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Stepmom

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1st Warner edition fine 1999 paperback paperback In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

232 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 1998

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155 people want to read

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Maggie Robb

5 books2 followers

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5 stars
63 (31%)
4 stars
83 (41%)
3 stars
42 (21%)
2 stars
10 (5%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Zahra Labbafan.
667 reviews28 followers
April 16, 2025
چند سال پبش فیلم رو دیده بودم
وقتی کتاب رو دیدم به خاطر حس خوبی که از فیلمش داشتم دوست داشتم کتاب رو بخونم و خریدمش و خوب کتاب با جزییات بسیار بیشتر و بهتر بود چون بعد اتمام دوباره فیلم رو دیدم و به نظرم با اینکه اقتباس خوبی بوده و فیلم قشنگی شده ولی به پای کتاب نرسیده بود.
داستان دوم مردی که در تلاش برای ساخت رابطه قشنگ با فرزندان مرد هست و روابطش با همسر سابق مرد
Profile Image for Michelle.
607 reviews24 followers
July 3, 2018
Stepmom has always been one of those films you pick up occasionally, and then finish it, tear stained, and vowing never to watch it again. (Along with Armageddon, My Girl and Mask. No, not with Jim Carey. The other one.) I was quite surprised that there was a novelization if the film, and I wasn’t sure if the writer could encapsulate the blubbering mess that the average person becomes when watching the film.

I have to say, that this novelization has to be one of my standout favourites, along with Far & Away. It isn’t just a blow-by-blow account of the film, with a couple of additional scenes. It’s enriched with more detail than you could possibly glimpse in the film, along with character development and an insight into the characters.

Each chapter alternates between Isabel, Jackie and Luke, played in the film by Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris respectively. I was amazed at how much the author delved into what each character was thinking at specific moments - it almost felt like she had experienced some of the events that happen in the film herself. I do feel like there’s a lot of the author added into this story, which you don’t often find with novelizations. There’s also a nice additional back story to Isabel and her own mother, although it comes more towards the end of the book.

If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know exactly how this book is going to go, but I would highly recommend picking this up, as it adds so much more to the film. It can also be read without seeing the film. You’ll be rooting for Isabel, complaining about Jackie and worrying about Luke stuck in the middle.

And yes, you do need tissues.
Profile Image for Lori Henrich.
1,084 reviews81 followers
April 12, 2014
Jackie is the long suffering former wife. Isabel is the new love of his life. Luke is caught in the middle between his former life as husband and father and his new chance at happiness with Isabel. Anna and Ben are also in the middle. They seem to want to like Isabel, but hold back because they know it would hurt their mom. But when Jackie finds out that she might not be around to see them grow up, she has to find a way to let her children accept this new woman into their lives and hearts.

I liked this story. Since I have seen the movie I could picture the scenes in my head. Might have to see if I can get ahold of the movie and watch it again. Easy and quick to read. Brought tears to my eyes.
2,688 reviews
December 23, 2021
This book covers it all! The relationships between the characters, views on death and dying, and the basic needs of all the characters are addressed in this book. Have a box of kleenex handy and prepare to laugh as well.
Profile Image for Tamara Van dishoeck.
1,356 reviews6 followers
September 16, 2019
de film heb ik al een paar keer gezien en vond ik erg mooi en ontroerend. je volgt Jackie, Luke en Isabel. Jackie is een gescheiden moeder van twee kinderen die niet kan omgaan met de nieuwe vriendin van haar ex-man Luke genaamd Isabel. ze kan niks goed doen in haar ogen. Isabel kan ook niet opschieten met Jackie maar kan er niks aan doen want ze blijft de moeder van de kinderen van Luke. dat verandert als Jackie ongeneeslijk ziek blijkt te zijn. Jackie doet er alles aan om Isabel te leren hoe het is om een moeder te zijn. een mooi boek waarbij ik een paar keer een traantje moest wegpinken vooral bij het einde.
1,034 reviews5 followers
September 17, 2020
boeken lezen waarvan een film is, is altijd een beetje riskant.
1 van de 2 is vaak maar een flauwafkooksel van het andere.

de film zag ik jaren en jaren geleden. Nu kwam ik toevallig het boek tegen en dat wou ik toch ook even een kans geven.

Het verhaal is mooi en hartverwarmend, maar toch bleef ik me ergeren aan het gemak waarmee beide ouders de verantwoordelijkheid over hun kinderen van zich afschuiven naar anderen.
Oke op het laatste draait mama bijen geeft ze de plusmama een eerlijke kans, maar toen had ze natuurlijk ook al geen keuze meer.
Dus geen spijt dat ik het boek las, maar ik voel niet de behoefte het boek ooit nog eens te lezen.
Profile Image for Petra Schweiger.
166 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2021
Da und dort hatte es Schwachstellen gegenüber Film, da und dort aber auch Stärken. Was ich am Buch schön fand ist, dass man mehr Einblicke in das Gefühlsleben der Charaktere bekommt. Die Geschichte wird abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Jackie, Isabell und Luke erzählt. An und wann fehlten mir Kleinigkeiten die ich im Film besser fand, ab und an, erfuhr man dann im Buch aber auch wieder Sachen die der Film so nicht preisgibt. Alles in allem ein sehr solides Buch wer die Geschichte im Film mochte, macht auch hier keinen Fehler und das Buch hält sich im groben und Ganzen ziemlich genau an den Film.
Profile Image for Holly.
254 reviews84 followers
October 13, 2022
So this is one of my all time favourite films so to see there was a book, i was over the moon.

This is the kind of book that covers it all, family, love, loss, second chances and everything inbetween but boy the last 20 or so pages broke my heart so get the tissues ready.

It was lovely that Jackie let Isabella in and they worked together for the kids.

The only thing i think could be improved is a little more into the characters looks to get a clear image of them so i recommend watching the film and then reading the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jean Baxter.
Author 7 books30 followers
July 2, 2024
An oldie but goodie. Pretty predictable, yet the characters are endearing and realistic so I found it an easy read. Jackie may have been the perfect mom, but her overwhelming love of her children came with a huge price, her marriage. Her ex=husband found a vibrant, younger, glamorous replacement. Only Isabel did not relate to the kids he was crazy about. The women knew they had to find a way to get along for the sake of the kids. Throw in a cancer diagnosis for Jackie and a whole new level of intensity ensues. A tear jerker. I really liked it.
13 reviews
August 26, 2025
Ik vond dit boek heel herhalend en een vrij plots einde hebben. Ik had verwacht dat de relatie tussen Jackie en Isabel aan het einde veel meer belicht zou worden, maar dat bleef helaas uit. Veel opbouw naar niets in mijn ogen.
Profile Image for Maarten Van Krimpen .
202 reviews23 followers
May 19, 2020
It was okay. Didn't see the film but I was curious because of a couple of bad reviews back then. The Dutch translation I read was awful... A couple of very weird sentences. .
Profile Image for Robin Reynolds.
916 reviews38 followers
August 9, 2010
I don't normally care for books based on a movie screenplay, but this was pretty well written and very engaging and enjoyable. The author dove into the characters a little deeper than just transferring their actions and dialog into novel format.

However, if Gigi Levangie had written the actual novel herself, it probably would have been even better still.
Profile Image for Kara.
118 reviews9 followers
August 17, 2007
Much better than the movie - it's a heart wrencher though, so have your tissues ready!
Profile Image for Sandra.
160 reviews
April 2, 2008
I read it in Spanish, of course, I remember that the woman was dying of cancer, the husband has another woman and their children... Have to read to find out what happens then ...
Profile Image for Allison  Junkans.
192 reviews
November 5, 2012
This book is exactly like the movie, which I love, so it was a great book. I did not rate it a 5 because I was looking for additional scenes or more description of characters.
Profile Image for Andrea.
510 reviews3 followers
March 18, 2013
This novel is based off the screenplay, so it follows the movie exactly. I did like getting some background information on a few of the characters.
Profile Image for Evi Cherry.
37 reviews19 followers
March 13, 2014
Far better than the film, this book overwhelms you.
It is so simple and at the same time so full of life. It grabs your hair and drags you into a whole, cruel but very realistic new world.
Profile Image for Vassiliadi.
675 reviews14 followers
February 15, 2025
Ο ωραιότερος τρόπος για να κρατήσεις στην μνημη σου μια ταινία που σε έβαλε σε μεγάλα διλήμματα
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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