Very disappointing ending!!!
January 8, 2016
Tully stayed on my to read list far too long. I felt it was time to read it, being that the author Paullina Simons wrote my favorite books ever - The Bronze Horseman. Tully made me laugh, it made me cry & like no other book has done before, it made me so angry.
Pain. Sacrifice. Love. This story was heartbreaking but an amazing read. I'll never forget it.
Pain. Sacrifice. Love. This story was heartbreaking but an amazing read. I'll never forget it.
November 21, 2014
This book reminded me of She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb, a little bit. I liked the character development of Tully, but many of the other characters seemed to be relevant only in how they revolved around Tully. The pace of the book is relatively slow, which didn't bother me, but be aware it is a character/relationship study and is not concerned with any particular suspense or action.
As some of the other reviewers have said, Tully isn't really a very likable or relatable person. The author attempts to make her more real thru the use of her childhood traumas, abusive mother, and absent father, but I still found it difficult to like Tully, as she kind of went thru life making poor choice after poor choice after yet more poor choices.
Yet, I'd still say I liked the book. It stirred up emotions in me and I found myself rooting for Robin, or Jack, by turns. I recommend this book to those who liked She's Come Undone, or other raw, depressing stories about women.
As some of the other reviewers have said, Tully isn't really a very likable or relatable person. The author attempts to make her more real thru the use of her childhood traumas, abusive mother, and absent father, but I still found it difficult to like Tully, as she kind of went thru life making poor choice after poor choice after yet more poor choices.
Yet, I'd still say I liked the book. It stirred up emotions in me and I found myself rooting for Robin, or Jack, by turns. I recommend this book to those who liked She's Come Undone, or other raw, depressing stories about women.
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