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The Loose Ends List
Seventeen-year-old Maddie O'Neill Levine's grandmother is a young-at-heart socialite who has always been Maddie's go-to confidante. Although Maddie and the rest of her family have learned to expect the unexpected from their matriarch, Gram still manages to shock them all when she announces that she has booked the O'Neill clan on a secret death-with-dignity ship called the Wishwell; Gram has terminal cancer and is determined to leave the world in her own way--and give her family an unforgettable summer of dreams-come-true in the process.
Soon, Maddie is on the trip of a lifetime with her wacky family. Aboard the ship, Maddie bonds with other Wishwellians and falls for Enzo, the son of the ship's owner, as they travel the globe. But despite the copious laugher, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and the power of forgiveness.
Soon, Maddie is on the trip of a lifetime with her wacky family. Aboard the ship, Maddie bonds with other Wishwellians and falls for Enzo, the son of the ship's owner, as they travel the globe. But despite the copious laugher, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and the power of forgiveness.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 756 reviews
June 8, 2016
“You’re a wise old lady, Astrid North O’Neill.” I lean over and kiss her cheek.
“Who’s calling me old, you little shit?"
A wonderful, character-driven story about family, that is both touching and hilarious, though maybe steer clear if you don't have a slightly dark, dirty sense of humour.
I didn't really know what to expect from The Loose Ends List. There have been plenty of positive reviews, but negative ones too, and it seemed like it could be a total cheesefest. A grandparent suddenly announcing that they are dying and forcing the family to go on a "death with dignity" cruise ship? Sounds like a recipe for heavy-handed messaging and emotional manipulation.
But this book has a sharp, comical edge that lets it get away with the premise. It's funny. It's cynical. It's rude. Maddie is surrounded by these old people sharing their last moments and she gets the sudden hysterical urge to laugh (I sympathize because this is so me).
The large cast of characters sparkle off the pages of the book. Notably, Maddie's extremely funny and "slutty" cousin, her two gay uncles who are her only source of sanity amid her absolutely crazy family, and especially her shameless and totally inappropriate Gram.
“I’ve always said, if girls don’t get attention from their fathers, they’ll find it in all kinds of sordid ways. I sure did.” Gram gives me her naughty schoolgirl grin.
“What the hell is ass play?” Gram says. “In my day, ass play was when your husband goosed you in the elevator.”
I love these kinds of family dramas - maybe a little because they always remind me of my own big, loud, melodramatic family who seem to make waves wherever they go. I enjoy all the relationship dynamics and seeing the amount of love and exasperation Maddie has for her relatives. I also even enjoyed the sweet romance and the openness about sex and sexuality.
Between the flowery cover and the corny title, this could easily be mistaken for something it isn't. It's actually smart, funny, and full of adventures. As with all YA contemporaries, there are some subtle messages thrown in, but they're probably not the ones you'd expect. It's not about death. It's about growing up, learning that not all "great loves" are the kind that you can make work, day after day, for decades, learning that sex is a positive thing but - as Gram puts it - "sex is not love".
Warm, very funny, and just the right amount of sad.
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August 9, 2017
I don't really know how to rate this so my rating may change. I have very mixed feelings. There were things I enjoyed and there were things I didn't enjoy. I loved the family dynamic. The concept was interesting, weird but interesting. I loved the approach it took with grief, I thought that was well done. I could have definitely done without the romance, it felt like an unnecessary addition and I really didn't care for the relationship anyways. I also wasn't too fond of the main character and the pacing felt off at times, too fast sometimes and too slow at other times. So I guess my rating falls somewhere in that middle range. It was good enough I just had quite a few issues.
May 21, 2016
This book is called The Loose Ends List, but I'm calling it A Series of Uncomfortable Events.
It was bad guys. Like, really, really bad.
Let's start off with this plot:
This is the summer before Maddie setts off to college at NYU, and everything's pretty mapped out until her grandma drops a bomb on the whole family. 1.) She's dying. 2.) She's booked a trip on a cruise where she'll bring the whole family together and then "die with dignity" at the end of it.
Bizarre or creative? I honestly don't know, you decide.
I tried not to judge the book so harshly in the beginning, since I thought their would be character developments later (there weren't), but hoooooly shit. Maddie was the most boring, stereotypical teenage girl I've ever read about.
Maddie: has 3 minions that she calls her best friends (they never had one conversation not involving guys); has one cool friend who gets her, but Maddie doesn't talk to her at school... nice; is extremely superficial.
So, the beginning is where all the news is coming in and Maddie's preparing to leave. The rest is her on the cruise where it's a series of uncomfortable, weird events and instalove. And it's the worst kind too: the 'we looked into each others eyes and now we're in love'. The best parts of this book were when Enzo wasn't in it. THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS THAT BAD.
anyway here's some uncomfortable quotes i feel like sharing with the world:
"And to top it all off, I ruined another thong because of my stupid irritable bowel syndrome."
...........i don't know if this was supposed to be funny or?
"I've always said, if girls don't get attention from their fathers, they'll find it all kinds of sordid ways. I sure did." Gram gives me her naughty schoolgirl grin.
........... [screams internally]
"I can't escape the horrifying visual of Gram's bony body getting slammed by old Bob Johns."
........... [more screaming]
"If Ethan kisses like a jackhammer dipped in beer, then Enzo kisses like the moon dipped in music."
........... what does this even mean?
"You need to pop your weed cherry at some point."
...........'pop your weed cherry' ? i'm sorry, i can't, i can't.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I'm really confused at to who this book is supposed to appeal to...? The writing and characters scream Middle Grade, but there is sex, lots of non-funny penis jokes, and a lot of death so I don't know lol. Overall, just a very strange, strange book that I could only give 2 stars to because 1.) it was mildly entertaining 2.) they mentioned Sloan Kettering and i kinda freaked out (incredible hospital that i live nearby and love). I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND SKIPPING OUT ON THIS BOOK, THOUGH. Just saying.
It was bad guys. Like, really, really bad.
Let's start off with this plot:
This is the summer before Maddie setts off to college at NYU, and everything's pretty mapped out until her grandma drops a bomb on the whole family. 1.) She's dying. 2.) She's booked a trip on a cruise where she'll bring the whole family together and then "die with dignity" at the end of it.
Bizarre or creative? I honestly don't know, you decide.
I tried not to judge the book so harshly in the beginning, since I thought their would be character developments later (there weren't), but hoooooly shit. Maddie was the most boring, stereotypical teenage girl I've ever read about.
Maddie: has 3 minions that she calls her best friends (they never had one conversation not involving guys); has one cool friend who gets her, but Maddie doesn't talk to her at school... nice; is extremely superficial.
So, the beginning is where all the news is coming in and Maddie's preparing to leave. The rest is her on the cruise where it's a series of uncomfortable, weird events and instalove. And it's the worst kind too: the 'we looked into each others eyes and now we're in love'. The best parts of this book were when Enzo wasn't in it. THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS THAT BAD.
anyway here's some uncomfortable quotes i feel like sharing with the world:
"And to top it all off, I ruined another thong because of my stupid irritable bowel syndrome."
...........i don't know if this was supposed to be funny or?
"I've always said, if girls don't get attention from their fathers, they'll find it all kinds of sordid ways. I sure did." Gram gives me her naughty schoolgirl grin.
........... [screams internally]
"I can't escape the horrifying visual of Gram's bony body getting slammed by old Bob Johns."
........... [more screaming]
"If Ethan kisses like a jackhammer dipped in beer, then Enzo kisses like the moon dipped in music."
........... what does this even mean?
"You need to pop your weed cherry at some point."
...........'pop your weed cherry' ? i'm sorry, i can't, i can't.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I'm really confused at to who this book is supposed to appeal to...? The writing and characters scream Middle Grade, but there is sex, lots of non-funny penis jokes, and a lot of death so I don't know lol. Overall, just a very strange, strange book that I could only give 2 stars to because 1.) it was mildly entertaining 2.) they mentioned Sloan Kettering and i kinda freaked out (incredible hospital that i live nearby and love). I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND SKIPPING OUT ON THIS BOOK, THOUGH. Just saying.
March 29, 2018
Great concept, terrible terrible execution
The loose ends list could have been easily be the most emotional and beautiful contemporary if it wasn't for the most shittiest characters ever. I would have even overlooked the cringey humour and stilted writing but even then their were so many negatives here that it's impossible to rate it any higher.
I'm tempted to give this book 1 star given the fact how angry I'm but I can't ignore that there are many good things about it too. The loose ends list deals with dark and heavy subjects such as death and coping up with grief of lose of loved one. Maddie, our protaganist is cruising on a ship with her Gram who have pancreatic cancer. Not only she had to deal with her Gram's death but also come in peace with the fact that other members of the crew are also dying. Though I hated the humour, I appreciate author's effort to not make this book a dark read but a heartfelt one. However, this book couldn't accomplish more then this since there was ton of shits here too.
For one, Maddie was the most self-centered, bratty, annoying and judgemental protaganist ever. She judged and stamped labels on everyone, from her parent to her uncles and aunts to random stranger. I'm sure if she saw one of us somewhere, she'll immediately stamp us as anooying bookSnob or whatever. Janie, her 'slutty' cousin had a boyfriend who was sweet and caring but had small penis. And Maddie referred to that guy as a 'Prickle' throughout the book even when she was sick with grief and that very person was trying to help her. This annoying trait extended to her whole family. They all were such pruddish and immature people who loved judging others.
Maddie had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I had no idea what it was before Maddie mentioned it in the start of the book so I searched about it on google. However, I was shocked to see this whole thing was brushed aside and was simply used to make jokes about ruined thongs. Wtf?
And then there was this instalove which didn't make tinniest minniest sense at all. You know, every book I've read with insta romance had atleast one interesting dialouge of hero before the herione fell head over the heals in love with him but in this book even that wasn't there. Like gal saw guy. Guy said hi. Guy asked her to come stare night sky. They talked for two minutes. Guy kissed Gal. W H A T
On top it of, there is this cringey humour. I've read many stupid erotica and NA romance in public with people sitting right next to me or walking along me and I've never felt afraid. But I couldn't bring myself to read this in room where my family was because this humour made me want to crawl under the blankets due to embarrassment. Just look at this one quote
And this book felt like a frog kiss dipped in sewerage water.
I came here for a story that would leave me teary eyed and emotionally devastated and I'm leaving angry and bitter and very dissapointed. So please my friends, if you know any contemporary with great family dynamics and good, relatable characters, then please suggest me. I need to clean the filth of this book from me.
The loose ends list could have been easily be the most emotional and beautiful contemporary if it wasn't for the most shittiest characters ever. I would have even overlooked the cringey humour and stilted writing but even then their were so many negatives here that it's impossible to rate it any higher.
I'm tempted to give this book 1 star given the fact how angry I'm but I can't ignore that there are many good things about it too. The loose ends list deals with dark and heavy subjects such as death and coping up with grief of lose of loved one. Maddie, our protaganist is cruising on a ship with her Gram who have pancreatic cancer. Not only she had to deal with her Gram's death but also come in peace with the fact that other members of the crew are also dying. Though I hated the humour, I appreciate author's effort to not make this book a dark read but a heartfelt one. However, this book couldn't accomplish more then this since there was ton of shits here too.
For one, Maddie was the most self-centered, bratty, annoying and judgemental protaganist ever. She judged and stamped labels on everyone, from her parent to her uncles and aunts to random stranger. I'm sure if she saw one of us somewhere, she'll immediately stamp us as anooying bookSnob or whatever. Janie, her 'slutty' cousin had a boyfriend who was sweet and caring but had small penis. And Maddie referred to that guy as a 'Prickle' throughout the book even when she was sick with grief and that very person was trying to help her. This annoying trait extended to her whole family. They all were such pruddish and immature people who loved judging others.
Maddie had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I had no idea what it was before Maddie mentioned it in the start of the book so I searched about it on google. However, I was shocked to see this whole thing was brushed aside and was simply used to make jokes about ruined thongs. Wtf?
And then there was this instalove which didn't make tinniest minniest sense at all. You know, every book I've read with insta romance had atleast one interesting dialouge of hero before the herione fell head over the heals in love with him but in this book even that wasn't there. Like gal saw guy. Guy said hi. Guy asked her to come stare night sky. They talked for two minutes. Guy kissed Gal. W H A T
On top it of, there is this cringey humour. I've read many stupid erotica and NA romance in public with people sitting right next to me or walking along me and I've never felt afraid. But I couldn't bring myself to read this in room where my family was because this humour made me want to crawl under the blankets due to embarrassment. Just look at this one quote
"If Ethan kisses like a jackhammer dipped in beer, then Enzo kisses like the moon dipped in music."
And this book felt like a frog kiss dipped in sewerage water.
I came here for a story that would leave me teary eyed and emotionally devastated and I'm leaving angry and bitter and very dissapointed. So please my friends, if you know any contemporary with great family dynamics and good, relatable characters, then please suggest me. I need to clean the filth of this book from me.
May 9, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley.)
This was a YA contemporary story, about a girl whose grandmother was dying.
I felt quite sorry for Maddie in this book as having to spend the entire summer watching her grandmother die couldn’t have been easy. I also thought that the added grief of getting to know other people on the ship, only for them to die too was a bit harsh.
The storyline in this was about Maddie’s family going on a cruise for the summer, on a special cruise ship when dying people could die with dignity. It was a bit sad how people on the ship kept dying though, and I felt like this might have made things worse for Maddie because she kept losing people, even though she had only recently met them.
We also got a bit of a romance forming between Maddie and another boy on the boat (who thankfully wasn’t dying) although because they lived so far apart there wasn’t really a clear-cut happily ever after for this pair.
The ending to this was quite sad and emotional, and it did make me cry a bit.
7 out of 10
“It’s my biggest nightmare – a dinner party where people introduce themselves by telling you how they’re dying.”
This was a YA contemporary story, about a girl whose grandmother was dying.
I felt quite sorry for Maddie in this book as having to spend the entire summer watching her grandmother die couldn’t have been easy. I also thought that the added grief of getting to know other people on the ship, only for them to die too was a bit harsh.
The storyline in this was about Maddie’s family going on a cruise for the summer, on a special cruise ship when dying people could die with dignity. It was a bit sad how people on the ship kept dying though, and I felt like this might have made things worse for Maddie because she kept losing people, even though she had only recently met them.
We also got a bit of a romance forming between Maddie and another boy on the boat (who thankfully wasn’t dying) although because they lived so far apart there wasn’t really a clear-cut happily ever after for this pair.
The ending to this was quite sad and emotional, and it did make me cry a bit.
7 out of 10
June 24, 2016
An amazing, touching story which talks a lot about death but still manages to make you smile! I had no idea what to expect when I started reading it. It appeared on my feed and then the next thing I know is that I am reading this book. The blurb might look simple; A story of a girl who is suddenly being told that her grandmother is ill and has decided to take the entire family to a 'death with dignity' cruise ship. But what it doesn't tell is how the family is full of crazy and lovable people and how amazingly the idea of death is being handled in this book. It's Carrie Firestone's debut novel, and she has done a great job with it!
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of death is sadness, but after reading this book I'm sure you won't feel that way. The story is very refreshing despite having very serious and emotional moments in it. Since it's a 'death with dignity' cruise ship, you'll find a lot of ill people and their family, who are on the same journey as Maddie.
What I love most about this book is Maddie's family. It was so much fun reading about such hilarious characters which were so different from each other and were still together as a family and that's what made this whole book so special- the love they had for each other. There are irritating cousins, two gay uncles, supportive parents, crazy and loving grandmother, and really sweet romance between Maddie and Enzo, the guy she meets on her trip.
There are deaths in the book, and the surprising thing was that even though it saddened me when someone died, I found myself smiling on the next page. I love how well-balanced everything in this book is. There is no room for sadness in this book; it is inspiring and lifts up your mood with some really sweet moments.
This book is all about growing up and accepting things in life. This book might seem simple from its blurb, but it's much more. It is full of special and memorable moments and gives inspiring message. I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone looking for a nice contemporary book.
My blog- World of A Bibliophile
June 11, 2018
Disclaimer: Really not trying to offend anyone with this review and/or the angry thoughts here. If you enjoyed this book, hats off to you. But I just can't get behind the fat shaming, virgin shaming, slut shaming, and the fact that the main character puts a boy and sex over her dying grandma (and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg with the problematic elements of this book)....
So.
Hmmmmm.
I'm trying to figure out if I should even review this, because I'm borderline wishing I never even read it.
I feel like at least one of these quotes will make it clear why I detested this so much. Spoiler, THESE ARE PERFECT INDICATORS OF THE QUALITY OF THIS BOOK:
"Oh, come on, you prudish imp."
"Wow, Wes. Billy never told me how large you are." (This woman is referring to her son's husband's........ *ahem* MOVING ON.
"Everyone has a slutty phase. There's plenty of time to become a big sober prude."
"She pinches my stomach. 'Your waist would never be small enough to fit into that dress.'" (This is a particularly special moment in which the dying grandma fat shames her size 8 granddaughter--don't worry! She also encourages her to sleep around and hook up with people, too. The grandma also calls one of her granddaughter's dresses a "blowjob dress." Quality family bonding in these pages, people).
*Brief Pause* I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, "It can't be THAT bad... Right?"
"Gram died two days ago already. I've had two milk shakes and a bag of chips, but I've had sex eleven times."
So yeah. This was bad. Not sure if it's worth a full review, and I'm not sure anyone wants to read my angry thoughts about this dumpster fire. They sure as hell wouldn't be kind.
Live look in at me after reading this crap:
Bottom line:
THIS BOOK IS
So.
Hmmmmm.
I'm trying to figure out if I should even review this, because I'm borderline wishing I never even read it.
I feel like at least one of these quotes will make it clear why I detested this so much. Spoiler, THESE ARE PERFECT INDICATORS OF THE QUALITY OF THIS BOOK:
"Oh, come on, you prudish imp."
"Wow, Wes. Billy never told me how large you are." (This woman is referring to her son's husband's........ *ahem* MOVING ON.
"Everyone has a slutty phase. There's plenty of time to become a big sober prude."
"She pinches my stomach. 'Your waist would never be small enough to fit into that dress.'" (This is a particularly special moment in which the dying grandma fat shames her size 8 granddaughter--don't worry! She also encourages her to sleep around and hook up with people, too. The grandma also calls one of her granddaughter's dresses a "blowjob dress." Quality family bonding in these pages, people).
*Brief Pause* I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, "It can't be THAT bad... Right?"
"Gram died two days ago already. I've had two milk shakes and a bag of chips, but I've had sex eleven times."
So yeah. This was bad. Not sure if it's worth a full review, and I'm not sure anyone wants to read my angry thoughts about this dumpster fire. They sure as hell wouldn't be kind.
Live look in at me after reading this crap:
Bottom line:
THIS BOOK IS
October 14, 2015
An incredible debut novel! Well-written and tugs at your heartstrings.
This is a young-adult fiction that reminds me of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." It's a coming-of-age story with a twist: Maddie, the young protagonist in this story, comes to grips with her own life and family by learning some life lessons through death.
This novel made me both laugh and cry, and I don't remember thinking, "boring...let's get to a good part" EVER. I think a teen would relate to the characters, and possibly be able to think about the world in a different way.
Highly recommended!
This is a young-adult fiction that reminds me of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." It's a coming-of-age story with a twist: Maddie, the young protagonist in this story, comes to grips with her own life and family by learning some life lessons through death.
This novel made me both laugh and cry, and I don't remember thinking, "boring...let's get to a good part" EVER. I think a teen would relate to the characters, and possibly be able to think about the world in a different way.
Highly recommended!
June 7, 2017
i finally (finally, FINALLY) posted my review of this at https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co.... yes, it's been five months since i read it and wrote this review...what of it?
September 2, 2016
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
----Steve Maraboli
Carrie Firestone, an American author, pens her debut YA contemporary fiction novel, The Loose Ends List that narrates the story of a young high school "soon-to-be-graduated" girl who decides to live her life and enjoy the last few days of summer before she joins college, but her grandmother is dying and takes her along with her extended crazy and quirky family to a voyage around the world on a cruise, and things are about to change for her.
Synopsis:
It’s a summer for first love, last wishes, and letting go.
Maddie has big plans to spend the last months before college tying up high school “loose ends” alongside her best friends. Then her beloved grandmother drops two bombshells: (1) Gram is dying. (2) She’s taking her entire family on a round-the-world cruise of dreams come true—but at the end, Gram won’t be returning home.
With a promise to live in the now without regrets, Maddie boards the Wishwell determined to make every moment count. She finds new friends in her fellow Wishwellians, takes advantage of the trip’s many luxuries, gets even closer to her quirky family, and falls for painfully gorgeous Enzo. But despite the copious laughter, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and laughter.
Maddie Levine wants to check out the things that she want to do in the summers before she zooms off to college from her much awaited and most anticipated bucket list, but little did she knew that her guardian and her dearest grandmother, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for quite a long time and that she wants to take her whole family on an around-the-globe voyage on a cruise ship. Maddie could not say no to her Gram as she is dying and the grief of losing the only closest person of her family ached her heart, so Maddie along with her extended and nearest quirky, lewd and lusty family members go on a cruise around the world, where Maddie meets and falls for a fellow passenger and thereby checking off quite a few "firsts" from her bucket list.
Right from the very beginning, the story tugged at the strings of my heart's deepest emotions and played it on its own tunes. So I felt like riding high on an emotional roller coaster filled with laughter, happiness, satisfaction as well as buckets and buckets of tears, and all these emotions are projected so sensitively and strikingly by the author into the story line and while reading, I felt like the author has poured all her best emotions into the story to make her readers feel it deeply. The story line is bit cliched yet somehow there are so many realistic moments that will make the readers forget about its predictable climax or a bitter sweet and sexy love story.
The author's writing style is articulate that readers will find it easy to comprehend with. The narrative from this book is funny, poignant and free flowing that will engage the readers into the heart of the story in no time. The pacing of the book sails smoothly just like their cruise without any major bumps or rather say layers, as the story is crystal clear right from the very start.
The characters from the book well etched out with humor and enough realism in their demeanor, nonetheless, the author has projected a diverse and unconventional cast of characters who are so much open about sexual relationships and especially sex, and sometime they make fun of it or make lewd remarks about it. The raw raunchiness in their attitude definitely set them apart from the main character, Maddie, who evolves through out the plot with the burden of grief and losing her grandmother as well as falling in love for the first time. Overall the characters from the grandmother to the uncles to the freakish relatives are all extremely full of life, even though they are honoring the dying wish of the eldest member of the family, yet somehow, they are enjoying every moment in that cruise.
In a nutshell, this is a poignant yet entertaining young adult contemporary story that screams out the message of living live to the fullest without any restrictions, meaning to lead a good life with happiness and laughter.
Verdict: Compelling, heart touching and extremely fulfilling YA contemporary novel.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Steve Maraboli
Carrie Firestone, an American author, pens her debut YA contemporary fiction novel, The Loose Ends List that narrates the story of a young high school "soon-to-be-graduated" girl who decides to live her life and enjoy the last few days of summer before she joins college, but her grandmother is dying and takes her along with her extended crazy and quirky family to a voyage around the world on a cruise, and things are about to change for her.
Synopsis:
It’s a summer for first love, last wishes, and letting go.
Maddie has big plans to spend the last months before college tying up high school “loose ends” alongside her best friends. Then her beloved grandmother drops two bombshells: (1) Gram is dying. (2) She’s taking her entire family on a round-the-world cruise of dreams come true—but at the end, Gram won’t be returning home.
With a promise to live in the now without regrets, Maddie boards the Wishwell determined to make every moment count. She finds new friends in her fellow Wishwellians, takes advantage of the trip’s many luxuries, gets even closer to her quirky family, and falls for painfully gorgeous Enzo. But despite the copious laughter, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and laughter.
Maddie Levine wants to check out the things that she want to do in the summers before she zooms off to college from her much awaited and most anticipated bucket list, but little did she knew that her guardian and her dearest grandmother, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for quite a long time and that she wants to take her whole family on an around-the-globe voyage on a cruise ship. Maddie could not say no to her Gram as she is dying and the grief of losing the only closest person of her family ached her heart, so Maddie along with her extended and nearest quirky, lewd and lusty family members go on a cruise around the world, where Maddie meets and falls for a fellow passenger and thereby checking off quite a few "firsts" from her bucket list.
Right from the very beginning, the story tugged at the strings of my heart's deepest emotions and played it on its own tunes. So I felt like riding high on an emotional roller coaster filled with laughter, happiness, satisfaction as well as buckets and buckets of tears, and all these emotions are projected so sensitively and strikingly by the author into the story line and while reading, I felt like the author has poured all her best emotions into the story to make her readers feel it deeply. The story line is bit cliched yet somehow there are so many realistic moments that will make the readers forget about its predictable climax or a bitter sweet and sexy love story.
The author's writing style is articulate that readers will find it easy to comprehend with. The narrative from this book is funny, poignant and free flowing that will engage the readers into the heart of the story in no time. The pacing of the book sails smoothly just like their cruise without any major bumps or rather say layers, as the story is crystal clear right from the very start.
The characters from the book well etched out with humor and enough realism in their demeanor, nonetheless, the author has projected a diverse and unconventional cast of characters who are so much open about sexual relationships and especially sex, and sometime they make fun of it or make lewd remarks about it. The raw raunchiness in their attitude definitely set them apart from the main character, Maddie, who evolves through out the plot with the burden of grief and losing her grandmother as well as falling in love for the first time. Overall the characters from the grandmother to the uncles to the freakish relatives are all extremely full of life, even though they are honoring the dying wish of the eldest member of the family, yet somehow, they are enjoying every moment in that cruise.
In a nutshell, this is a poignant yet entertaining young adult contemporary story that screams out the message of living live to the fullest without any restrictions, meaning to lead a good life with happiness and laughter.
Verdict: Compelling, heart touching and extremely fulfilling YA contemporary novel.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
June 7, 2016
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this but I decided to pick it up as it sounded unique to anything I've read before, and it definitely was. But I'm still not totally decided on how I felt about it. Some things I enjoyed, others not so much.
I think my favourite part of the whole book was the travel element. I really enjoyed the descriptions of each individual country. I felt as though I was travelling the world with them and loved it!
Despite it being a character driven story, I didn't find myself truly connecting with a lot of the characters. They weren't 'unlikable', I just didn't really warm to them or personally relate to them all that much. I also found the romance to be very rushed, it went from 1-100 within a page and I honestly didn't feel much for it.
There was this slightly cynical and rude humour within the families which was fun and the whole premise surround the idea of the cruise was definitely interesting!
Each individual family had their own unique story which I thought was really sweet, although it did get a little confusing at times when trying to fit each of the many characters to their name and backstory. I think Paige, Lane and Gracie were my favourites, their story was heartbreaking. :')
This was enjoyable enough but on the whole I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.
I think my favourite part of the whole book was the travel element. I really enjoyed the descriptions of each individual country. I felt as though I was travelling the world with them and loved it!
Despite it being a character driven story, I didn't find myself truly connecting with a lot of the characters. They weren't 'unlikable', I just didn't really warm to them or personally relate to them all that much. I also found the romance to be very rushed, it went from 1-100 within a page and I honestly didn't feel much for it.
There was this slightly cynical and rude humour within the families which was fun and the whole premise surround the idea of the cruise was definitely interesting!
Each individual family had their own unique story which I thought was really sweet, although it did get a little confusing at times when trying to fit each of the many characters to their name and backstory. I think Paige, Lane and Gracie were my favourites, their story was heartbreaking. :')
This was enjoyable enough but on the whole I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.
September 9, 2016
Maddie's grandmother has a deadly cancer, so her last wish is to take the entire family on a cruise ship where she can celebrate her life. Maddie's family is living life to the fullest. Jet setting around the world, travelling from the ship to different countries, hiking in volcanoes, swimming in hot springs, eating gelato in Rome, the adventures are endless. But we all know there's going to be an ending, and Maddie herself isn't prepared to say good-bye to her beloved grandmother.
Why would you say this to someone? WHY? head desk
"Maybe you should try exercising once in your life."
I had a bit of a problem with Maddie's bratty personality that I thought would change. What really bothered me was her view on other cultures foods. I don't like how condescending she is when she turns her nose at the Taiwan night market. Just because it's not food she likes doesn't mean it's not good. She clearly has something against Asian food.. "…pastries stuffed with bean paste (the worst dessert ever). They use the word Oriental which is not politically correct. I wished the author would do a little bit more research and be more accountable and respectful to other cultures.
Her family isn't like any family I've read before. They swear at each other, talk openly about their private lives and know everything about their business. But I guess that's what makes them different. It was funny at times, but honestly I don't think the humour needed to be there since the drama was all there. I also had no idea why all these side characters were thrown in.. I liked that they had a bit of exposure, but I also thought it detracted attention from Maddie's story. Unless you count Maddie learning form every single one of these new people. I also thought that their romance was quick.. Two months and it's already I love yous? But okay I went with it.. I loved her family for they're a little kooky in their own way. I don't know how others will find the controversial method of having a cruise ship where people go to end their life, but if there was a thing, I'm sure there will be backlash.
Don't be fooled by the cutesy cover for there are some heavy and depressing scenes to read. The writing is decent, but I found myself growing bored because some scenes would drag on and on and there was too many characters, I kept forgetting who was who and who was sick etc. I did love reading about the families adventures all over the world, and wished they did more. Travelling is a dream!
Pick this one if you're looking for a huge focus on family relationships.. I did grow teary-eyes at certain parts, but that's because I love that her grandmother was just so positive.
RATING 2/5
QUOTES
It's from searing pain that the deepest beauty can sprout. (108)
It's fascinating, actually, what people say when they have nothing left to lose. (158)
My life has been fabulous because I never listened to my parents. (212)
Maybe I have been a brat. Maybe I should think about what other people want, even if it scares the shit out of me. (264)
The pain of losing doesn't get less with each person I lose. But I have the wisdom of knowing the pain isn't forever. That fades. The memories stay. And the love isn't going anywhere. (321)
Why would you say this to someone? WHY? head desk
"Maybe you should try exercising once in your life."
I had a bit of a problem with Maddie's bratty personality that I thought would change. What really bothered me was her view on other cultures foods. I don't like how condescending she is when she turns her nose at the Taiwan night market. Just because it's not food she likes doesn't mean it's not good. She clearly has something against Asian food.. "…pastries stuffed with bean paste (the worst dessert ever). They use the word Oriental which is not politically correct. I wished the author would do a little bit more research and be more accountable and respectful to other cultures.
Her family isn't like any family I've read before. They swear at each other, talk openly about their private lives and know everything about their business. But I guess that's what makes them different. It was funny at times, but honestly I don't think the humour needed to be there since the drama was all there. I also had no idea why all these side characters were thrown in.. I liked that they had a bit of exposure, but I also thought it detracted attention from Maddie's story. Unless you count Maddie learning form every single one of these new people. I also thought that their romance was quick.. Two months and it's already I love yous? But okay I went with it.. I loved her family for they're a little kooky in their own way. I don't know how others will find the controversial method of having a cruise ship where people go to end their life, but if there was a thing, I'm sure there will be backlash.
Don't be fooled by the cutesy cover for there are some heavy and depressing scenes to read. The writing is decent, but I found myself growing bored because some scenes would drag on and on and there was too many characters, I kept forgetting who was who and who was sick etc. I did love reading about the families adventures all over the world, and wished they did more. Travelling is a dream!
Pick this one if you're looking for a huge focus on family relationships.. I did grow teary-eyes at certain parts, but that's because I love that her grandmother was just so positive.
RATING 2/5
QUOTES
It's from searing pain that the deepest beauty can sprout. (108)
It's fascinating, actually, what people say when they have nothing left to lose. (158)
My life has been fabulous because I never listened to my parents. (212)
Maybe I have been a brat. Maybe I should think about what other people want, even if it scares the shit out of me. (264)
The pain of losing doesn't get less with each person I lose. But I have the wisdom of knowing the pain isn't forever. That fades. The memories stay. And the love isn't going anywhere. (321)
September 29, 2015
The written word is almost as important to me as breathing, so I am a voracious reader. It is astounding to me that The Loose Ends List is a first novel from Carrie Firestone. The plot is unique and made me conclude that booking one's family on a "death with dignity cruise ship and leaving the world in one's own unique way" is a wonderful way to deal with impending death. I have experienced the loss, pain, emotional agony, and difficulty of witnessing death as I lost my father and my little sister to that serial killer, Cancer. When my mother died of an unexpected heart attack, leaving me "an orphan," I couldn't express how bereft I was; the right words weren't within my grasp. Firestone captured the feelings perfectly, as if death were a common companion in her life. As Maddie the narrator explains toward the end of the book, even though she's glad to be home, "it all feels smaller, or I feel bigger, like I'm squeezing into something that will never quite fit again. " Like Maddie, I know it never will.
Loose Ends' characters are unforgettable. I found myself rooting for the grandmother, Astrid, who became my hero with her strength and attitude toward her own impending death. She dictates orders for her family like a drill sergeant on this voyage. Astrid insists early on during the cruise , "As we go off on our adventures, no pining away. When you live inside each moment, it's hard to have regrets." She concludes by demanding," Now sit up straight ..you look like a pack of hunchbacks at a pity party. " The narrator and heroine is Maddie, and we share her grief, her love, her fears, and her strength as she grapples with the "expiration dates" of people she loves more than life, but also of those she meets on the cruise. We both learn and suffer along with her on this incredible journey.
The themes in the book are universal and most of these are expressed by Astrid. She instructs her grandchildren to respect all the patients on the cruise and informs them that it is not their place to judge the dying or the decisions they make on this last voyage. Her no nonsense way of dealing with these tough issues is inspirational; as she says early on in the book, it is possible in life to take the pain and make something beautiful out of it.
Firestone's novel is filled with fresh and clever language, and the characters' sometimes irreverent dialogue and actions made me both laugh out loud and shed some tears. Furthermore, it made me think about what kind of cruise I would want to be on if I knew my end were near. As I always told my high school English students, if a piece of writing affects you in some way, and makes you think, it's great.
Firestone perfectly captures how experiencing death intensifies family closeness. The Loose Ends List has great appeal to all ages.
I received this ARC in exchange for writing an honest review.
Loose Ends' characters are unforgettable. I found myself rooting for the grandmother, Astrid, who became my hero with her strength and attitude toward her own impending death. She dictates orders for her family like a drill sergeant on this voyage. Astrid insists early on during the cruise , "As we go off on our adventures, no pining away. When you live inside each moment, it's hard to have regrets." She concludes by demanding," Now sit up straight ..you look like a pack of hunchbacks at a pity party. " The narrator and heroine is Maddie, and we share her grief, her love, her fears, and her strength as she grapples with the "expiration dates" of people she loves more than life, but also of those she meets on the cruise. We both learn and suffer along with her on this incredible journey.
The themes in the book are universal and most of these are expressed by Astrid. She instructs her grandchildren to respect all the patients on the cruise and informs them that it is not their place to judge the dying or the decisions they make on this last voyage. Her no nonsense way of dealing with these tough issues is inspirational; as she says early on in the book, it is possible in life to take the pain and make something beautiful out of it.
Firestone's novel is filled with fresh and clever language, and the characters' sometimes irreverent dialogue and actions made me both laugh out loud and shed some tears. Furthermore, it made me think about what kind of cruise I would want to be on if I knew my end were near. As I always told my high school English students, if a piece of writing affects you in some way, and makes you think, it's great.
Firestone perfectly captures how experiencing death intensifies family closeness. The Loose Ends List has great appeal to all ages.
I received this ARC in exchange for writing an honest review.
August 21, 2016
“The pain of losing doesn't get less with each person I lose. But I have the wisdom of knowing the pain isn't forever. That fades. The memories stay. And the love isn't going anywhere.”
This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and then make you laugh some more. It was the perfect about of happiness, seriousness, and sadness to get you through what you know will be an inevitably sad book.
Maddie planned on spending the few months before going away to college checking off everything on her "Loose Ends List" and making the most out of her summer, but what she didn't know is that her grandmother had plans for her and her family. Astrid North O'Neill, is the grandmother we all need in our lives. She was loving and brutally honest when it came to just about everything, but unfortunately she was dying. Instead of spending the little remaining time of her life stuck in a hospital she went and packed up her and her family and took them on a "death with dignity" cruise. I absolutely loved the idea of this book.
Throughout the book you get to meet Maddie's crazy and eccentric family from her parents and brother, to her gay uncles, to her crazy cousin's and aunts, as well as the other families on board the cruise. Without them this story would have felt so incomplete and every singe family member/guest made the whole story so worthwhile.
Reading how happy the family was together and their wild adventures (seriously wild, I mean, who wears a thong on the beach with their grandmother?!?!?) almost makes you forget that this is also a sad story. When Maddie receives the message from her grandmother that it's time, it makes you feel almost as though you (the reader) are also losing someone close to you, because that's how close the author made you feel to this family. I loved how the not only did you see the good and bad times, but you also saw the family pick each other back up while they were all grieving. It was such a nice twist to a book about dying, because it shows us that it's okay not to be okay, but at the same time we need to make the most out of this limited time we have in this world.
This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and then make you laugh some more. It was the perfect about of happiness, seriousness, and sadness to get you through what you know will be an inevitably sad book.
Maddie planned on spending the few months before going away to college checking off everything on her "Loose Ends List" and making the most out of her summer, but what she didn't know is that her grandmother had plans for her and her family. Astrid North O'Neill, is the grandmother we all need in our lives. She was loving and brutally honest when it came to just about everything, but unfortunately she was dying. Instead of spending the little remaining time of her life stuck in a hospital she went and packed up her and her family and took them on a "death with dignity" cruise. I absolutely loved the idea of this book.
Throughout the book you get to meet Maddie's crazy and eccentric family from her parents and brother, to her gay uncles, to her crazy cousin's and aunts, as well as the other families on board the cruise. Without them this story would have felt so incomplete and every singe family member/guest made the whole story so worthwhile.
Reading how happy the family was together and their wild adventures (seriously wild, I mean, who wears a thong on the beach with their grandmother?!?!?) almost makes you forget that this is also a sad story. When Maddie receives the message from her grandmother that it's time, it makes you feel almost as though you (the reader) are also losing someone close to you, because that's how close the author made you feel to this family. I loved how the not only did you see the good and bad times, but you also saw the family pick each other back up while they were all grieving. It was such a nice twist to a book about dying, because it shows us that it's okay not to be okay, but at the same time we need to make the most out of this limited time we have in this world.
September 25, 2015
I received a copy of The Loose Ends List in exchange for an honest review. Maddie is expecting her usual summer of swimming at the country club and partying with her friends. Attending college in New York City in the fall, Maddie expects to use her grandmother's apartment as a place to find respite (and fun!) when she needs a break from college life. Two weeks before graduation, Maddie's life and plans are shaken up when her beloved Gram announces to the extended family that she is terminally ill. Not only that, but Gram is expecting the entire family to join her on a special summer-long cruise on The Wishwell, a ship that caters to terminally ill people and their families. Maddie learns things about her multi-generational family and about herself during the summer adventure. She learns that before she and Gram can move on to the next chapter of life that sometimes you have to clear up a few loose ends.
The author (stepdaughter of my friend and teaching colleague Kay Lenarcic) has created a very interesting story line and characters. All of the characters (both major and minor) are fully fleshed out and have the quirks, flaws, and humanity of real people. To use a cliche, you will laugh and you will cry when reading this book (but mostly laugh). I enjoyed it immensely and look forward with anticipation to the next offering from Carrie Firestone.
This book will be published by Brown, Little and Company in June 2016. You can pre-order it soon on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites. The author's website is Carriefirestoneauthor.com. What are you waiting for? Go pre-order it!!
The author (stepdaughter of my friend and teaching colleague Kay Lenarcic) has created a very interesting story line and characters. All of the characters (both major and minor) are fully fleshed out and have the quirks, flaws, and humanity of real people. To use a cliche, you will laugh and you will cry when reading this book (but mostly laugh). I enjoyed it immensely and look forward with anticipation to the next offering from Carrie Firestone.
This book will be published by Brown, Little and Company in June 2016. You can pre-order it soon on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites. The author's website is Carriefirestoneauthor.com. What are you waiting for? Go pre-order it!!
September 28, 2015
I received a copy of The Loose Ends List in exchange for an honest review. This is a wonderful debut novel by Carrie Firestone. From beginning to end, I loved every minute of the ride teenager Maddie and her dying grandmother Astrid took me on. Death with dignity, a cruise ship, summer romance, laugh out loud antics and many tears, this book has appeal for all readers. Although the target audience is Young Adults, do yourself a favor . . . read this book and you will start to think about your own loose ends list and also about how you might want to bring your own life to a close. Astrid did it with love, style and class.
August 27, 2016
Probably more like 3.5/5 stars but whatever
VIDEO REVIEW HERE-> https://youtu.be/oSLRrySTTGY
I was right when I predicted that I would cry during this book. I did. Not ugly crying or anything but I won't insult anyone reading this by lying and pretending I didn't shed a tear or two. This book hit me right in the feels. I'm not sure if it's because it resonated with me personally or because it was genuinely sad but still. I'll be reviewing this in more detail on my channel this weekend so stay tuned :)
VIDEO REVIEW HERE-> https://youtu.be/oSLRrySTTGY
I was right when I predicted that I would cry during this book. I did. Not ugly crying or anything but I won't insult anyone reading this by lying and pretending I didn't shed a tear or two. This book hit me right in the feels. I'm not sure if it's because it resonated with me personally or because it was genuinely sad but still. I'll be reviewing this in more detail on my channel this weekend so stay tuned :)
May 26, 2016
Review posted on ItsJaneLindsey. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of those rare instances in which all of the ingredients are right, but the cake isn’t baked properly and thus the end result is an unsatisfying mess. I wanted to read The Loose Ends List because it’s billed as a book about “death with dignity” – when a person decides to end their life in order to relieve pain and suffering, often due to a terminal illness. Euthanasia is still a rather controversial topic, but I was impressed to see it tackled in an upcoming YA novel. I have strong personal opinions regarding this concept, and hoped that The Loose Ends List would do it justice. In terms of how death with dignity was represented, the weight of that choice and its impact upon everyone involved, I thought The Loose Ends List was spectacular. Lots of difficult but necessary conversations happen throughout this book, and I think it’s important to included “hard topics” in young adult literature. However, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t enjoy a single other thing about this book.
As I get older, it’s becoming increasingly clear that I have little natural sympathy for characters of extreme privilege, and an author really needs to work hard for me to care about their problems. The Loose Ends List epically failed in this regard. Our protagonist Maddie comes from an absurdly wealthy family, all of who are forced to go on a death with dignity cruise when their matriarch, Maddie’s Gram, announces she’s dying. I think Firestone intended to write the family as initially unlikable but ultimately a group you’d come to root for, but she utterly failed in the execution. I was continually amazed at how selfish and unbearable these characters were – from Maddie’s hateful aunt to her alcoholic mother to her cousin who’s straight up described as a slut. I mean, seriously. The entire family was simply too much, and written in such a heavy-handed fashion that I couldn’t believe Firestone actually tried to pass this off as a relatable family. No family should be this worried about whether their granddaughter/niece/daughter/cousin is still a virgin.
Maddie was perhaps the worst of them all – an insipid girl whom Firestone strikes with IBS for seemingly no other reason than to include a handful of not-funny remarks about ruined thongs. Maddie’s grandmother is dying, they are on a trip around the world which will culminate in her grandmother being laid to rest, and she falls for a cute boy in the span of a day. This infuriated me. Why, why ruin what could have been a heartfelt, emotional family story with a love story? Young adult books do NOT have to have romance every single time, people. And in this case, Maddie’s whirlwind romance with a boy who sounds like a total loser and shames her for being a virgin insured that by the time Gram died and Maddie was more distraught over losing her boyfriend, I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for a single character in that family. The other people on the cruise? Sure, those characters I actually cried for. But I couldn’t stand the family at the heart of this story, and that ultimately ruined any goodwill I harbored towards The Loose Ends List.
This is one of those rare instances in which all of the ingredients are right, but the cake isn’t baked properly and thus the end result is an unsatisfying mess. I wanted to read The Loose Ends List because it’s billed as a book about “death with dignity” – when a person decides to end their life in order to relieve pain and suffering, often due to a terminal illness. Euthanasia is still a rather controversial topic, but I was impressed to see it tackled in an upcoming YA novel. I have strong personal opinions regarding this concept, and hoped that The Loose Ends List would do it justice. In terms of how death with dignity was represented, the weight of that choice and its impact upon everyone involved, I thought The Loose Ends List was spectacular. Lots of difficult but necessary conversations happen throughout this book, and I think it’s important to included “hard topics” in young adult literature. However, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t enjoy a single other thing about this book.
As I get older, it’s becoming increasingly clear that I have little natural sympathy for characters of extreme privilege, and an author really needs to work hard for me to care about their problems. The Loose Ends List epically failed in this regard. Our protagonist Maddie comes from an absurdly wealthy family, all of who are forced to go on a death with dignity cruise when their matriarch, Maddie’s Gram, announces she’s dying. I think Firestone intended to write the family as initially unlikable but ultimately a group you’d come to root for, but she utterly failed in the execution. I was continually amazed at how selfish and unbearable these characters were – from Maddie’s hateful aunt to her alcoholic mother to her cousin who’s straight up described as a slut. I mean, seriously. The entire family was simply too much, and written in such a heavy-handed fashion that I couldn’t believe Firestone actually tried to pass this off as a relatable family. No family should be this worried about whether their granddaughter/niece/daughter/cousin is still a virgin.
Maddie was perhaps the worst of them all – an insipid girl whom Firestone strikes with IBS for seemingly no other reason than to include a handful of not-funny remarks about ruined thongs. Maddie’s grandmother is dying, they are on a trip around the world which will culminate in her grandmother being laid to rest, and she falls for a cute boy in the span of a day. This infuriated me. Why, why ruin what could have been a heartfelt, emotional family story with a love story? Young adult books do NOT have to have romance every single time, people. And in this case, Maddie’s whirlwind romance with a boy who sounds like a total loser and shames her for being a virgin insured that by the time Gram died and Maddie was more distraught over losing her boyfriend, I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for a single character in that family. The other people on the cruise? Sure, those characters I actually cried for. But I couldn’t stand the family at the heart of this story, and that ultimately ruined any goodwill I harbored towards The Loose Ends List.
September 28, 2015
I've always had a problem with death. In fact, over time I've been able to relegate it so far into the back of my mind that it became a non-subject. Then I read Carrie's book. Objectively, it is brilliantly written, replete with characters richly developed and with a clearly defined moral. It will appeal to readers regardless of age. Subjectively, it resolved for me the problem of dealing with my death. When the time comes, I'll have planned my trip on my own Wishwellian and be afforded a final memory of complete bliss with the people I love the most; a memory which will bring me the comfort we would all wish for in the final moments of our lives.
June 24, 2016
This book had so much packed into it that I honestly just feel like I need to re-read it because I'm concerned I might have missed something. And I don't want to have missed anything about this debut. It's strange and bizarrely unique but I can't deny that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Loose Ends List is about a family whose matriarch is dying of cancer. When she decides that her last wish is for her family to join her on a cruise around the world, they are helpless in the face of her disease. Maddie, our protagonist, loves her Gram and it's difficult for her to not only see her health slowly deteriorate, but it's equally hard for her to come to terms with the fact that the other members of the cruise are also dying. For a novel with such a morbid premise, there is a palpable sense of humor underlying these pages. It isn't bogged down by its subject matter but rather it celebrates the life of its characters and I commend Firestone for walking this fine line with aplomb.
Surprisingly, this book is about traveling and discovering new places and putting yourself out there, no matter how much time you have left. It's about family and holding on and learning to forgive and move on. It's about facing your fears and owning who you are, regardless of your sexuality or relationship status. There isn't a lot of friendship drama, here, but Maddie and her cousin are as close as sisters and their evolving relationship passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Maddie's family dynamics, not just with her Gram but with her mother and father and brother, are all sources of thoughtful, remarkable characterization. Her romance with Enzo, the son of the cruise company owner, is deep and heart-breaking, but also open, trusting, and full of growth for both of them. Maddie forces Enzo out of his shell and, in turn, Enzo shows Maddie what a relationship built on equality and trust can be like.
But there is so much more that I loved about this novel. I loved its honest, open conversations about sex. I loved its inclusion of an older generation of characters who we often overlook and like to pretend don’t exist in YA. I loved the difficulty with which Maddie makes bonds with those dying on the cruise ship and has to cope with that grief. There is so much grief, in this book, but there is also so much to be thankful for and to celebrate—Firestone really, truly doesn’t make this a tragedy and for that, I loved it most of all. It’s a really different, unique novel and not everyone will love it, but I certainly did. A re-read is in my future, not to mention a close stalking of Firestone’s future releases. You can bet I’ll be pre-ordering them at the first chance I get.
The Loose Ends List is about a family whose matriarch is dying of cancer. When she decides that her last wish is for her family to join her on a cruise around the world, they are helpless in the face of her disease. Maddie, our protagonist, loves her Gram and it's difficult for her to not only see her health slowly deteriorate, but it's equally hard for her to come to terms with the fact that the other members of the cruise are also dying. For a novel with such a morbid premise, there is a palpable sense of humor underlying these pages. It isn't bogged down by its subject matter but rather it celebrates the life of its characters and I commend Firestone for walking this fine line with aplomb.
Surprisingly, this book is about traveling and discovering new places and putting yourself out there, no matter how much time you have left. It's about family and holding on and learning to forgive and move on. It's about facing your fears and owning who you are, regardless of your sexuality or relationship status. There isn't a lot of friendship drama, here, but Maddie and her cousin are as close as sisters and their evolving relationship passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Maddie's family dynamics, not just with her Gram but with her mother and father and brother, are all sources of thoughtful, remarkable characterization. Her romance with Enzo, the son of the cruise company owner, is deep and heart-breaking, but also open, trusting, and full of growth for both of them. Maddie forces Enzo out of his shell and, in turn, Enzo shows Maddie what a relationship built on equality and trust can be like.
But there is so much more that I loved about this novel. I loved its honest, open conversations about sex. I loved its inclusion of an older generation of characters who we often overlook and like to pretend don’t exist in YA. I loved the difficulty with which Maddie makes bonds with those dying on the cruise ship and has to cope with that grief. There is so much grief, in this book, but there is also so much to be thankful for and to celebrate—Firestone really, truly doesn’t make this a tragedy and for that, I loved it most of all. It’s a really different, unique novel and not everyone will love it, but I certainly did. A re-read is in my future, not to mention a close stalking of Firestone’s future releases. You can bet I’ll be pre-ordering them at the first chance I get.
June 7, 2016
I was really looking forward to The Loose Ends List because I absolutely adore books set on cruises, but, unfortunately, it failed to live up to my expectations.
17-year-old Maddie's fantasy of a perfect summer break is shattered when her grandmother suddenly announces she has cancer. And, instead of getting treatment, her grandmother has decided to take the entire family on a cruise where all the passengers are terminally ill.
Unfortunately, Maddie is an extremely hard character to like. She is selfish, spoiled and only cares about two things: herself and boys. In fact, when she steps on the cruise and sees a hot boy all she can think is:
“I’m so excited. I never thought I’d be hooking up on this trip.”She's so self-absorbed that she doesn't even think about the fact that her grandmother has cancer.
Furthermore, I didn't find Maddie's grandmother to be realistically portrayed. I understand Carrie Firestone wanted to portray her as "hip" and "trendy", but the comments that Maddie's grandmother made felt completely contrived and unrealistic:
“Wow, your breasts are perky.” She squeezes my boob. “Poor Janie inherited my big bosom.”(Reminder: this is a grandmother talking to her granddaughter...)
I found out this morning that the reason Gram keeps disappearing isn’t to bang Bob Johns five times a day, like she claims.Lastly, the romance is filled with instalove. Maddie sees the love interest once and instantly declares that she is "in love with him." The first time they meet, they immediately begin kissing.
Ultimately, the combination of Maddie's selfish character and the instalove just didn't work for me. It's a shame because the concept and the setting had so much raw potential.
October 17, 2015
I was drawn into this book one page 1. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!
May 26, 2018
This book was exactly what I needed right now..full of family and love and death. The story's take on death (A rich grandmother takes her family on a cruise around the world to tie up 'loose ends' and learn to say goodbye), was beautiful. The variety of characters on the cruise ship (half of whom are suffering terminal illnesses and ready to end their lives) are wonderfully unique and inspiring. My only issues - I couldn't stand the main character; yes, she makes good growth and deals with pain and blah blah, but my goodness she is an entitled little twat most of the book. It also made me sad that unless you're uber-rich, most people will never have the opportunity for such a fulfilling and meaningful death. But I guess that's why it's fiction!
November 6, 2015
You know you've read an incredible book when you find yourself missing the characters and wondering what happened to them next. From the underlying lessons and the outrageous characters to amazing adventures, I loved everything about this story. In some parts I felt like a teenager reliving my youth, in others an adult realizing the inevitability of death. I read this quote last week and love it even more now: "You only live once. False. You live every day, you only die once." This book inspires it's readers to truly live each day!
January 9, 2016
The Loose Ends List by my friend Carrie Firestone was a fantastic read! A wonderous journey of a young girl, grandma, and who she meets on a voyage of discovery of life!!!
October 23, 2015
Very engrossing and thought provoking. Could not put it down. This book will be quite appealing to a wide audience.
February 6, 2025
This book was a really sweet way to describe dealing with grief. I really enjoyed it!
August 29, 2020
"There's an unspoken recognition, as if we are bound by unrelenting grief."
October 25, 2019
The Loose Ends List is utterly brilliant! The writing is so descriptive, metaphoric, and beautiful. The premise is original, creative, and so off-the-wall unexpected.
This story jolted me from one feeling to the next so quickly -- like an emotional roller coaster. It actually brought tears to my eyes one moment, and then seconds later, I was laughing out loud! Brilliant!
The characters are amazing! So eclectic, interesting, entertaining, diverse.
Maddie’s thought process is entertaining to follow and her clever comments never ceased to impress me! Maddie’s family is an eclectic mix (“of misfits”) and their family dynamics are hilarious to watch. Along with Maddie and the eccentric Gram, who wants to pass from this life on her own terms, the other characters are equally colorful, right down to Maddie’s description and nicknames for them.
I really felt like I got to know the characters during the course of the story – I got to know and love this interesting, quirky group.
The Loose Ends List is a refreshingly unusual, creative, and wonderful story! It made me cry (tears of sadness and tears of joy) and it made me laugh (constantly)!
The Loose Ends List would make an excellent film!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TJ's Time Travel Tips
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
BUDDY READ: Contemporary/Romance > The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This story jolted me from one feeling to the next so quickly -- like an emotional roller coaster. It actually brought tears to my eyes one moment, and then seconds later, I was laughing out loud! Brilliant!
The characters are amazing! So eclectic, interesting, entertaining, diverse.
Maddie’s thought process is entertaining to follow and her clever comments never ceased to impress me! Maddie’s family is an eclectic mix (“of misfits”) and their family dynamics are hilarious to watch. Along with Maddie and the eccentric Gram, who wants to pass from this life on her own terms, the other characters are equally colorful, right down to Maddie’s description and nicknames for them.
I really felt like I got to know the characters during the course of the story – I got to know and love this interesting, quirky group.
The Loose Ends List is a refreshingly unusual, creative, and wonderful story! It made me cry (tears of sadness and tears of joy) and it made me laugh (constantly)!
The Loose Ends List would make an excellent film!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TJ's Time Travel Tips
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
BUDDY READ: Contemporary/Romance > The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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