I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book, an Amazon First Reads, since I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a First Reads that I really liked. This oneI was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book, an Amazon First Reads, since I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a First Reads that I really liked. This one sounded like it would be melodramatic and not very complicated - two people meet in a graveyard where their loved ones are buried in adjacent plots - but it surprised me numerous times with the directions it took over the next 10+ years of their gravesite meetings and friendship. It was also quite funny, and the story never bogged down like I expected. ...more
It has such a promising beginning, but quickly devolves into confusing POVs, over-explaining, and melodrama, while skipping over the things that wouldIt has such a promising beginning, but quickly devolves into confusing POVs, over-explaining, and melodrama, while skipping over the things that would be really interesting. Like four teenagers crammed into one (somehow divided with…plywood maybe?) bedroom for an entire summer. I thought things would really get tense when Connor arrived but then I couldn’t even decide if he was actually there or in the cottage next door after all. So many compelling things were glossed over/dropped, while more mundane stuff was explained to death, bogging the story down and making it a slog to get though. For example, Bex was a great character, with believable and hilarious dialogue as well as a serious problem that was barely addressed and definitely wasn’t fixed. Actually nobody's issues were fixed - just downed in platitudes. It was an excellent idea for a novel but very disappointing in the end. ...more
**** updated with a re-read 11 years later. I remembered exactly nothing about it, and this time I loved the ending! I do still agree with everything **** updated with a re-read 11 years later. I remembered exactly nothing about it, and this time I loved the ending! I do still agree with everything else I wrote in my 2014 review though.
Really liked it until the end... I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could but the end just didn't hold together well for me. It seemed almost slapped on. I loved the rest of it, and couldn't put it down. Kind of JD Salinger's Glass family meets Anne Tyler's Tull siblings in Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. Odd and unexpected, and well worth it even with the ending I didn't care for....more
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