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Some Assembly Required
Thirty-nine-year-old Rose is content with her safe both her job writing manuals for appliances and her long-term boyfriend are reasonably satisfying. But when Mr. Almost Right betrays her, Rose decides there has to be more to it than writing succinct descriptions about how to use the timer on a Pause 'n Serve coffeemaker. Lured by the therapeutic promise of Cape Cod's sand, salt, and waves, Rose abandons her careful past and leaves the city far behind.
Rose wants only to heal her broken heart. But with the help of a few eccentric neighbors, a fulfilling new job as the world's oldest cub reporter, and a compellingly odd new man, she comes to realize that her past is the furthest thing from her mind -- and she may just have stumbled upon her future happiness.
Rose wants only to heal her broken heart. But with the help of a few eccentric neighbors, a fulfilling new job as the world's oldest cub reporter, and a compellingly odd new man, she comes to realize that her past is the furthest thing from her mind -- and she may just have stumbled upon her future happiness.
321 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kiele Bonasia
3 books24 followersLynn Kiele Bonasia is the author of two novels set on Cape Cod. Summer Shift (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster), about a woman who runs a New England clam bar, is scheduled for release on June 1, 2010. Her first novel, Some Assembly Required (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster), came out in 2008. Prior to that, Lynn sold her soul as a freelance advertising copywriter.
Technically a “washashore,” Lynn moved to the Cape as a teen and graduated from Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham. Upon graduation, she set out to seek fame and fortune, or at least to acquire some sort of formal education (a BA in journalism at the University of Massachusetts), find love, become an advertising copywriter, which she was able to do as a freelancer once her son was born. Tethered to a family, their journey took them to Boston, then New York, eventually landing in South Florida, where they baked for ten years. It was here Lynn began to write seriously, obtaining a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Florida International University.
During her self-imposed exile from New England, Lynn developed an unhealthy obsession for old haunts, and began writing stories about Cape Cod and its colorful inhabitants. Now, with her only son off at college, Lynn has returned to the Cape with her dog, Kiele, to live, observe, obsess some more and write her heart out.
Technically a “washashore,” Lynn moved to the Cape as a teen and graduated from Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham. Upon graduation, she set out to seek fame and fortune, or at least to acquire some sort of formal education (a BA in journalism at the University of Massachusetts), find love, become an advertising copywriter, which she was able to do as a freelancer once her son was born. Tethered to a family, their journey took them to Boston, then New York, eventually landing in South Florida, where they baked for ten years. It was here Lynn began to write seriously, obtaining a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Florida International University.
During her self-imposed exile from New England, Lynn developed an unhealthy obsession for old haunts, and began writing stories about Cape Cod and its colorful inhabitants. Now, with her only son off at college, Lynn has returned to the Cape with her dog, Kiele, to live, observe, obsess some more and write her heart out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 6, 2008
Totally enjoyed this book. I could see this being made in to a movie. Having grown-up on Cape Cod this was a bit like a trip down memory lane...Bonasia's writing created strong visual imagery which transported me to route 6 on lower cape cod, and i loved it. The characters are well fleshed-out and you'll feel like you know them quite well by books end and half expect to receive an email from one of them. Gas prices making you think about sticking closer to home this summer? Pick up this book and take a trip to the cape for only $14.
November 5, 2008
Some Assembly Required delivered what the rave on the cover said, "Charming...filled with quirky characters and small town eccentricity." I picked this one up completely on a whim at the library because the title and small town-ness intrigued me. (I'm fascinated by the small town psyche.)
The unique characterization in this novel is its strong point. There are variety of people--the instruction manual writer turned small town reporter, a autistic savant, the recovering alcoholic, the jaded old lady, the disillusioned aging sweetheart. Ms. Bonasia takes these shells to another level and gives them a depth that isn't always present in most first-time novels.
There is a smattering of profanity that probably could have been omitted, but I admit that it wasn't executed without purpose, so that made it fairly tolerable, at least for me.
The biggest theme in Some Assembly Required is loss, as every character has experienced some form of it. I don't think that makes it a flat story, however. It makes it all the more believable for haven't we all experienced loss at some point?
An underlying theme is faith in God, which I kept hoping would amount to something more. But it treated each character's faith respectfully and Ms. Bonasia kept everyone in character.
There were no big revelations made by the end of the novel, and there is one scene in which "God" appears in a dream to Simon. It might be a little infuriating for some because of how God is portrayed, but it isn't nearly as infuriating as William P. Young's The Shack. All in all, it was a fair and healthy view of different people's takes on faith in God.
I very much enjoyed reading this novel. A reader gets to know Ms. Bonsaia's characters intimately, and I found myself cheering them on even as they struggled or dealt with temptation. If you're thinking about picking it up, just be aware of the profanity and the somewhat liberal subject matter that comes up.
The unique characterization in this novel is its strong point. There are variety of people--the instruction manual writer turned small town reporter, a autistic savant, the recovering alcoholic, the jaded old lady, the disillusioned aging sweetheart. Ms. Bonasia takes these shells to another level and gives them a depth that isn't always present in most first-time novels.
There is a smattering of profanity that probably could have been omitted, but I admit that it wasn't executed without purpose, so that made it fairly tolerable, at least for me.
The biggest theme in Some Assembly Required is loss, as every character has experienced some form of it. I don't think that makes it a flat story, however. It makes it all the more believable for haven't we all experienced loss at some point?
An underlying theme is faith in God, which I kept hoping would amount to something more. But it treated each character's faith respectfully and Ms. Bonasia kept everyone in character.
There were no big revelations made by the end of the novel, and there is one scene in which "God" appears in a dream to Simon. It might be a little infuriating for some because of how God is portrayed, but it isn't nearly as infuriating as William P. Young's The Shack. All in all, it was a fair and healthy view of different people's takes on faith in God.
I very much enjoyed reading this novel. A reader gets to know Ms. Bonsaia's characters intimately, and I found myself cheering them on even as they struggled or dealt with temptation. If you're thinking about picking it up, just be aware of the profanity and the somewhat liberal subject matter that comes up.
November 24, 2008
This wasn’t the fun, light, chick-lit read I was expecting from the cover photo (flip flops on a clothesline) and blurb from Claire Cook (a fave author of mine). No, it was better. Another intelligent women’s story in the vein of Leslie Schnur (who contributes a quote to the back).
Rose is 39 and trying to make a fresh start in the Cape Cod town of Nauset. She’s gone from writing instruction manuals (quotes from which cleverly foreshadow events at the beginning of each chapter) to wanting to be a journalist. After renting a cottage from Val, she meets her neighbor, Noel, an autistic savant, who is being cared for by the town after his mother dies. A piece Rose writes about Noel ends up in USA Today, where Simon, Noel’s estranged uncle, sees it and decides to travel back to Nauset to make amends. This is a town with lots of secrets and as the town gears up for the celebration of its 300th birthday many of those secrets are in danger of being exposed.
I enjoyed the story once I got into it (and past my preconceived ideas of what I thought it was going to be). The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse, and on the surface seem kooky, but they’re real people with real issues (the mother who lost her child, the man with a dark secret, an alcoholic) and I thought the author struck a good balance between reality and wanting a happy ending. There was also a good twist at the end(one of the secrets exposed) that I didn’t see coming, although it is foreshadowed. All in all a good read about family, love, friendships and the nature of secrets.
Rose is 39 and trying to make a fresh start in the Cape Cod town of Nauset. She’s gone from writing instruction manuals (quotes from which cleverly foreshadow events at the beginning of each chapter) to wanting to be a journalist. After renting a cottage from Val, she meets her neighbor, Noel, an autistic savant, who is being cared for by the town after his mother dies. A piece Rose writes about Noel ends up in USA Today, where Simon, Noel’s estranged uncle, sees it and decides to travel back to Nauset to make amends. This is a town with lots of secrets and as the town gears up for the celebration of its 300th birthday many of those secrets are in danger of being exposed.
I enjoyed the story once I got into it (and past my preconceived ideas of what I thought it was going to be). The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse, and on the surface seem kooky, but they’re real people with real issues (the mother who lost her child, the man with a dark secret, an alcoholic) and I thought the author struck a good balance between reality and wanting a happy ending. There was also a good twist at the end(one of the secrets exposed) that I didn’t see coming, although it is foreshadowed. All in all a good read about family, love, friendships and the nature of secrets.
August 25, 2011
(Really 3.5 stars)
Picked this up expecting a light, diversionary novel, and found one with surprising depth in it. Don't let the cover picture of flipflops on a clothesline fool you. It'll still appeal to those who want a quick read, but it's not marshmallow creme fluff. There is an interesting parade of characters, starting with Rose, who, in the wake of a painful breakup, leaves her job as an expert in writing instructions and those annoying instruction manuals, and moves to Nauset on Cape Cod. There, she begins to pursue her dream of being a journalist, while getting to know the locals, including her landlady Val, a woman with a secret, neighbor Cooper, bitter and waspish, Noel, a young autistic man, with incredible art talent, and others as well. Every character in the novel has some peculiarity or flaw, but behind each flaw is a reason or a path for redemption. Add in Simon, Noel's alcoholic uncle, who reappears after being gone for 16 years, a mystery or two and other colorful locals, and Lynn Kiele Bonasia has served up a fine debut novel.
One particularly nice touch is that Noel, who has suffered great loss in his life as well as being autistic, speaks only in lasts -- last words of people, last statistics, last facts. Makes a bit of a mind teaser to try and decipher out what his message is behind his speech. I also liked that Bonasia started each chapter with a blurb from the instructions of something, and teasing out why that particular phrase was chosen.
Picked this up expecting a light, diversionary novel, and found one with surprising depth in it. Don't let the cover picture of flipflops on a clothesline fool you. It'll still appeal to those who want a quick read, but it's not marshmallow creme fluff. There is an interesting parade of characters, starting with Rose, who, in the wake of a painful breakup, leaves her job as an expert in writing instructions and those annoying instruction manuals, and moves to Nauset on Cape Cod. There, she begins to pursue her dream of being a journalist, while getting to know the locals, including her landlady Val, a woman with a secret, neighbor Cooper, bitter and waspish, Noel, a young autistic man, with incredible art talent, and others as well. Every character in the novel has some peculiarity or flaw, but behind each flaw is a reason or a path for redemption. Add in Simon, Noel's alcoholic uncle, who reappears after being gone for 16 years, a mystery or two and other colorful locals, and Lynn Kiele Bonasia has served up a fine debut novel.
One particularly nice touch is that Noel, who has suffered great loss in his life as well as being autistic, speaks only in lasts -- last words of people, last statistics, last facts. Makes a bit of a mind teaser to try and decipher out what his message is behind his speech. I also liked that Bonasia started each chapter with a blurb from the instructions of something, and teasing out why that particular phrase was chosen.
July 4, 2011
This novel starts out a little like the "chick-lit" style. Journalist who can't get a job with a decent newspaper, writes instuction manuals for appliances (?). Feeling like life is passing her by, her boyfriend then tells her he cheated on her and it "meant nothing". She kisses her old life goodby, job, boyfriend and apartment and moves to a little town on Cape Cod called Nasset.There the REAL story begins! This novel has the quirkiest set of characters, and it brings in so many sub stories, at times hysterical, others touching, and heartwarming. The variety of subjects includes, a missing person,? murder...a great big secret, alcoholism, autism, and being gay. All subjects are dealt with honestly, and very staight forward. I totally enjoyed this book, an wish the author would do a follow-up novel so we could find out what happens to these wonderful characters. I would recommend this book highly!
August 6, 2008
So far so good. Great vacation read since it is set on the Cape.
October 8, 2008
This book tries to be more "fresh, quirky & original" than it actually is. The characters were predictable and the book was very bland and forgettable.
June 25, 2019
Small town abuzz with eccentric locals carrying the weight of secrets through their lives. A story filled with love, heartbreak, second chances and a town that looks after their own. No one was evil in the book...just very human. I enjoyed it.
November 16, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about 39 year old Rose who is dumped by Mr. Almost Right and abandons her safe city job for a small Cape Cod community where she discovers new friends and a fulfilling new life. Recommended.
August 11, 2019
Good read, funny!
August 13, 2023
started could not get into
July 31, 2011
Probably more like 3.5 stars. The ending was almost an anticlimax - not bad, just, well, there was a lot of build up to it and then...thunk. My disappointment in the ending was more about the fact that it wasn't predictable just...bland. It was not so bad that I won't read her subsequent book, but I'll probably read other authors first.
The best part was that it helped me remember fondly our last trip to the Cape. My first trip there wasn't all that great and basically made me think, "Why drive to the Cape and deal with the hassle when I can just go to southern Maine beaches instead?" At the time, we lived in southern Maine, so those beaches were a quick drive for us. Well, the second trip was much, much better. Better weather (well, part of the week) and a lot more fun. We usually stay in the area that's essentially supposed to be the setting of this book - there isn't really a "Nauset" per se, but the areas of Eastham, Orleans and Nickerson State Park are where our families always stay when they visit. My husband's grandparents used to have a house in Eastham when he was a kid, so that's their stomping grounds. It's still a lot to think about bringing our 2yo there, but maybe when he's 3 it will be better.
The best part was that it helped me remember fondly our last trip to the Cape. My first trip there wasn't all that great and basically made me think, "Why drive to the Cape and deal with the hassle when I can just go to southern Maine beaches instead?" At the time, we lived in southern Maine, so those beaches were a quick drive for us. Well, the second trip was much, much better. Better weather (well, part of the week) and a lot more fun. We usually stay in the area that's essentially supposed to be the setting of this book - there isn't really a "Nauset" per se, but the areas of Eastham, Orleans and Nickerson State Park are where our families always stay when they visit. My husband's grandparents used to have a house in Eastham when he was a kid, so that's their stomping grounds. It's still a lot to think about bringing our 2yo there, but maybe when he's 3 it will be better.
February 14, 2010
I think i expected something more lighthearted than this was and that expectation colored my reading. I found it slow at the start, despite a quirky introduction. It took a while to learn enough about the characters to want to be involved in their story. I didn't really find Rose a sympathetic character.
The characters are all a little odd, in a good way, but these quirks are treated very seriously, having mostly arisen from tragedy.
The theme of loss permeates everyone and everything which was a bit wearing and probably accounted for the slow pace. The romance was bittersweet, you aren't sure if there will be a happy ending after the book. The msytery was solved neatly.
I liked the instruction snippets and Noel's quirky "Lasts" but would have liked a little more levity.
Not really a light, beach read.
The characters are all a little odd, in a good way, but these quirks are treated very seriously, having mostly arisen from tragedy.
The theme of loss permeates everyone and everything which was a bit wearing and probably accounted for the slow pace. The romance was bittersweet, you aren't sure if there will be a happy ending after the book. The msytery was solved neatly.
I liked the instruction snippets and Noel's quirky "Lasts" but would have liked a little more levity.
Not really a light, beach read.
September 14, 2008
This is an impressive first novel by this writer with substantial, well developed characters, most of whom are dealing with loss. While loss is the major theme of the novel, the author is adept at keeping the characters moving on, immersing themselves in life and living. Because I live near the Cape, I loved the setting and its importance to the story. I also liked how she weaved autism and addiction within the characters and the story without romanticizing either. Epigrams, which are connected to the title of the book, begin each chapter alerting the reader to what is unraveling and again revealed the author's writing talent.
January 13, 2017
This book is ok, and I toyed with giving it 3 stars. The characters are offbeat and eccentric (in a Northern Exposure kind of way), and there's nothing objectionable about the book. It's just that even in terms of a beach read, I didn't think there was enough substance. I guess I'm at the point that if I'm going to spend 6+ hours of my life reading a book, I want to be able to walk away with some new understanding, satisfaction, or lasting impression. This one really didn't meet any of those requirements.
March 3, 2010
Everything about this book appealed to me - the cover photo (a beach house and flip-flops), the setting (Cape Cod, where I recently relocated to), the size (not too long and not too short), and the storyline (woman my age moves to the Cape and tries to get a handle on the natives).
The book zipped along, and I found myself laughing and shaking my head at some the "local" characters. The Cape is a strange place, that's for sure.
The dialogue is great (and I love good dialogue), the descriptions of the scenery fantastic, and the dash of intrigue was a nice surprise. Great summer book!
The book zipped along, and I found myself laughing and shaking my head at some the "local" characters. The Cape is a strange place, that's for sure.
The dialogue is great (and I love good dialogue), the descriptions of the scenery fantastic, and the dash of intrigue was a nice surprise. Great summer book!
April 14, 2012
Found the book just interesting enough to finish. Didn't appreciate the book enough to think that the title was appropriately suited to the presentation of the previous life of Rose as a writer of technical manuals. Thought that the introduction to each chapter with a quip of technical instruction was a bit bizzare.
Did appreciate that life's journeys are not often what we think they may be. Felt that some of the story lines were off course just enough to be bothersome to the extent that they felt too contrived; in an attempt to keep the book somehow more interesting.
Did appreciate that life's journeys are not often what we think they may be. Felt that some of the story lines were off course just enough to be bothersome to the extent that they felt too contrived; in an attempt to keep the book somehow more interesting.
February 20, 2009
This was a bit slow at first. It got interesting enough to finish but it wasn't one of my favorites. I thought that the relationship that developed between Rose & Simon was a bit unrealistic. A person who's trying to stay sober is going to have a lot more struggles/issues to work through. It was a bit too perfect. I liked the feeling of the close knit community though and the funny characters in it.
April 19, 2011
I really liked this charming debut. Rose, a jilted technical writer is determined to become a journalist (the original dream), and finds her spot on Cape Cod, in a little town full of characters. The technical writing angle is clever--and the cast of characters intriguing. Celebrating the town's 300th birthday. Unlikely romance develops and Rose helps figure out a long-time mystery--autistic--some LOL dialogue, a bit like Anne Tyler in terms of characters and human frailties, etc.
June 30, 2008
This was a nice summer weekend read, heavier than fluff but not so heavy as to require great thought. I enjoyed the story of a woman who moves to Cape Cod after finding out her BF of four years has been cheating. She meets some quirky characters and gets caught up in their drama, including a local unsolved mystery.
October 6, 2008
I awoke this morning feeling let down that I had finished this book. I really enjoyed this visit with my "neighbors" and hate to think that I won't be hanging out with Rose and Simon and Val and Noel - and even Cooper any more. Entertaining and topical, with interesting characters and an intriguing little mystery, all with a Cape Cod setting. Who could ask for more?
October 27, 2008
Quick read. The author gives you some eccentric characters to read about. Takes place on Cape Cod. The main character, Rose, is a 39 year old woman who just ended a relationship and needs a change so she moves to Nauset, rents a cottage from Val and meets some very interesting people. This novel includes some romance & mystery.
February 2, 2009
Kind of a quirky book. Was the author's master's thesis. I thought the characters were interesting; an alcoholic, an autistic savant artist, a would be journalist, a woman who imagines she has a daughter..more. The individual stories were woven together in an interesting way. Kind of a strange ending. Might give it a 3.5 if I could, just for being interesting.
July 17, 2011
I chose this book based on the promise that it would draw me back to Cape Cod--a place I love. Unfortunately, I never really got that feeling. The story itself was ok, if somewhat predicable. I did like the theme of moving on and new beginnings. My favorite line: "The last thing to escape Pandora's box was hope."
September 7, 2011
Escaping from an unhappy romance, Rose ends up in small town Cape Cod, hoping to reinvent herself as a newspaper reporter. The supporting characters are colorful, but the author keeps them from getting too quirky by writing with a dry sense of humor. This has more depth than a typical beach read, but it doesn't take itself too seriously.
January 9, 2012
This book seemed to be just randomly thrown together and blatantly improvised as the author was writing it. There were pieces of the story that seemed to be solid leads into a good tale, however, this was not the case. I felt it was poorly written, was boring, and went off on tangents. Not recommended.
August 29, 2012
I'm a pretty fast reader, but it took me 10 days to finish this book! I must have not been in the right state of mind because the book seemed to plod along (like pulling your feet out of deep mud). I thought repeatedly that the author probably paced the book like this on purpose and was doing a very good job!
This book was fine...just not my cup of tea.
This book was fine...just not my cup of tea.
December 16, 2015
I inherited my mom's old kindle and this was already on it so I read it- lame really- very much a brainless story with a predictable plot about a group of people living on the east coast. Drama, history, romance, broken hearts and loss of life all fell into it's pages and created a story that I'm glad I didn't pay to read.
October 2, 2010
Quirky characters make this an above average read about a woman trying to recover and start anew after a boyfriend is found cheating on her. Small town gossip, a 27 year old mystery and an autistic savant add interesting color.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews