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Small Hours
Richard Russo meets Tom Perrotta in this gripping, suspenseful, and gorgeous debut novel about family secrets come to light; "a tinderbox waiting to explode" (Matthew Thomas, New York Times Bestselling author of We Are Not Ourselves. On a day of rising tension, Tom, a news editor, will confront the consequences of an indiscretion that he has tried desperately to hide and that now threatens to undo his family. Helen, a graphic designer who works from home, will be drawn into an escalating conflict with two street-smart teenage girls. Told hour-by-hour over the course of a single day, a husband and wife try to outrun long-buried secrets, sending their lives into chaos.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2017
37 people are currently reading
2063 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Kitses
2 books61 followersJennifer Kitses received an M.Litt from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is a graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School. She is currently an editor for the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality, based at CUNY’s Graduate Center, and previously worked for Bloomberg News, Condé Nast, and Columbia Business School. She grew up in Philadelphia and now lives with her family in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
February 10, 2017
I'd give this 3.5 stars.
Reading this book reminded me of that classic quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke : "What we've got here is failure to communicate."
So many of the issues faced by the characters might only have been avoided if they had spoken up, rather than kept things to themselves, or figured they'd talk about it some other time.
Both Tom and Helen feel their lives are spiraling out of control, but neither has expressed that feeling to the other. At a particularly vulnerable time, they left New York City and moved more than an hour away to a suburb that promised to be the next great destination, but those plans never materialized, and they find themselves in a fairly deserted town in a house that is more than they realistically can afford.
Helen, a freelance graphic designer, is feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of a growing workload and the demands of staying home to care for the couple's twin daughters, Sophie and Ilona. Although they have made friends with the couple across the street, she still feels as if many in the neighborhood judge her, and Tom, and it's starting to make her feel increasingly angry. For reasons she cannot explain, she is edging closer and closer to the desire to inflict physical violence on someone, but she's afraid to utter this aloud or figure out why she feels this way.
Tom, meanwhile, has his own secrets—;one in particular which threatens to topple everything he has. The sheer act of maintaining the façade that everything is fine is taking its toll on him—he is barely sleeping and he is having trouble concentrating, which is particularly troublesome given that he works as an editor on a newswire service. He doesn't realize that Helen notices his inability to focus, but he isn't ready to discuss anything with her.<
Over the course of one day, both will be pushed to their limits. Neither is prepared for what they will face, on what seems like another ordinary day, but it will test everything—their ability to parent, their jobs, their relationships with their peers, and most importantly, their marriage. And while they've seen some of what's on the horizon, most will catch them totally unprepared.
This was an interesting book, a look at a suburban marriage which seems to be imploding, both because of misunderstandings and actual misdeeds, but neither person wants to verbalize what is bothering them. Jennifer Kitses keeps dialing up the suspense, making you wonder just how far she'll push her characters, and what she'll make them face in the end. I kept approaching the story like I would a horror movie, because I wasn't sure just how out-of-hand she'd let things get. (While the book really hinted at the possibility of utter chaos, I was glad things didn't explode that badly.)
Neither character is particularly appealing the day the book takes place, but you can see what they were like when they were at their best. I'll admit, I get frustrated when the events of a book turn more on things that are unsaid, when characters tend to be stoic rather than share what's going on, and while that certainly happened in this book, it didn't seem overly egregious.
I didn't love this as much as I hoped I would, but it was very well-written, and it certainly was suspenseful to an extent. I believe this is Kitses' first novel, so she definitely has a great career ahead of her given how well this was told. I could definitely see this as an interesting movie.
NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Reading this book reminded me of that classic quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke : "What we've got here is failure to communicate."
So many of the issues faced by the characters might only have been avoided if they had spoken up, rather than kept things to themselves, or figured they'd talk about it some other time.
Both Tom and Helen feel their lives are spiraling out of control, but neither has expressed that feeling to the other. At a particularly vulnerable time, they left New York City and moved more than an hour away to a suburb that promised to be the next great destination, but those plans never materialized, and they find themselves in a fairly deserted town in a house that is more than they realistically can afford.
Helen, a freelance graphic designer, is feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of a growing workload and the demands of staying home to care for the couple's twin daughters, Sophie and Ilona. Although they have made friends with the couple across the street, she still feels as if many in the neighborhood judge her, and Tom, and it's starting to make her feel increasingly angry. For reasons she cannot explain, she is edging closer and closer to the desire to inflict physical violence on someone, but she's afraid to utter this aloud or figure out why she feels this way.
Tom, meanwhile, has his own secrets—;one in particular which threatens to topple everything he has. The sheer act of maintaining the façade that everything is fine is taking its toll on him—he is barely sleeping and he is having trouble concentrating, which is particularly troublesome given that he works as an editor on a newswire service. He doesn't realize that Helen notices his inability to focus, but he isn't ready to discuss anything with her.<
Over the course of one day, both will be pushed to their limits. Neither is prepared for what they will face, on what seems like another ordinary day, but it will test everything—their ability to parent, their jobs, their relationships with their peers, and most importantly, their marriage. And while they've seen some of what's on the horizon, most will catch them totally unprepared.
This was an interesting book, a look at a suburban marriage which seems to be imploding, both because of misunderstandings and actual misdeeds, but neither person wants to verbalize what is bothering them. Jennifer Kitses keeps dialing up the suspense, making you wonder just how far she'll push her characters, and what she'll make them face in the end. I kept approaching the story like I would a horror movie, because I wasn't sure just how out-of-hand she'd let things get. (While the book really hinted at the possibility of utter chaos, I was glad things didn't explode that badly.)
Neither character is particularly appealing the day the book takes place, but you can see what they were like when they were at their best. I'll admit, I get frustrated when the events of a book turn more on things that are unsaid, when characters tend to be stoic rather than share what's going on, and while that certainly happened in this book, it didn't seem overly egregious.
I didn't love this as much as I hoped I would, but it was very well-written, and it certainly was suspenseful to an extent. I believe this is Kitses' first novel, so she definitely has a great career ahead of her given how well this was told. I could definitely see this as an interesting movie.
NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
April 30, 2017
4★
Ooooo sometimes I just wanted to shake these people and say WAKE UP! A youngish couple with twin three-year old daughters are living in Devon -"ninety-five minutes to Grand Central. A former mill town, now an exurb, as their real estate agent put it. "
The action in the story takes place over the course of a single day, but the flashbacks and memories are what gradually let us see how they got into a situation between a rock and a hard place.
Tom and Helen. Both had good jobs in the city, Helen wanted a baby, Tom wanted Helen to be happy .
Tom edits science stories for the wire services and is hoping to hang onto his job as staff are being shed around him. He was good mates with his gorgeous boss, and she seemed keen to keep him around. Meanwhile, Helen is a graphic designer, but as her work was disappearing, her boss suggested she could freelance for him from home – the new home, that is.
So that’s where we find them, in the not-very-flash, paid-too-much-for-it house which is a long commute to the city for Tom. It’s also a can’t-afford-the-mortgage-now home, and the twins take up time, effort and whatever modicum of energy is left after all the other stress. Helen wanted a real house in a town to remind her of how she grew up. Tom starts missing his own youth.
Next door, Tom sees
“the old Chevy Nova that belonged to Nick’s girlfriend. There was a crumpled takout bag in the passenger seat and a pack of cigarettes on the dashboard.
Tom had once had a ’73 Nova. He’d loved that car.
Of course, that was a lifetime ago. He unlocked the secondhand Ford Taurus wagon he’d bought when they moved out here. The girls climbed into the back. As he buckled them into their car seats, he gave them his brightest, most enthusiastic smile.”
He’s struggling, slips, struggles some more. He gets himself so tangled up that it’s hard to see what might happen next.
“At times it seemed like he spent his days moving along a grid, trying to stay inside the lines as best as he could, determined not to mess up, not to let anyone down.”
Meanwhile, Helen is juggling work (pretty much 24/7 from home), bills, maxed-out credit cards, pre-school, household, and Tom keeps crazy hours. She looks next door, too, wanting to confide in the older musician next door who seems to understand her, and his son, whose girlfriend, the Nova driver, supplies Helen with a bit of babysitting and the occasional therapeutic smoke. She misses her youth, too.
Both Tom and Helen hanker for freedom (but adore their kids, of course). Helen runs to burn off her frustration, but it’s building up.
“Some days the smallest incidents would trigger a burning in her stomach. It was like she’d waited her whole life to get angry.”
She has an uncomfortable confrontation with a pair of teen-aged girls at the park with her kids, and it scares her. There are streets she won’t run on. She’s not feeling safe now in the house they can’t afford.
“Her body seemed to ache in recognition of what was becoming impossible to ignore. She was losing control. Making bad decisions. All that slow-burning anger she’d felt these last few years was finally coming to a boil.”
A good read. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted, so quotes may change.
Ooooo sometimes I just wanted to shake these people and say WAKE UP! A youngish couple with twin three-year old daughters are living in Devon -"ninety-five minutes to Grand Central. A former mill town, now an exurb, as their real estate agent put it. "
The action in the story takes place over the course of a single day, but the flashbacks and memories are what gradually let us see how they got into a situation between a rock and a hard place.
Tom and Helen. Both had good jobs in the city, Helen wanted a baby, Tom wanted Helen to be happy .
Tom edits science stories for the wire services and is hoping to hang onto his job as staff are being shed around him. He was good mates with his gorgeous boss, and she seemed keen to keep him around. Meanwhile, Helen is a graphic designer, but as her work was disappearing, her boss suggested she could freelance for him from home – the new home, that is.
So that’s where we find them, in the not-very-flash, paid-too-much-for-it house which is a long commute to the city for Tom. It’s also a can’t-afford-the-mortgage-now home, and the twins take up time, effort and whatever modicum of energy is left after all the other stress. Helen wanted a real house in a town to remind her of how she grew up. Tom starts missing his own youth.
Next door, Tom sees
“the old Chevy Nova that belonged to Nick’s girlfriend. There was a crumpled takout bag in the passenger seat and a pack of cigarettes on the dashboard.
Tom had once had a ’73 Nova. He’d loved that car.
Of course, that was a lifetime ago. He unlocked the secondhand Ford Taurus wagon he’d bought when they moved out here. The girls climbed into the back. As he buckled them into their car seats, he gave them his brightest, most enthusiastic smile.”
He’s struggling, slips, struggles some more. He gets himself so tangled up that it’s hard to see what might happen next.
“At times it seemed like he spent his days moving along a grid, trying to stay inside the lines as best as he could, determined not to mess up, not to let anyone down.”
Meanwhile, Helen is juggling work (pretty much 24/7 from home), bills, maxed-out credit cards, pre-school, household, and Tom keeps crazy hours. She looks next door, too, wanting to confide in the older musician next door who seems to understand her, and his son, whose girlfriend, the Nova driver, supplies Helen with a bit of babysitting and the occasional therapeutic smoke. She misses her youth, too.
Both Tom and Helen hanker for freedom (but adore their kids, of course). Helen runs to burn off her frustration, but it’s building up.
“Some days the smallest incidents would trigger a burning in her stomach. It was like she’d waited her whole life to get angry.”
She has an uncomfortable confrontation with a pair of teen-aged girls at the park with her kids, and it scares her. There are streets she won’t run on. She’s not feeling safe now in the house they can’t afford.
“Her body seemed to ache in recognition of what was becoming impossible to ignore. She was losing control. Making bad decisions. All that slow-burning anger she’d felt these last few years was finally coming to a boil.”
A good read. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted, so quotes may change.
June 8, 2017
Look on the surface and you see a typical suburban family. Tom and Helen have moved 90 minutes out of New York city where Tom works to afford a home for their now family of four. The twins, Sophia and Ilona are three years old and attend a morning daycare so their mom can get a bit of time to work out and meet her deadlines as a freelance graphic designer. Sounds like this is going to be another dull day in suburbia. Anything but.
Scratch the surface and you find Tom is not sleeping well. Pressures at work, the daily commute and secrets he's keeping from his wife are eating away at him. Helen is stressed to the max. She appears to have anger issues, is struggling to juggle motherhood and a demanding career filled with deadlines. She is maxing out credit cards to maintain their suburban dream. Trouble is, the town she insisted they move to is not the Shangri-La she had hoped it would be. And Tom seems to be preoccupied with worries of his own.
Failure to communicate is only the beginning. We spend twenty-four hours with this couple and witness a family crisis which has taken months (years) to create. Exhaustion on the part of the couple leads to some terrible decisions. So terrible the reader can hardly watch, and hardly look away. It’s a train wreck, no question.
I can’t say I liked either of our mains in this one. They truly are their own worst enemies. I almost packed it in at 80% as I could not see anyone coming to their senses any time soon. The final and abrupt ending was a surprise but satisfying.
Impressive debut. A well written book which holds you captive so you can’t look away.
3.5 stars
Scratch the surface and you find Tom is not sleeping well. Pressures at work, the daily commute and secrets he's keeping from his wife are eating away at him. Helen is stressed to the max. She appears to have anger issues, is struggling to juggle motherhood and a demanding career filled with deadlines. She is maxing out credit cards to maintain their suburban dream. Trouble is, the town she insisted they move to is not the Shangri-La she had hoped it would be. And Tom seems to be preoccupied with worries of his own.
Failure to communicate is only the beginning. We spend twenty-four hours with this couple and witness a family crisis which has taken months (years) to create. Exhaustion on the part of the couple leads to some terrible decisions. So terrible the reader can hardly watch, and hardly look away. It’s a train wreck, no question.
I can’t say I liked either of our mains in this one. They truly are their own worst enemies. I almost packed it in at 80% as I could not see anyone coming to their senses any time soon. The final and abrupt ending was a surprise but satisfying.
Impressive debut. A well written book which holds you captive so you can’t look away.
3.5 stars
May 2, 2017
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)
Pub Date: 13 Jun 2017 Small Hours
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
I chose to read and review this book since it is being pegged as the writing is in a Richard Russo and Tom Perrotta style. I beg to differ. These are two of my favorite authors and I just did not see it. The only similarities I could find are that “Small Hours” written by Jenifer Kitses, evokes a sense of place, and money, or lack of it, in the blue collar world of upstate New York. The protagonists are in their early forties with twin three-year-old daughters. Like many city couples, they buy a home in the suburbs that they really cannot afford. Unfortunately for them, they bought the house at the height of the market. When they realize that their new neighborhood has a seedy side, obviously little research went into the buying, it is now too late to sell for it would be at a loss. So the wife, who works from home, is surrounded by those she would rather not have to interact with, her own neighbors.
The story is told in a span of one day, hour by hour, minute by minute using a James Joyce Ulysses format. If you think you ever had a bad 24 hours read this story and it will no longer seem so bad. The narration alternates between the husband’s and the wife’s point of view. Neither knows that the other is on the verge of getting fired. They both have been severely distracted and not at their best work wise (actually anywise). The tale almost reads like a suspense story with the tick, tick, ticking of how many more work related, phone calls, emails, and deadlines they are each avoiding. Both are stalling with their answers to their perspective employers. But, Kitses plays this sort of suspense hand one too many times for her readers. Three-quarters through, I was hoping that the damn clock would just break already and get it over with. Both are also hiding a secret from the other (other than their soon-to-be- unemployed status). I think the author was going for more of a “Desperate Hours” theme rather than a “Small Hours” one, either way, she lost me. Having a book’s plot take place in a 24-hour period is not unheard of there are quite a few out there. The classic novel “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf is one of them. Or a more contemporary example is “Everything Happens Today” by Jesse Browner, these were thought provoking novels with fascinating characters. I am afraid that Kitses’s perpetually frenzied married couple simply were not.
Find all my reviews at https://books6259.wordpress.com/
Pub Date: 13 Jun 2017 Small Hours
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
I chose to read and review this book since it is being pegged as the writing is in a Richard Russo and Tom Perrotta style. I beg to differ. These are two of my favorite authors and I just did not see it. The only similarities I could find are that “Small Hours” written by Jenifer Kitses, evokes a sense of place, and money, or lack of it, in the blue collar world of upstate New York. The protagonists are in their early forties with twin three-year-old daughters. Like many city couples, they buy a home in the suburbs that they really cannot afford. Unfortunately for them, they bought the house at the height of the market. When they realize that their new neighborhood has a seedy side, obviously little research went into the buying, it is now too late to sell for it would be at a loss. So the wife, who works from home, is surrounded by those she would rather not have to interact with, her own neighbors.
The story is told in a span of one day, hour by hour, minute by minute using a James Joyce Ulysses format. If you think you ever had a bad 24 hours read this story and it will no longer seem so bad. The narration alternates between the husband’s and the wife’s point of view. Neither knows that the other is on the verge of getting fired. They both have been severely distracted and not at their best work wise (actually anywise). The tale almost reads like a suspense story with the tick, tick, ticking of how many more work related, phone calls, emails, and deadlines they are each avoiding. Both are stalling with their answers to their perspective employers. But, Kitses plays this sort of suspense hand one too many times for her readers. Three-quarters through, I was hoping that the damn clock would just break already and get it over with. Both are also hiding a secret from the other (other than their soon-to-be- unemployed status). I think the author was going for more of a “Desperate Hours” theme rather than a “Small Hours” one, either way, she lost me. Having a book’s plot take place in a 24-hour period is not unheard of there are quite a few out there. The classic novel “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf is one of them. Or a more contemporary example is “Everything Happens Today” by Jesse Browner, these were thought provoking novels with fascinating characters. I am afraid that Kitses’s perpetually frenzied married couple simply were not.
Find all my reviews at https://books6259.wordpress.com/
May 29, 2017
The entire book covers 24 hours in the marriage of Tom and Helen. They are the parents of three-year-old twins and have recently moved from Queens to a small town on the Hudson River. Helen is working from home and is finding it stressful finding enough time to manage work, home and children. Tom commutes to his job at a news wire service. They have come into some financial difficulties and have been less than honest and upfront with each other so things start to unravel.
This is one of those books where everyday events can lead to a powerful punch. The author expertly rackets up the suspense as Tom and Helen’s day proceeds. I’ve been trying not to rely too much on advertising blurbs and comparisons but I think the publisher’s comparisons to Richard Russo and Tom Perrotta are very close. I cared about Tom and Helen and I kept wishing they would just sit down and talk things out instead of trying to handle their difficulties on their own. It was obvious they cared about each other. The suspense comes into play because you’re just not sure how far the author is going to take the story and you can only sit and watch in dread as the hours go by. I found Tom and Helen’s story to be realistic and believable and I very much enjoyed the time spent with them.
I did find the section involving Tom’s work place to be a bit slow and that was my least favorite part of the book, though at times it was humorous. Maybe that’s because I’m retired and really don’t want to spend any time at “work”, even in a book. I could certainly feel Tom’s frustration there.
This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very interested to see where she heads next.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
This is one of those books where everyday events can lead to a powerful punch. The author expertly rackets up the suspense as Tom and Helen’s day proceeds. I’ve been trying not to rely too much on advertising blurbs and comparisons but I think the publisher’s comparisons to Richard Russo and Tom Perrotta are very close. I cared about Tom and Helen and I kept wishing they would just sit down and talk things out instead of trying to handle their difficulties on their own. It was obvious they cared about each other. The suspense comes into play because you’re just not sure how far the author is going to take the story and you can only sit and watch in dread as the hours go by. I found Tom and Helen’s story to be realistic and believable and I very much enjoyed the time spent with them.
I did find the section involving Tom’s work place to be a bit slow and that was my least favorite part of the book, though at times it was humorous. Maybe that’s because I’m retired and really don’t want to spend any time at “work”, even in a book. I could certainly feel Tom’s frustration there.
This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very interested to see where she heads next.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
February 9, 2017
Small Hours
By
Jennifer Kitses
What I knew about this book before I read it...
Hmmm...I knew that I was going to love this book. I loved the cover, I loved the story summary and I loved not loving the two main characters...Tom and Helen.
My thoughts after reading this book...
What was so interesting about this book was that it took place in the timespan of one day. What also made this book so fascinating was the way the day of this married couple just continued to misfire.
What I loved about this book...
I loved reading about the dysfunctional choices of this couple...choices I could not imagine making in a million years.
What I did not love about this book...
As much as I loved the book...I did not love the characters. They were maddening as well as frustrating. This made this book an absolute page turner for me!
Final thoughts about this book...
If you love page turners with quirky irritating characters...this is a good book to choose!
By
Jennifer Kitses
What I knew about this book before I read it...
Hmmm...I knew that I was going to love this book. I loved the cover, I loved the story summary and I loved not loving the two main characters...Tom and Helen.
My thoughts after reading this book...
What was so interesting about this book was that it took place in the timespan of one day. What also made this book so fascinating was the way the day of this married couple just continued to misfire.
What I loved about this book...
I loved reading about the dysfunctional choices of this couple...choices I could not imagine making in a million years.
What I did not love about this book...
As much as I loved the book...I did not love the characters. They were maddening as well as frustrating. This made this book an absolute page turner for me!
Final thoughts about this book...
If you love page turners with quirky irritating characters...this is a good book to choose!
April 2, 2017
Really loved this book! This story of a single day in a troubled marriage takes us through the familial, domestic, and career challenges a husband and wife face. Each has secrets—some minor and some, very, very major—and the way Jennifer Kitses has the two characters/storylines circle around each other and ultimately mesh together is absolutely effective. Throughout the book, Kitses does an amazing job of ratcheting up the stakes and the tension. It's compulsively readable and hard to put down. Definitely recommended.
March 19, 2017
If you think you've had a rough or even a bad day, think again. Helen and Tom, from whose perspectives this novel is narrated, are a married couple living in a suburb of New York. They have twin girls, three years old. Helen works from home doing graphic design. Tom works in a newsroom, supposedly as an editor, but more like a flunky. Both are part of the rat race and are struggling to make ends meet. They are so far in debt that Helen has to lie to her daughters' pre-school about how she plans to pay their bill. She takes care of the household bills and one credit card after another has been maxed out.
Tom has been acting unfocused lately, almost dissociative. He stares out of the window at nothing and makes too many mistakes at work. Helen knows he had a little fling a while ago and even joked with him about it, telling him that a divorce would be too expensive.
The book covers one day in both of their lives, going back and forth between Helen and Tom's perspectives, and the situation keeps going from bad to worse. Helen has an anger problem and while she is walking her daughters in their stroller, she has words with two teenaged girls who are not the kind of people one wants to mess with unless they're ready for retaliation. Tom feels like he's sinking. He's trying to cover a secret life and keeps making more and more mess-up
s at work. His bosses are not the friendly sort and he expects to have to face up to things shortly.
The house they purchased at the height of the market, before real estate sank, is looking uncared for and they are now considered "one of those neighbors". How will all of this play out? It is a book I couldn't but down, readable to the max. I just had some little issues with the context surrounding this one day. But perhaps that's unfair. This is a microcosmic look at two lives during a 24 hour period, and while I felt like a voyeur, I had a lot of fun devouring the novel.
Tom has been acting unfocused lately, almost dissociative. He stares out of the window at nothing and makes too many mistakes at work. Helen knows he had a little fling a while ago and even joked with him about it, telling him that a divorce would be too expensive.
The book covers one day in both of their lives, going back and forth between Helen and Tom's perspectives, and the situation keeps going from bad to worse. Helen has an anger problem and while she is walking her daughters in their stroller, she has words with two teenaged girls who are not the kind of people one wants to mess with unless they're ready for retaliation. Tom feels like he's sinking. He's trying to cover a secret life and keeps making more and more mess-up
s at work. His bosses are not the friendly sort and he expects to have to face up to things shortly.
The house they purchased at the height of the market, before real estate sank, is looking uncared for and they are now considered "one of those neighbors". How will all of this play out? It is a book I couldn't but down, readable to the max. I just had some little issues with the context surrounding this one day. But perhaps that's unfair. This is a microcosmic look at two lives during a 24 hour period, and while I felt like a voyeur, I had a lot of fun devouring the novel.
July 21, 2017
This book is about non-communicating adults way, way past the age when they should know better than to proceed with at least 5 different categories of their modern "norm" situations.
Not just economically, work-wise, within their own identity strengths, or in their tendency to amoral or immoral rationalizing, but most of all and foremost in their duplicity of phony-baloney quotients posturing. Mostly to each other (their marriage spouse), on top of it.
They are the kind of people, if you are a team supervisor, or middle management, that you try to get transferred out of your department ASAP. Hapless, helpless, and in every other moment blank eyed distracted.
I got to page 200 only because of the twins and as I had nothing else to read being quite distant within nature and due to return to the land of tech and multiple read choices in just another day. But I still quit it eventually and went to watch the male swan kicking out his almost grown male offspring that wouldn't get the earlier and much less violent message. Almost as painful to watch despite the gorgeous sunset.
You have to love the angst and competition of intensely programmed big city East (USA) pecking order and "hip" marriage spoils to enjoy this one more than a 3, IMHO. The writing itself was ok in spots and then would tip over to melodramatic chick lit. boohoo in others.
Not just economically, work-wise, within their own identity strengths, or in their tendency to amoral or immoral rationalizing, but most of all and foremost in their duplicity of phony-baloney quotients posturing. Mostly to each other (their marriage spouse), on top of it.
They are the kind of people, if you are a team supervisor, or middle management, that you try to get transferred out of your department ASAP. Hapless, helpless, and in every other moment blank eyed distracted.
I got to page 200 only because of the twins and as I had nothing else to read being quite distant within nature and due to return to the land of tech and multiple read choices in just another day. But I still quit it eventually and went to watch the male swan kicking out his almost grown male offspring that wouldn't get the earlier and much less violent message. Almost as painful to watch despite the gorgeous sunset.
You have to love the angst and competition of intensely programmed big city East (USA) pecking order and "hip" marriage spoils to enjoy this one more than a 3, IMHO. The writing itself was ok in spots and then would tip over to melodramatic chick lit. boohoo in others.
August 19, 2017
WARNING! THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU ANXIOUS. It was hella stressful! I found myself so a;lskdfjal;sdk a lot of the time, forreal. But I did enjoy it v much and it takes place over the course of a single (really, really bad) day (for both of them) which I loved and loved..it taking place over those small 24 hours...I preferred one POV over the other but I don't really want to say which one bc...well just bc. And I could clearly see everything/the characters/all that happened in my head which I also love when I read a book. Goes w/o saying right, but doesn't always happen! I'd like to read what Kitses writes next. She nailed this. Domesticity, marriage, parenting, the worst decisions ever, the anger and stress and desire to just...break free and wipe the slate clean and move....on. Def had some Perrotta vibes to it, but in a fresh way. I understood both main characters' longing and desire to be like...better ppl...better humans...better spouses...better parents...imo that was the heartbeat of the novel thumping on every page.
June 15, 2017
Just was not for me. The plot, the characters, the style, nothing about the story made me care about what was happening. In fact, the longer I read, the more I disliked it. I could not stand the characters, particularly Tom. I have no understanding of why people continued to help him throughout the book when he seemed to give nothing in return. If I had not agreed to write a review, I would have stopped early into it and not posted about it. However, I do seem to be the outlier here though so it could just be me.
Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Grand Central Publishing, and the author Jennifer Kitses for the opportunity to do so.
Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Grand Central Publishing, and the author Jennifer Kitses for the opportunity to do so.
March 28, 2017
Ugh. How irritating! This is the first time I've ever had this experience. This is a book that I both loved and hated at the same time. The rating has to be an average of my feelings, I can only give it a 2 star = it was OK.
The good:
I got this as a review copy and I never read the blurbs on the back so I actually didn't remember what kind of genre I picked this from, whether it was a mystery, thriller or something else.
The writing was easy to read and follow. I got into it right away. I liked this book because of the characters. They were likeable despite the circumstance they were in. The author did a great job of filling in their lives. Their jobs, their neighbors, the kids were all well written and it was all very pleasant following along. Especially the characters surrounding the husband were all 3 dimensional and full of life. I was well prepared to give this book 5 stars when about 1/2 way or more though the book...
Spoilers start here and don't end...
... I was wondering what kind of book this was. I knew it wasn't going to be a thriller because nothing had happened and it wasn't a romance, so it was literature genre book. As the book neared its end I was wondering how the book would be tied up as there weren't many pages left. As I got closer and closer to the end I mentally got ready for a non-ending. And that's what it turned out to be. The book was basically cut off as if the editor required the script, even unfinished. I hated the end.
Therefore 0 stars for the ending and I liked it a lot for the beginning. I give it a 2 star. I got this book as a free review copy.
The good:
I got this as a review copy and I never read the blurbs on the back so I actually didn't remember what kind of genre I picked this from, whether it was a mystery, thriller or something else.
The writing was easy to read and follow. I got into it right away. I liked this book because of the characters. They were likeable despite the circumstance they were in. The author did a great job of filling in their lives. Their jobs, their neighbors, the kids were all well written and it was all very pleasant following along. Especially the characters surrounding the husband were all 3 dimensional and full of life. I was well prepared to give this book 5 stars when about 1/2 way or more though the book...
Spoilers start here and don't end...
... I was wondering what kind of book this was. I knew it wasn't going to be a thriller because nothing had happened and it wasn't a romance, so it was literature genre book. As the book neared its end I was wondering how the book would be tied up as there weren't many pages left. As I got closer and closer to the end I mentally got ready for a non-ending. And that's what it turned out to be. The book was basically cut off as if the editor required the script, even unfinished. I hated the end.
Therefore 0 stars for the ending and I liked it a lot for the beginning. I give it a 2 star. I got this book as a free review copy.
March 29, 2017
This story takes place during 24 hours in the lives of a married couple, desperately trying to survive a floundering economy as well as a stressful marriage.
Tom and Helen move to the Hudson Valley from Queens, hoping it will be more affordable for them., and a better place to raise their twin daughters. Unfortunately their lives unravel and become chaotic
as their secrets emerge.
The narration by both Tom and Helen, describes their lives during the course of a day. Tom has a totally secret life that he hides, while trying to keep his job. Helen has issues of her own as she tries to work and take care of her two small children. The marriage is suffering with little communication between the two as they try and cope with events that are beyond their control. Everything comes to a head at the end of the day, when secrets unravel and reality must be dealt with.
I enjoyed reading this book and following the characters on their downward journey. Their struggles will give the reader an insight into the financial and emotional struggles of two working parents.
Highly recommended!!
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Tom and Helen move to the Hudson Valley from Queens, hoping it will be more affordable for them., and a better place to raise their twin daughters. Unfortunately their lives unravel and become chaotic
as their secrets emerge.
The narration by both Tom and Helen, describes their lives during the course of a day. Tom has a totally secret life that he hides, while trying to keep his job. Helen has issues of her own as she tries to work and take care of her two small children. The marriage is suffering with little communication between the two as they try and cope with events that are beyond their control. Everything comes to a head at the end of the day, when secrets unravel and reality must be dealt with.
I enjoyed reading this book and following the characters on their downward journey. Their struggles will give the reader an insight into the financial and emotional struggles of two working parents.
Highly recommended!!
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2017
I don't often find a novel that speaks so vividly to modern life without any pretension or cutesiness or cliches whatsoever and is such a suspenseful read. Tom and Helen are suffering the downturns of the New York City life, as the media crumbles after a long recession and leaves young parents who thought they could make a living grasping frantically at straws. The stress of no longer having safe careers is unbearable when there's a mortgage and young children at stake, and this is what Small Hours captures but with subtlety. Sexual desire and emotional loyalty are casualties in such a situation, with fear and rage taking over. The characters are well drawn and the contrast between city and suburb is acutely observed. I turned pages without being able to stop as dread mounted. This is quite a debut!
unfinished
October 6, 2017(DNF @ 6%) This suburban family novel failed to grab me, which is a shame as I seek out and usually like circadian narratives.
November 19, 2017
Blog Rating - 4.5/5
Small Hours by Jennifer Kitses is an intense read that is sure to leave a mark on the readers.
Given the short and undescriptive blurb of this book, I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from it. Though sceptical, I decided to give it a try as it kind of intrigued me. Anyway, reading a book without knowing anything about the story is quite exciting, at least for me, so I went ahead and read it. By the quarter mark, I was glad that I did so as this book turned out to be an excellent example of what exactly a contemporary fiction book should be like.
I liked the plot and the basic premise of the story. It was a very intense read about the complexities of relationships and how people change with time and their thought-process and reactions get impacted accordingly. The characterization was brilliant and though I didn't connect tot he characters personally, I was very engaged int heir day-to-day life.
The beginning of the story was very engaging and the ending was utterly perfect, it was so good in fact that I read the last part thrice to soak it all in - the way issues were confronted and handled. I loved the inner conflicts in this book and really marvelled the author's writing style.
If you want to read one contemporary fiction this year, make sure this is it.
Read full review here: The Reading Bud
Small Hours by Jennifer Kitses is an intense read that is sure to leave a mark on the readers.
Given the short and undescriptive blurb of this book, I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from it. Though sceptical, I decided to give it a try as it kind of intrigued me. Anyway, reading a book without knowing anything about the story is quite exciting, at least for me, so I went ahead and read it. By the quarter mark, I was glad that I did so as this book turned out to be an excellent example of what exactly a contemporary fiction book should be like.
I liked the plot and the basic premise of the story. It was a very intense read about the complexities of relationships and how people change with time and their thought-process and reactions get impacted accordingly. The characterization was brilliant and though I didn't connect tot he characters personally, I was very engaged int heir day-to-day life.
The beginning of the story was very engaging and the ending was utterly perfect, it was so good in fact that I read the last part thrice to soak it all in - the way issues were confronted and handled. I loved the inner conflicts in this book and really marvelled the author's writing style.
If you want to read one contemporary fiction this year, make sure this is it.
Read full review here: The Reading Bud
May 2, 2017
A powerhouse debut from Jennifer Kitses - and the kind of book that will linger with you long after you've put it down. The kickoff to what's sure to be a great career. Don't miss it.
June 16, 2017
I have very mixed feelings about this novel.
First, the bad (one-star bad): An alternate title could be:
"Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest Adults Alive" (They can't hold jobs, a mother athletically runs in parts of a city where she shouldn't go, she takes her children to an unsafe park, she uses her baby-sitter as her pot-supplier, etc. A father, with a wife and two children waiting for him at home, and with a woman who has a child by him thinking about leaving the country, decides to go home with an office lady and have drinks. He can't keep a job, is miserable where he lives, etc. And Donna, the other woman with the his child, who is very successful, gets a great job offer in another country and seems at the end to consider staying...for this guy who is clueless in this world.
Okay, now that we've established these people shouldn't be in relationships, shouldn't have kids, should really just have stayed single until they were mature enough for relationships and kids....and, omg.....get this.....TRY TO FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT IN A SINGLE DAY!) I'll not say how this book ends because I can't, literally or figuratively.
Now, the good:
Wow! Congrats to Jennifer Kitses. I went to bed with this one last night at about 9pm or so and read it straight through. Granted, it's only 275 pages and the font is on the average side, so it's a 4-5 hour read at most and I finished it just after midnight. It's a page-turner. An irritating page-turner no less, but the author knows how to keep the reader under her spell. I had to find out what was going to happen! I'm single, the entire world in this book is just simply strange to me, I can't fathom how people get in these messes. When I worked and had a mortgage to pay, etc., I worked hard: work came first. The people around me who had children had baby-sitters, in general if both partners were working. Maybe I'm just lucky. And a lot of you may think staying single is just not an option. Anyway, I'll read this author's next book, absolutely. One star for the ridiculous, unlikable, unbelievable characters (except Nick, who just stays stoned the whole time, good move in that neighborhood I think) but five stars for what is really a suspenseful page-turner. Oh, I wish we had a Hitchcock to film this one! Have any of you seen his classic "The Birds" and how at the end...well, that end is like this end but that's all I'll say. Meanwhile, my worst days are when it rains and I can't get to the beach or pool to have a few beers and watch the eye candy walk by.
First, the bad (one-star bad): An alternate title could be:
"Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest Adults Alive" (They can't hold jobs, a mother athletically runs in parts of a city where she shouldn't go, she takes her children to an unsafe park, she uses her baby-sitter as her pot-supplier, etc. A father, with a wife and two children waiting for him at home, and with a woman who has a child by him thinking about leaving the country, decides to go home with an office lady and have drinks. He can't keep a job, is miserable where he lives, etc. And Donna, the other woman with the his child, who is very successful, gets a great job offer in another country and seems at the end to consider staying...for this guy who is clueless in this world.
Okay, now that we've established these people shouldn't be in relationships, shouldn't have kids, should really just have stayed single until they were mature enough for relationships and kids....and, omg.....get this.....TRY TO FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT IN A SINGLE DAY!) I'll not say how this book ends because I can't, literally or figuratively.
Now, the good:
Wow! Congrats to Jennifer Kitses. I went to bed with this one last night at about 9pm or so and read it straight through. Granted, it's only 275 pages and the font is on the average side, so it's a 4-5 hour read at most and I finished it just after midnight. It's a page-turner. An irritating page-turner no less, but the author knows how to keep the reader under her spell. I had to find out what was going to happen! I'm single, the entire world in this book is just simply strange to me, I can't fathom how people get in these messes. When I worked and had a mortgage to pay, etc., I worked hard: work came first. The people around me who had children had baby-sitters, in general if both partners were working. Maybe I'm just lucky. And a lot of you may think staying single is just not an option. Anyway, I'll read this author's next book, absolutely. One star for the ridiculous, unlikable, unbelievable characters (except Nick, who just stays stoned the whole time, good move in that neighborhood I think) but five stars for what is really a suspenseful page-turner. Oh, I wish we had a Hitchcock to film this one! Have any of you seen his classic "The Birds" and how at the end...well, that end is like this end but that's all I'll say. Meanwhile, my worst days are when it rains and I can't get to the beach or pool to have a few beers and watch the eye candy walk by.
July 9, 2017
Small Hours is a wonderful debut novel from Jennifer Kitses. This book shows how relatively minor choices and decisions can snowball until things seem unbearable and overwhelming.
I have seen a couple people who were put off by the ending. If you want your novels brought to complete and total closure you may be disappointed in the ending. I was not bothered by the ending. I feel Kitses presented her characters as such well-rounded human beings that we as readers have a very good idea what happens after the novel ends. With certainty? No. But life holds very few certainties and life's problems rarely, if ever, get wrapped up and tied off with a bow, so the ambiguous ending seems to me to be more realistic than it is disappointing. I like being free to ponder what might happen and how rather than have it all prettied up for me.
While the story takes place over the course of a day we learn a lot about the main characters, and quite a bit about the other characters, in the course of that one day. You will, in turns, dislike, like, empathize with and want to scream at each character. You know, kinda like what you feel about everyone you know. The character development is done through a combination of watching their actions and hearing their thoughts.
While there is not a lot of action you will find yourself on the edge of your seat as the day wears on. Most of their thoughts and actions will seem familiar to you even if you have never given serious consideration to actually following through on them when you had them. In some ways this is like a worst-case scenario of what could happen if we gave in to many of the little thoughts and irritations we all regularly experience.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys watching a train wreck in slow motion. Or more realistically like to read about regular people who, in the course of trying to make their lives better, seem to find themselves moving in the wrong direction on life's escalator. Wonderful characters will make this an enjoyable read for those interested in characterization.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
I have seen a couple people who were put off by the ending. If you want your novels brought to complete and total closure you may be disappointed in the ending. I was not bothered by the ending. I feel Kitses presented her characters as such well-rounded human beings that we as readers have a very good idea what happens after the novel ends. With certainty? No. But life holds very few certainties and life's problems rarely, if ever, get wrapped up and tied off with a bow, so the ambiguous ending seems to me to be more realistic than it is disappointing. I like being free to ponder what might happen and how rather than have it all prettied up for me.
While the story takes place over the course of a day we learn a lot about the main characters, and quite a bit about the other characters, in the course of that one day. You will, in turns, dislike, like, empathize with and want to scream at each character. You know, kinda like what you feel about everyone you know. The character development is done through a combination of watching their actions and hearing their thoughts.
While there is not a lot of action you will find yourself on the edge of your seat as the day wears on. Most of their thoughts and actions will seem familiar to you even if you have never given serious consideration to actually following through on them when you had them. In some ways this is like a worst-case scenario of what could happen if we gave in to many of the little thoughts and irritations we all regularly experience.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys watching a train wreck in slow motion. Or more realistically like to read about regular people who, in the course of trying to make their lives better, seem to find themselves moving in the wrong direction on life's escalator. Wonderful characters will make this an enjoyable read for those interested in characterization.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
June 12, 2017
A tipping point of a novel with tense domestic vignettes leading each character deeper and deeper into destructive behavior.
SMALL HOURS is a slow-burn, 'tinderbox' of a debut novel (Matthew Thomas, WE ARE NOT OURSELVES) in which we are just waiting for the inevitable to explode. We follow the lives of a married couple, Tom and Helen for 24-hours. Told in alternating POVs (Helen and Tom), we dive into a myriad of secrets, promises, deadlines, children, neighbors, etc. It's one small step into the danger zone with each paragraph read, with each flip of the page, each turn of the hour. Another reviewer said something like, 'I just want to shake these people.' And yes, I did, too.
Perhaps that is what makes Jennifer Kitses's debut so palpable. We can *feel* the tensions arising, see the outcome before her characters and we just want to thrust an arm out and say, 'Stop!' But the reading is propulsive; I wanted to keep reading. It was like a bad accident on the side of the road: you don't want to look, but you do.
Tom and Helen have left NYC for a life in a former mill town to raise their twin daughters. Helen is juggling work, kids, the home and none of it is coming together. There are teenagers from the 'wrong side of the tracks' who torment her and her young daughters at a local park, deadlines and more. Meanwhile, Tom is struggling to keep afloat at his newspaper job in the city, 90-minute train commutes, and a big secret.
What SMALL HOURS does so well is capture the mundane in an universal look at parenting, suburbia, the workforce, marriage, secrets, and so much more. I couldn't stop reading even though I wasn't 100% in love with either of the characters, but I so wanted to see what kind of train wreck they were going to walk into.
Kitses is a fabulous, no frills writer with an ear for dialogue, human behavior, and I'd compare her storytelling style to that of Lauren Acampora ( THE WONDER GARDEN ), Tom Perrotta (especially SMALL CHILDREN), and Catherine McKenzie ( FRACTURED ). And in some ways, SMALL HOURS reads a bit like a collection of short stories or a linked novel.
Others have compared Kitses to Richard Russo, but I've yet to read his work, so can't say accurately.
Overall, I really loved this story and will definitely recommend.
I am grateful to be an early reader of SMALL HOURS, which releases June 13 2017 by Grand Central. Join me for an interview with Jennifer Kitses in the near future at www.leslielindsay. All thoughts are my own.
SMALL HOURS is a slow-burn, 'tinderbox' of a debut novel (Matthew Thomas, WE ARE NOT OURSELVES) in which we are just waiting for the inevitable to explode. We follow the lives of a married couple, Tom and Helen for 24-hours. Told in alternating POVs (Helen and Tom), we dive into a myriad of secrets, promises, deadlines, children, neighbors, etc. It's one small step into the danger zone with each paragraph read, with each flip of the page, each turn of the hour. Another reviewer said something like, 'I just want to shake these people.' And yes, I did, too.
Perhaps that is what makes Jennifer Kitses's debut so palpable. We can *feel* the tensions arising, see the outcome before her characters and we just want to thrust an arm out and say, 'Stop!' But the reading is propulsive; I wanted to keep reading. It was like a bad accident on the side of the road: you don't want to look, but you do.
Tom and Helen have left NYC for a life in a former mill town to raise their twin daughters. Helen is juggling work, kids, the home and none of it is coming together. There are teenagers from the 'wrong side of the tracks' who torment her and her young daughters at a local park, deadlines and more. Meanwhile, Tom is struggling to keep afloat at his newspaper job in the city, 90-minute train commutes, and a big secret.
What SMALL HOURS does so well is capture the mundane in an universal look at parenting, suburbia, the workforce, marriage, secrets, and so much more. I couldn't stop reading even though I wasn't 100% in love with either of the characters, but I so wanted to see what kind of train wreck they were going to walk into.
Kitses is a fabulous, no frills writer with an ear for dialogue, human behavior, and I'd compare her storytelling style to that of Lauren Acampora ( THE WONDER GARDEN ), Tom Perrotta (especially SMALL CHILDREN), and Catherine McKenzie ( FRACTURED ). And in some ways, SMALL HOURS reads a bit like a collection of short stories or a linked novel.
Others have compared Kitses to Richard Russo, but I've yet to read his work, so can't say accurately.
Overall, I really loved this story and will definitely recommend.
I am grateful to be an early reader of SMALL HOURS, which releases June 13 2017 by Grand Central. Join me for an interview with Jennifer Kitses in the near future at www.leslielindsay. All thoughts are my own.
June 20, 2017
I loved this book. There's plenty of dramatic plot twists to draw the reader along , but even without them, even in quiet scenes in which nothing much actually happens, Jennifer Kitses manages to keep the tension on a low simmer, revealing the ever-present anxiety of everyday life. Buffeted from all sides by indifferent forces -- pushy bosses, unpaid bills, hostile neighbors, the emotional needs of others -- Tom and Helen don't have a moment for self-reflection; they are so busy anticipating future menace that they've lost sense of who they are. The book is a page-turner (I literally devoured this in a course of 2 days, reading so quickly I felt a little sick) but three-quarters of the way its structure and title began to make a deeper sense. SMALL HOURS captures the distorted way of thinking that happens in the small hours of the morning - distortions that, with the break of day, lose their power. The ending had a beauty, and a logical integrity, that redeemed the whole feverish journey.
February 1, 2017
via my blog https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“Her hands were shaking. Her body was covered in a sickening sweat. She didn’t want to know. She pushed against it, refusing to allow it to come in.”
The above excerpt really hits home in any marriage/partnership. Some secrets are devastating some are small but all are a freeloading squatter you never invited into your relationship. You can’t close your eyes tight enough to the truth, it always rips the seams of the unseeing. There is a sickening despair in finding out the truth when you’re being betrayed by the person you love most. It has been two years since Helen and Tom moved from New York to a former mill town, Devon. A town that showed promise, where plans were surely in the works- and at first they could afford a home. But things got tight financially, they are stuck and Helen blames herself for falling for the sell of the dream. Helen is about to have a terrible encounter with two teenage girls and everything crumbles over a day.
Tom has been struggling with his focus, with the disappointments of their choices but none more so than his own indiscretion that has him split in two. On the surface he is ‘one of the good guys’ but what does that mean, really? A loving father, one whom their twins prefer over their mother Helen but he is a terrible father too for different reasons. Tom is being drowned by a monster of his own creation, and its tentacles are about to pull his entire family under. He can’t, in good conscience, keep living a lie when it affects the innocent. Not all mistakes can be erased, and Tom comes to realize he doesn’t want them to be even if it topples his world. What he has held close will change his wife and daughters, he is at a turning point that could risk devastation but is there hope?
So much I would love to say about this novel but can’t without giving it away entirely. The reader is furious for Helen, and yet comes to understand that sometimes it’s too easy to slip into subterfuge. Helen is overworked, under far too much stress and has always lived doing what’s right, being responsible. Something is building inside of her that comes to a head with the incident with the teenagers. Tom has a safe arrangement at first, but deception eats away at those closest to us, it is a haunting presence that over time threatens to destroy the family he has built. Helen relies on Tom, but is his lie larger than the fear of being alone? There is a hatred of the truth, that we are forced either to ignore or confront it- it makes demands on us. There is a sickening, heaviness that burrows into our hearts, guts when we discover things about our loved we didn’t want to be true, things that can’t remain ‘unknown’. Maybe that is love, uncovering those rotten bits and loving a person in spite of it all.
Mistakes can come with heavy consequences, they can swallow us whole but they also can be a gift. I found myself feeling sorry for Tom and I imagine many readers having a different take. “Well, had he just been straight from the start…” of course, that is the most logical answer but truth isn’t the easiest path. Truth hurts as much as lies, but it always comes to the surface in the end. Sometimes even ‘the good ones’ make a mess of their life, and what difference do intentions make by that point? The situation is not at all far fetched. I put myself in Helen’s shoes and wondered how I would react, and there is no easy answer. Add this to your summer reading list. I imagine this novel could fire off some heated discussion in a book club.
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Grand Central Publishing
“Her hands were shaking. Her body was covered in a sickening sweat. She didn’t want to know. She pushed against it, refusing to allow it to come in.”
The above excerpt really hits home in any marriage/partnership. Some secrets are devastating some are small but all are a freeloading squatter you never invited into your relationship. You can’t close your eyes tight enough to the truth, it always rips the seams of the unseeing. There is a sickening despair in finding out the truth when you’re being betrayed by the person you love most. It has been two years since Helen and Tom moved from New York to a former mill town, Devon. A town that showed promise, where plans were surely in the works- and at first they could afford a home. But things got tight financially, they are stuck and Helen blames herself for falling for the sell of the dream. Helen is about to have a terrible encounter with two teenage girls and everything crumbles over a day.
Tom has been struggling with his focus, with the disappointments of their choices but none more so than his own indiscretion that has him split in two. On the surface he is ‘one of the good guys’ but what does that mean, really? A loving father, one whom their twins prefer over their mother Helen but he is a terrible father too for different reasons. Tom is being drowned by a monster of his own creation, and its tentacles are about to pull his entire family under. He can’t, in good conscience, keep living a lie when it affects the innocent. Not all mistakes can be erased, and Tom comes to realize he doesn’t want them to be even if it topples his world. What he has held close will change his wife and daughters, he is at a turning point that could risk devastation but is there hope?
So much I would love to say about this novel but can’t without giving it away entirely. The reader is furious for Helen, and yet comes to understand that sometimes it’s too easy to slip into subterfuge. Helen is overworked, under far too much stress and has always lived doing what’s right, being responsible. Something is building inside of her that comes to a head with the incident with the teenagers. Tom has a safe arrangement at first, but deception eats away at those closest to us, it is a haunting presence that over time threatens to destroy the family he has built. Helen relies on Tom, but is his lie larger than the fear of being alone? There is a hatred of the truth, that we are forced either to ignore or confront it- it makes demands on us. There is a sickening, heaviness that burrows into our hearts, guts when we discover things about our loved we didn’t want to be true, things that can’t remain ‘unknown’. Maybe that is love, uncovering those rotten bits and loving a person in spite of it all.
Mistakes can come with heavy consequences, they can swallow us whole but they also can be a gift. I found myself feeling sorry for Tom and I imagine many readers having a different take. “Well, had he just been straight from the start…” of course, that is the most logical answer but truth isn’t the easiest path. Truth hurts as much as lies, but it always comes to the surface in the end. Sometimes even ‘the good ones’ make a mess of their life, and what difference do intentions make by that point? The situation is not at all far fetched. I put myself in Helen’s shoes and wondered how I would react, and there is no easy answer. Add this to your summer reading list. I imagine this novel could fire off some heated discussion in a book club.
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Grand Central Publishing
June 29, 2017
Suspense builds in SMALL HOURS even while unspectacular events take place. Readers encounter some surprises but for the most part experience the mundane struggles of a family coping with life’s everyday challenges: job insecurity, housing debt, raising young children, and carving out moments for self despite being unable to afford these. Through artful interweaving of back story, a complex situation is gradually revealed to us, oozing the corrosive poison of secrets. Tension is enhanced by the novel’s structure, which alternates between the husband’s and the wife’s perspective over the course of one unusually consequential day.
As the clock ticks, readers experience an exurban community in decay and a fast-paced but unglamorous Manhattan office environment, both well depicted. We also get to meet several secondary characters—our couple’s neighbors and co-workers—each one portrayed sympathetically (except, maybe, Tadpole), though none without flaws. Surprisingly, humor also brightens almost every page. This is one of the best books of the year.
As the clock ticks, readers experience an exurban community in decay and a fast-paced but unglamorous Manhattan office environment, both well depicted. We also get to meet several secondary characters—our couple’s neighbors and co-workers—each one portrayed sympathetically (except, maybe, Tadpole), though none without flaws. Surprisingly, humor also brightens almost every page. This is one of the best books of the year.
April 25, 2017
You can also find this review
here
3.5 stars
While adding books onto my to-be-read shelf I stumbled upon ‘Small Hours’ by Jennifer Kitses. I was immediately intrigued by it and the theme it deals with – marriage. I find it funny how a nineteen year old me is interested in the theme of marriage but has no plans on getting married himself ever (that might change?) but there is something about these books that make me get excited and want to read them – maybe it’s the mystery of marriage (what secrets can one hold) or how a person can be with another person for so long. There’s so much to explore in the theme of marriage and this book deals with a certain aspect of it.
As the blurb says ‘..a husband and wife try to outrun long-buried secrets, sending their lives spiraling into chaos.’ and if that doesn’t sound interesting and appealing to you then I don’t know what does. This novel follows two spouses – the wife Helen and her husband Tom – who have two daughters and live in a town outside of New York. Helen is a graphic designer whose life seems to evolve around her work and her children and Tom is an editor at a science magazine who also has problems of his own – but there is one thing that is eating him alive and causing him problems with sleeping and concentrating on work and his family. Their marriage seems to be a normal hectic one as marriages are – with their children and work keeping them busy – but what we learn is that there’s much more to it as it always is with any marriage. So that’s about it because I don’t want to spoil the book for you.
The books happenings are told in the span of 24 hours and deal with issues that come up with marriage. I enjoyed this book very much – while it wasn’t a perfect book filled with a lot of happenings it’s a book that slowly reveals the nature of the relationship between the spouses and their intrapersonal relationships. I have to say that people comparing it to ‘Gone Girl’ because of the marriage theme and secrets is frustrating and nowadays everything is compared to ‘Gone Girl’ but nevertheless this is a book which is still interesting. The characters were finely crafted but I found myself more interested in the story of the husband rather than the wife’s which is sort of the point of the book because he’s the one with secrets. What I’ll say is that this book won’t be for everyone because if you’re looking for a rollercoaster ride you’re not getting it (it’s more of a psychological book and definitely not a thriller). The reason why I say this is if you’re not interested in this subject matter you won’t like it. I’ve seen mixed reviews of this one and it just depends on your interests but I’ve enjoyed it and would recommend it. The most action comes at the end of the novel so i wouldn’t call the blurb as accurate because it might mislead the reader and build up different expectations. Just a heads up: you won’t get a satisfying ending if you’re looking for one because it leaves you wanting more.
That said this is a good exploration into the psyches of the spouses and buried secrets resurfacing and finding their way into a marriage.
I would like to thank Edelweiss, the publisher Grand Central Publishing and the author Jennifer Kitses for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
While adding books onto my to-be-read shelf I stumbled upon ‘Small Hours’ by Jennifer Kitses. I was immediately intrigued by it and the theme it deals with – marriage. I find it funny how a nineteen year old me is interested in the theme of marriage but has no plans on getting married himself ever (that might change?) but there is something about these books that make me get excited and want to read them – maybe it’s the mystery of marriage (what secrets can one hold) or how a person can be with another person for so long. There’s so much to explore in the theme of marriage and this book deals with a certain aspect of it.
As the blurb says ‘..a husband and wife try to outrun long-buried secrets, sending their lives spiraling into chaos.’ and if that doesn’t sound interesting and appealing to you then I don’t know what does. This novel follows two spouses – the wife Helen and her husband Tom – who have two daughters and live in a town outside of New York. Helen is a graphic designer whose life seems to evolve around her work and her children and Tom is an editor at a science magazine who also has problems of his own – but there is one thing that is eating him alive and causing him problems with sleeping and concentrating on work and his family. Their marriage seems to be a normal hectic one as marriages are – with their children and work keeping them busy – but what we learn is that there’s much more to it as it always is with any marriage. So that’s about it because I don’t want to spoil the book for you.
The books happenings are told in the span of 24 hours and deal with issues that come up with marriage. I enjoyed this book very much – while it wasn’t a perfect book filled with a lot of happenings it’s a book that slowly reveals the nature of the relationship between the spouses and their intrapersonal relationships. I have to say that people comparing it to ‘Gone Girl’ because of the marriage theme and secrets is frustrating and nowadays everything is compared to ‘Gone Girl’ but nevertheless this is a book which is still interesting. The characters were finely crafted but I found myself more interested in the story of the husband rather than the wife’s which is sort of the point of the book because he’s the one with secrets. What I’ll say is that this book won’t be for everyone because if you’re looking for a rollercoaster ride you’re not getting it (it’s more of a psychological book and definitely not a thriller). The reason why I say this is if you’re not interested in this subject matter you won’t like it. I’ve seen mixed reviews of this one and it just depends on your interests but I’ve enjoyed it and would recommend it. The most action comes at the end of the novel so i wouldn’t call the blurb as accurate because it might mislead the reader and build up different expectations. Just a heads up: you won’t get a satisfying ending if you’re looking for one because it leaves you wanting more.
That said this is a good exploration into the psyches of the spouses and buried secrets resurfacing and finding their way into a marriage.
I would like to thank Edelweiss, the publisher Grand Central Publishing and the author Jennifer Kitses for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It’s the story of Tom and Helen, a couple experiencing the typical stresses of married life: career problems, money woes, child-rearing quandaries. That made them very relatable. But in the course of a single day, as the narrative gains steam—and does it ever—the reader discovers that the couple has various secrets, lies, and problems, problems, problems. Soon their anxiety level has spiked off the charts. Everything in their lives is suddenly at stake. I hope to never experience a day like this. But the very fact that Tom & Helen have been established as just an ordinary people—like you or me—makes their story affecting, visceral. Kitses’s book is closely observed, tightly plotted, extremely well written, and it kept me turning the pages.
April 15, 2017
This book is fabulous. If you like page turners, this one is a good read. The couple, Helen and Tom are both caught up in individual wars as they try to hold together their lives, which are spiraling out of control as they struggle through their anxieties, secrets and frustrations. The characters are not really likeable, but yet you can definitely relate to how things have gotten so bad.
Caught up in the everyday holdrum of trying to hold down jobs while raising two toddler twins, they are caught up in money and work battles that just keep getting worse. It is definitely like a train wreck, but I really couldn't put the book down. Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy. This would be an EXCELLENT book for a book club...lots to discuss here.
Caught up in the everyday holdrum of trying to hold down jobs while raising two toddler twins, they are caught up in money and work battles that just keep getting worse. It is definitely like a train wreck, but I really couldn't put the book down. Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy. This would be an EXCELLENT book for a book club...lots to discuss here.
March 22, 2017
“Small Hours” is a terrific and tough debut, reminiscent of Tom Perrotta’s novels, with an occasional passing kinship to Sloan Wilson’s great “The Man In the Gray Flannel Suit.” It follows a couple scrambling to hold it all together – their lives, their jobs, their family. The tension stays high throughout the alternating chapters as the two – Helen and Tom – face money worries, confront challenges and reveal secrets. The honesty about modern life and its discontents (particularly in and around the New York City area) is melancholic yet insightfully depicted. Ms. Kitses has one heck of a future as a novelist.
August 12, 2017
I really liked this book. Helen and Tom, who are experiencing the stresses of a modern marriage are beautufically described by Ms. Kitses. Her artful writing draws you into their complicated relationship, always hoping they will make a good choice for themselves and each other. I look forward to many more great reads from Ms. Kitses.
July 4, 2017
Reading this book made me think of how my husband Jack and I sometimes binge watch a TV series like Midwife Calling or some of our favorite Netflix murder mysteries. You just can't stop at the end of one episode. That perfectly describes what it was like to read Small Hours.
The way the author builds momentum is mesmerizing. Lines at the ends of chapters like: "She could feel the woman watching her until she rounded the corner and disappeared." And "Maybe I'm wrong," she said. "But I bet you could use a drink." Reading that last line I groaned aloud imaging the latest hell into which Tom was descending.
Through the craft of this author, I entered into a world very unlike my own and lost track of time and space. Devoured the book in 36 hours wanting more.
I'm keeping my eye on Jennifer Kitses.
The way the author builds momentum is mesmerizing. Lines at the ends of chapters like: "She could feel the woman watching her until she rounded the corner and disappeared." And "Maybe I'm wrong," she said. "But I bet you could use a drink." Reading that last line I groaned aloud imaging the latest hell into which Tom was descending.
Through the craft of this author, I entered into a world very unlike my own and lost track of time and space. Devoured the book in 36 hours wanting more.
I'm keeping my eye on Jennifer Kitses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2017
3 stars? 3.5 stars? I was warned early on when I just started this one that the ending might let me down. I'm not sure it let me down, but it's more of that kind of feeling you had when finishing Gone Girl. Or seeing the end of the movie and everyone filed out of the theatre in silence because of that ending. Small Hours is kind of like that.
Small Hours is the one day in the life of Helen and Tom. Both of their individual lives are unraveling separately, and their marriage is hanging by a thread because of their individual issues. I liked the style of this one - it alternates between Helen and Tom and by time of day. I suppose it is the weak, or maybe too tidy ending that takes some of the power away? Tom and Helen are both frustrating in their own ways but how it's resolved, or not really resolved in the end could feel like a wee bit of a let down.
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC of this one, I did start reading it electronically before switching to the hard copy from the library.
Small Hours is the one day in the life of Helen and Tom. Both of their individual lives are unraveling separately, and their marriage is hanging by a thread because of their individual issues. I liked the style of this one - it alternates between Helen and Tom and by time of day. I suppose it is the weak, or maybe too tidy ending that takes some of the power away? Tom and Helen are both frustrating in their own ways but how it's resolved, or not really resolved in the end could feel like a wee bit of a let down.
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC of this one, I did start reading it electronically before switching to the hard copy from the library.
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