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The World of Pondside
With help from Pondside Manor’s quirky, twentysomething kitchen worker Foster Kresowik, wheelchair-bound resident Robert Kallman creates The World of Pondside, a video game that delights the nursing home’s residents by allowing them to virtually relive blissful moments from days long past—or even create new ones.
One-legged Duane Lotspeich is overjoyed when he can dance the tango again. Octogenarian Laverne Slatchek cheers on her favorite baseball team from the stands at Candlestick Park with her beloved husband—who died years ago. Even the overwhelmed Pondside administrator escapes her job by logging into a much more luxurious virtual world.
Robert’s game enlivens the halls of Pondside Manor, but chaos ensues when he is found dead, submerged in the pond, still strapped into his wheelchair. If any resident witnessed his death, they’re not telling—either covering up or, quite possibly, forgetting. And it’s far from clear to anyone—including the police—if the death of this brilliant man, who suffered from ALS, was suicide or murder.
When Robert’s video game goes dark, its players grow desperate. The task of getting it back online falls to young Foster, who enlists help from a raucous group of residents and staff. Their pursuit—virtual and real—has unintended consequences, uncovering both criminal activities and the dying wishes of Foster’s friend Robert. From Pondside Manor, this unlikely bunch of gamers embarks upon an astonishing journey—blissful, treacherous, and unforgettable.
Packed with sharp wit and compassion, Mary Helen Stefaniak has written a rousing, perceptive, and utterly original novel.
One-legged Duane Lotspeich is overjoyed when he can dance the tango again. Octogenarian Laverne Slatchek cheers on her favorite baseball team from the stands at Candlestick Park with her beloved husband—who died years ago. Even the overwhelmed Pondside administrator escapes her job by logging into a much more luxurious virtual world.
Robert’s game enlivens the halls of Pondside Manor, but chaos ensues when he is found dead, submerged in the pond, still strapped into his wheelchair. If any resident witnessed his death, they’re not telling—either covering up or, quite possibly, forgetting. And it’s far from clear to anyone—including the police—if the death of this brilliant man, who suffered from ALS, was suicide or murder.
When Robert’s video game goes dark, its players grow desperate. The task of getting it back online falls to young Foster, who enlists help from a raucous group of residents and staff. Their pursuit—virtual and real—has unintended consequences, uncovering both criminal activities and the dying wishes of Foster’s friend Robert. From Pondside Manor, this unlikely bunch of gamers embarks upon an astonishing journey—blissful, treacherous, and unforgettable.
Packed with sharp wit and compassion, Mary Helen Stefaniak has written a rousing, perceptive, and utterly original novel.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2022
55 people are currently reading
2571 people want to read
About the author
Mary Helen Stefaniak
8 books48 followersMary Helen Stefaniak is the prize-winning author of The Turk and My Mother, Self Storage and Other Stories, and The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia. She lives in Omaha and Iowa City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
September 10, 2024
this book is just not fully actualized. it has an interesting enough premise but it doesn't know how to land it. the book is long, wordy and boring. the world is not built in detailed way and the characters are not compelling enough to keep this story intriguing. the book is also marked as thriller or suspense novel and its neither of those two things. there were a lot of moving parts an somewhere in there is story that's innovative and interesting just not the one we got
February 2, 2022
The World of Pondside is a book about a computer VR game and the nursing home patients that use it, as well as a mystery as to the fate of the owner and creator of the game.
I really loved the setting and concept. The game was fascinating to read about, but I found myself questioning how realistic and addictive a game like that could be in computer generated settings. It was never quite clear how the dialogue between characters in the game worked, nor how much was possible and what wasn't within the game. The game as it was described was underwhelming and confusing to me and I grew to strongly dislike the scenes set in the game.
Robert, Laverne, Duane, and Foster are the most developed characters and their lives are inherently interesting and they are multifaceted. But the rest of the characters mostly fell flat and I couldn't tell them apart, especially the staff at Pondside. Erika, Amelia, and Toni all felt the same to me. The CNAs and nurses all blended together and seemed too goody-goody to be realistic. I know CNAs that work at a nursing home, and they wouldn't willingly work overtime without remaining clocked in and they wouldn't let a random coworker drive off with their car and essentially "kidnap" an elderly woman using their car. Unless forms are signed by multiple people, a resident of a nursing home can't just leave and be unaccounted for without serious legal consequences as well as staff getting fired for it, regardless how understaffed Pondside is.
The last few reveals and plot twists were lackluster and expected, from the dead guy that mysteriously was alive again to the lies back and forth between multiple antagonists to manipulate Foster into the preferred outcome, to the convoluted illicit Chinese drug plot.
And worst of all, the ending was anticlimatic and underwhelming. It didn't serve up any satisfying answers or leave a satisfying mystery behind. The ending got tied together in a way that makes me feel like even the author and the editor were over it and wanted the job done.
The redeeming qualities of the book were Robert, Laverne, and Foster. And to a lesser extent, Duane. They made reading Pondside worth it and brought up my total evaluation.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exhange for an honest review.
I really loved the setting and concept. The game was fascinating to read about, but I found myself questioning how realistic and addictive a game like that could be in computer generated settings. It was never quite clear how the dialogue between characters in the game worked, nor how much was possible and what wasn't within the game. The game as it was described was underwhelming and confusing to me and I grew to strongly dislike the scenes set in the game.
Robert, Laverne, Duane, and Foster are the most developed characters and their lives are inherently interesting and they are multifaceted. But the rest of the characters mostly fell flat and I couldn't tell them apart, especially the staff at Pondside. Erika, Amelia, and Toni all felt the same to me. The CNAs and nurses all blended together and seemed too goody-goody to be realistic. I know CNAs that work at a nursing home, and they wouldn't willingly work overtime without remaining clocked in and they wouldn't let a random coworker drive off with their car and essentially "kidnap" an elderly woman using their car. Unless forms are signed by multiple people, a resident of a nursing home can't just leave and be unaccounted for without serious legal consequences as well as staff getting fired for it, regardless how understaffed Pondside is.
The last few reveals and plot twists were lackluster and expected, from the dead guy that mysteriously was alive again to the lies back and forth between multiple antagonists to manipulate Foster into the preferred outcome, to the convoluted illicit Chinese drug plot.
And worst of all, the ending was anticlimatic and underwhelming. It didn't serve up any satisfying answers or leave a satisfying mystery behind. The ending got tied together in a way that makes me feel like even the author and the editor were over it and wanted the job done.
The redeeming qualities of the book were Robert, Laverne, and Foster. And to a lesser extent, Duane. They made reading Pondside worth it and brought up my total evaluation.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exhange for an honest review.
November 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! It takes place mainly in a nursing home, which is a setting ripe for caricatures, but the author paints very real characters. The angry young man who works in the kitchen, the potentially dangerous dementia patient, the overworked nurses, the incompetent boss, the residents who are heartbroken to be left at a nursing home and the adult children who left them there—Stefaniak sympathizes with every single one of her characters, and I did, too. She does a great job with the very distinct voices of her point-of-view characters.
It was fun to see the unlikely group that came together to figure out how to get back into their escape-from-reality video game after the resident who created it for them is found dead. (They’re also hoping to find out how he ended up in the pond.) The book reveals a wide range of sorrow, joy, rage, love, and humor that people might not expect to find among the residents and staff of a nursing home. I recommend it for readers who enjoy intricate plot surprises, well-drawn characters, and real-life humor in their heartbreak.
It was fun to see the unlikely group that came together to figure out how to get back into their escape-from-reality video game after the resident who created it for them is found dead. (They’re also hoping to find out how he ended up in the pond.) The book reveals a wide range of sorrow, joy, rage, love, and humor that people might not expect to find among the residents and staff of a nursing home. I recommend it for readers who enjoy intricate plot surprises, well-drawn characters, and real-life humor in their heartbreak.
July 25, 2022
So, this book is about a video game and an assisted living facility. But it really isn't about a video game and an assisted living facility. It is about the people living and working there and their relationships due to the video game. I think that is the best way to describe it. As for the mystery, it didn't seem to be forefront in the plot. Mostly I enjoyed the story but there was a lot of events that just could never have taken place and the ending felt a little bit unfinished. I don't want or need tidy endings but if you've read a book for almost 400 pages, you want some type of conclusion.
May 5, 2022
This is one of those books that’s difficult to describe, because it’s complex: delightful, thought provoking, mysterious, sad, hilarious, relatable, sympathetic, and memorable.
At nearly 13 hours it’s a long listen, but there are so many characters and Stefaniak does such a thorough yet compelling job of weaving them all together that it didn’t feel like a burden. Each of these characters was so well constructed and realistic that it was impossible not to see someone I know in each of them. I became an NPC in the Pondside Assisted Living community.
Robert found a way to create a fantasy world via the alternate universe that was the game, The World of Pondside. When Robert dies of suspect cause, the residents and employees become embroiled in a variety of real world and virtual escapades. The mystery resolution felt a bit anti-climactic, but to me that wasn’t the central theme of the book as much as an adventure for the characters and listener. (The Cake is a Lie!)
Overall an enjoyable listen.
Narration:
George Newbern was excellent. There was a HUGE cast of characters of a variety of ages, personalities, and emotional events. He did a great job helping to differentiate them all. I loved his performance.
At nearly 13 hours it’s a long listen, but there are so many characters and Stefaniak does such a thorough yet compelling job of weaving them all together that it didn’t feel like a burden. Each of these characters was so well constructed and realistic that it was impossible not to see someone I know in each of them. I became an NPC in the Pondside Assisted Living community.
Robert found a way to create a fantasy world via the alternate universe that was the game, The World of Pondside. When Robert dies of suspect cause, the residents and employees become embroiled in a variety of real world and virtual escapades. The mystery resolution felt a bit anti-climactic, but to me that wasn’t the central theme of the book as much as an adventure for the characters and listener. (The Cake is a Lie!)
Overall an enjoyable listen.
Narration:
George Newbern was excellent. There was a HUGE cast of characters of a variety of ages, personalities, and emotional events. He did a great job helping to differentiate them all. I loved his performance.
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May 24, 2022Weird and quite wonderful. This is one of the oddest books I've read in a while, in a good way. This was an audiobook from Netgalley and I chose it because I was in need of quirk. Quirk is definitely what I got.
Set in a nursing home, with all the different kinds of residents you get in one of those establishments. Perfectly competent older people, younger people who have physical challenges which mean they can't manage at home and need nursing care, the many and varied staff and management, and those who are suffering dementia and all manner of other ailments. These people are hooked on a video game which takes them back to the days when they were fit and living fulsome lives. They relive old memories, go to favourite restaurants and re-meet their dearly departed. All virtually.
But then the games creator and mastermind is found dead in the facility pond. Did he commit suicide, had life with his ALS become too much to bear, or was there something more sinister at play? It is up to a huge team of people to figure out what happened. Everyone from the guy who works in the kitchen, an elderly lady with heaps of vigour, shady characters and mysterious people. This is extremely convoluted and there are a many paths travelled and situations to resolve. Many. I occasionally got a little bit lost. I didn't mind, I trusted that it would all become clear and it did.
If you are keen for quirk, want something unlike anything else, then this is the book for you. I listened to the audio version while I was in isolation and it was jolly good company.
Thanks so much to NegGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this gem.
Set in a nursing home, with all the different kinds of residents you get in one of those establishments. Perfectly competent older people, younger people who have physical challenges which mean they can't manage at home and need nursing care, the many and varied staff and management, and those who are suffering dementia and all manner of other ailments. These people are hooked on a video game which takes them back to the days when they were fit and living fulsome lives. They relive old memories, go to favourite restaurants and re-meet their dearly departed. All virtually.
But then the games creator and mastermind is found dead in the facility pond. Did he commit suicide, had life with his ALS become too much to bear, or was there something more sinister at play? It is up to a huge team of people to figure out what happened. Everyone from the guy who works in the kitchen, an elderly lady with heaps of vigour, shady characters and mysterious people. This is extremely convoluted and there are a many paths travelled and situations to resolve. Many. I occasionally got a little bit lost. I didn't mind, I trusted that it would all become clear and it did.
If you are keen for quirk, want something unlike anything else, then this is the book for you. I listened to the audio version while I was in isolation and it was jolly good company.
Thanks so much to NegGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this gem.
July 8, 2022
For the first half of this book, almost nothing happened. Then the plot took a convoluted and implausible turn. Most of the action takes place in a nursing home, and the cast of characters, staff and residents, are a lot like their counterparts in the virtual game of Pondside – flat and unconvincing. I also found the writing to be too cutesy – all the women had “bouncing” hair – and at times undignified in describing the elderly patients (“Ted the trembling man” and “Screaming Jeannie”) more as props than people.
The more interesting story, the friendship between Robert and Foster, took a backseat to all the ridiculous shenanigans.
I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley.
The more interesting story, the friendship between Robert and Foster, took a backseat to all the ridiculous shenanigans.
I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley.
April 15, 2022
This one has an interesting and original premise. Robert creates a virtual reality game for the assisted living residents of Pondside Manor. Now they're able to do things they never thought they'd be able to do again. The core group ~ Robert, Foster, Laverne and Duane were all likable and well written characters.
When Robert ends up in the pond, still sitting in his wheelchair, we're off to uncover the mystery of who pushed him in, or if it was suicide. I liked the secrets about China being uncovered.
This was a pretty long one coming in at 12 hours 43 minutes and 4 seconds. I've listened to quite a few books narrated by George Newbern and he did a pretty good job ~ maybe he could work on his female voice a smidgen.
Overall, this was just okay for me. At times I wasn't sure if they were in the now or in the game. It would probably be easier to follow along with that if I had read it and not listened.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and the author for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
When Robert ends up in the pond, still sitting in his wheelchair, we're off to uncover the mystery of who pushed him in, or if it was suicide. I liked the secrets about China being uncovered.
This was a pretty long one coming in at 12 hours 43 minutes and 4 seconds. I've listened to quite a few books narrated by George Newbern and he did a pretty good job ~ maybe he could work on his female voice a smidgen.
Overall, this was just okay for me. At times I wasn't sure if they were in the now or in the game. It would probably be easier to follow along with that if I had read it and not listened.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and the author for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
April 4, 2022
If you're looking for a grisly murder mystery with lots of gore, "The World of Pondside" is not for you. But if you enjoy terrific characters, a surprising plot, and a writer with a sense of humor, you will love this book. Pondside is a nursing home as lively and outrageous as a college dorm. The story opens with my favorite character, Foster the kitchen boy, a lovable kid with the empathy and compassion of Atticus Finch, who would probably describe himself as a loser. When he finds his best friend in the pond, it's all he can do to evade the police and suspicious co-workers while trying to find a way to revive a computer game that's kept Pondside on its toes ever since he and his friend invented it. Foster's just one of a parade of characters who give us tender, relatable insights into the challenges of living and working with the sick and aging people. They remind us that places like Pondside are very much like our own homes and neighborhoods, and the people who live and work there are very much like ourselves. As in all great fiction, Pondside left me with unanswered questions about guilt, innocence, suffering, honor and responsibility--imponderables worth carrying around.
November 13, 2021
The World of Pondside, much to its credit, isn't very much like any other book I've encountered this year (or any year, really; I don't think there are very many other techno-thrillers set in nursing homes). Its balance of tense action and touching character relationships, balanced with a healthy dose of quirkiness and whimsy, builds up a world both entertaining and engrossing.
One thing I particularly like about this novel is the complexity with which it portrays both the lives of nursing home residents and the lives of the people whose work is to care for the residents. No character is written to be either heroic or villainous, either purely nice or completely nasty; the messy, complicated reality of being human is always on display in their stories. As every character is written to have more than a few facets, all those angles make for truly captivating storytelling. While I felt the ending was a little bit rushed, the buildup was so intricate and interesting that ultimately I found the book immensely enjoyable.
I'd recommend this one to any reader looking for something a little different, particularly if they like their funny stories tempered with poignancy and their sad stories leavened with humour.
I received a free e-ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review.
One thing I particularly like about this novel is the complexity with which it portrays both the lives of nursing home residents and the lives of the people whose work is to care for the residents. No character is written to be either heroic or villainous, either purely nice or completely nasty; the messy, complicated reality of being human is always on display in their stories. As every character is written to have more than a few facets, all those angles make for truly captivating storytelling. While I felt the ending was a little bit rushed, the buildup was so intricate and interesting that ultimately I found the book immensely enjoyable.
I'd recommend this one to any reader looking for something a little different, particularly if they like their funny stories tempered with poignancy and their sad stories leavened with humour.
I received a free e-ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review.
September 20, 2022
But what was it all for? 🦆
April 20, 2022
The World of Pondside took me by surprise. The premise is interesting and unusual, and the author hooked me right away with the death in the first scenes of the book. Was it murder or suicide? That is what the police and the folks at Pondside would like to know.
The World of Pondside is a virtual reality game created by one of the residents at the Pondside Care Facility. Interestingly, the author gives readers glimpses into not only several of the residents and employees at Pondside, but also of their personalized virtual reality. People find welcome release in The World of Pondside game as it allows them to feel as if they are in a time and place where they felt their best or most loved, etc. The author’s characterizations are compassionate and her depictions of overworked nurses and staff seemed very realistic. Beyond the realistic range of emotions, the author embedded just the right amount of humor to take the edge off some of the tension.
As the story unfolds, readers not only learn of the Pondside residents, we get a very twisty, multifaceted tale. All those unexpected twists were fun, but I most loved the tender, thoughtful depiction of the nursing home residents. The World of Pondside is a lovely character driven story with a bit of mystery sprinkled on top.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
The World of Pondside is a virtual reality game created by one of the residents at the Pondside Care Facility. Interestingly, the author gives readers glimpses into not only several of the residents and employees at Pondside, but also of their personalized virtual reality. People find welcome release in The World of Pondside game as it allows them to feel as if they are in a time and place where they felt their best or most loved, etc. The author’s characterizations are compassionate and her depictions of overworked nurses and staff seemed very realistic. Beyond the realistic range of emotions, the author embedded just the right amount of humor to take the edge off some of the tension.
As the story unfolds, readers not only learn of the Pondside residents, we get a very twisty, multifaceted tale. All those unexpected twists were fun, but I most loved the tender, thoughtful depiction of the nursing home residents. The World of Pondside is a lovely character driven story with a bit of mystery sprinkled on top.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
August 30, 2023
For anyone with a friend or loved one who has Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, or who is living in or formerly lived in a nursing home, this will be an emotionally charged read.
There's a wide range of characters, just about all of whom become interesting and at least somewhat sympathetic.
As for the mystery, or rather the interconnected set of mysteries, not all are resolved, and perhaps the primary one has an ambiguous resolution.
There's a wide range of characters, just about all of whom become interesting and at least somewhat sympathetic.
As for the mystery, or rather the interconnected set of mysteries, not all are resolved, and perhaps the primary one has an ambiguous resolution.
June 24, 2022
An odd little book with a great premise. It was filled with quirky characters, but fell short for me.
January 21, 2023
If you were to ask me if I would like to read a book about a video game and a nursing home, I would probably say no! But I really enjoyed this! The characters are all quirky, the story moves along well, and I just thoroughly enjoyed being in this world for a bit.
June 18, 2022
The World of Pondside refers to an interactive game that a brilliant man suffering from ALS created in order for his fellow residents at a nursing home to be able to engage in their dream worlds. For one of the staff, that was being a fashion mogul in her own studio, for an elderly widow that was spending time with her deceased husband, for another being an esteemed dancer. And then the creator is found dead in the pond outside. Drowned.
Sadly, this was another book for me that started out with promise and then just veered off the road later on.
This murder mystery mixed with charming elderly patients (and some zany ones!) was really engaging for awhile, I loved learning about each person's firmer life and their World of Pondside worlds. Then suddenly a full second storyline emerged (which links to the plot at hand but came out of left field) introducing characters and stories that I'm somewhat perplexed as to......why they're there.
Overall, 3-stars for the engaging first half!
Sadly, this was another book for me that started out with promise and then just veered off the road later on.
This murder mystery mixed with charming elderly patients (and some zany ones!) was really engaging for awhile, I loved learning about each person's firmer life and their World of Pondside worlds. Then suddenly a full second storyline emerged (which links to the plot at hand but came out of left field) introducing characters and stories that I'm somewhat perplexed as to......why they're there.
Overall, 3-stars for the engaging first half!
January 26, 2022
A tender and deeply realized novel. It took a while for me to warm up to the book, but I loved its focus: the lives of nursing-home patients and their caregivers, coupled with the possibilities brought on by computers and virtual reality. The author creates a memorable and enduring cast of characters, each with their own quiet tragedy. But this novel gives them all a chance to speak, and we as readers give them attention.
I also loved the conceit that the elderly and the young CNAs at Pondside bond over learning about computers -- that was a really interesting move that made me stop and think. This novel was touching, not just because of its content, but because of its genuine portrayal of nursing home patients' lives, the history of how they ended up at Pondside, and how they spend their final days.
I also loved the conceit that the elderly and the young CNAs at Pondside bond over learning about computers -- that was a really interesting move that made me stop and think. This novel was touching, not just because of its content, but because of its genuine portrayal of nursing home patients' lives, the history of how they ended up at Pondside, and how they spend their final days.
April 28, 2022
This one had an interesting premise not wholly original but I am a fan of VR games in novels. The execution was just mediocre. None of the twists were surprising and the finale was not that exciting.
Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me an audiobook arc of this title.
Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me an audiobook arc of this title.
June 21, 2022
It took me a while to "get" Foster but he grew on me. Great job weaving so many characters. Great mystery with little "Easter Eggs" throughout. I have only one complaint, heaviest book ever. I don't think it ever laid flat for reading and reading in bed, which is what I do, was especially difficult. The writing was great.
September 29, 2023
3.5
I really liked the setting of this book, I loved a book where many of the main characters were old/ the setting of an assisted care home. I think it got a wee bit choppy toward the end, there was too much to tie up, and it felt out of pace with the rest of the story. But overall, I enjoyed it
I really liked the setting of this book, I loved a book where many of the main characters were old/ the setting of an assisted care home. I think it got a wee bit choppy toward the end, there was too much to tie up, and it felt out of pace with the rest of the story. But overall, I enjoyed it
October 7, 2021
Got an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Not quite sure what to say about this. It was engaging until the end, which was abrupt and very unsatisfying.
August 20, 2022
Really had a hard time getting through this., didn’t really get the whole point of it
November 29, 2022
I’m not rating this 2 stars because it was poorly written, but because it is incredibly boring, too long, and has somewhat of a misleading synopsis.
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July 14, 2022If you're looking for something different, look no further than The World of Pondside. "Quirky" doesn't begin to describe this book, as can be expected when it takes place almost entirely in a nursing facility. But be forewarned: I have no idea why it's billed as a "thriller", as there is very little sense of urgency until the second half, and even then the only real threat is that a handful of characters might not be able to play in their virtual world again. If anything it reads more like a cozy, with the possible murder of Robert, a war veteran with ALS, lingering until the very end.
This book is told from the POV of Foster (a "kitchen boy"), Dakota (a CNA torn between becoming a doctor or a teacher), Kitty (the overwhelmed home director), and Laverne (an 80 year-old stroke victim who visits her dead husband inside the game). Each character has unusual ways of viewing events that unfold, and yet there are still things that happen off-screen while we're within one character's perspective so that critical information isn't revealed until much later. Foster is annoyingly dense, despite being brilliant enough to help program the game, while Laverne is hilariously determined and has quite a few surprises up her sleeve. I'm not sure why Dakota is a POV character, other than to throw the reader off-track during his scenes, as he has his own little storyline but doesn't contribute much to the main plot. Kitty presents an intriguing perspective, but she sort of fades into the background in the second half of the book. Other well-developed characters include one-legged Duane Lotspeich, and Mary McIntyre, who is constantly searching for her lost baby. Unfortunately, other characters are only referred to by their conditions, such as "Dan the Trembling Man". While this can happen in medicine, there is no point in the book where it becomes clear that the staff realizes how demoralizing it is to reduce someone to their condition.
This is a very long book, clocking in at 13 hours for the audiobook. For such a long book, one might expect a solid climax and denouement. But instead it sort of fizzles out. The ending comes abruptly, and then there is an extra scene with Foster hinting at what might come next, along with a scene with Mary in an attempt to answer the main question about Robert's death without actually answering it. But Laverne and Dakota's stories just sort of end. If you're looking for resolution, neatly tied up loose ends, and possibly a bit of romance, you won't find any of that here. Perhaps it's simply that the author is presenting ideas on a scale too high for most readers to comprehend, so if you're the type who likes to puzzle out meaning later, this could be a good book for you. The idea of elderly people immersed in a virtual reality game is intriguing, but the actual design of the game is hard to follow, and at times the descriptions are slow to the point of plodding. The audiobook is wonderfully narrated, though all the female characters sound simply like a man impersonating an old woman.
Thank you to Blackstone, Netgalley, and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is told from the POV of Foster (a "kitchen boy"), Dakota (a CNA torn between becoming a doctor or a teacher), Kitty (the overwhelmed home director), and Laverne (an 80 year-old stroke victim who visits her dead husband inside the game). Each character has unusual ways of viewing events that unfold, and yet there are still things that happen off-screen while we're within one character's perspective so that critical information isn't revealed until much later. Foster is annoyingly dense, despite being brilliant enough to help program the game, while Laverne is hilariously determined and has quite a few surprises up her sleeve. I'm not sure why Dakota is a POV character, other than to throw the reader off-track during his scenes, as he has his own little storyline but doesn't contribute much to the main plot. Kitty presents an intriguing perspective, but she sort of fades into the background in the second half of the book. Other well-developed characters include one-legged Duane Lotspeich, and Mary McIntyre, who is constantly searching for her lost baby. Unfortunately, other characters are only referred to by their conditions, such as "Dan the Trembling Man". While this can happen in medicine, there is no point in the book where it becomes clear that the staff realizes how demoralizing it is to reduce someone to their condition.
This is a very long book, clocking in at 13 hours for the audiobook. For such a long book, one might expect a solid climax and denouement. But instead it sort of fizzles out. The ending comes abruptly, and then there is an extra scene with Foster hinting at what might come next, along with a scene with Mary in an attempt to answer the main question about Robert's death without actually answering it. But Laverne and Dakota's stories just sort of end. If you're looking for resolution, neatly tied up loose ends, and possibly a bit of romance, you won't find any of that here. Perhaps it's simply that the author is presenting ideas on a scale too high for most readers to comprehend, so if you're the type who likes to puzzle out meaning later, this could be a good book for you. The idea of elderly people immersed in a virtual reality game is intriguing, but the actual design of the game is hard to follow, and at times the descriptions are slow to the point of plodding. The audiobook is wonderfully narrated, though all the female characters sound simply like a man impersonating an old woman.
Thank you to Blackstone, Netgalley, and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2022
dnf at page 140
trigger warning
Two people died in a nursery home. What makes them different from their contemporaries is that they drowned under suspicious circumstances - normally, they would have needed help to navigate their wheelchairs down to the pond, and it looks like one tried to save the other and then drowned himself.
One of those deaths impacts the whole nursery home, because Robert was the sole developer of a kind of second life video game, tailored towards the gamer with all their memories and personal preferences. And on the day he dies, the laptop the server is on goes missing.
Main character is a dietary aide, meaning he helps in the kitchen and feeds residents who don't have the necessary control over their limbs anymore, which is how he befriended Robert, who in turn lost his mobility to ALS.
Nobody really knows anything, neither the police nor the nursery home staff nor the people living there, and the latter two are far too busy for a proper investigation. The nursery home is badly understaffed, which is the only reason nobody gets fired even when safety protocols get ignored on a weekend.
The prose is very near to stream of consciousness, which made it hard for me to stay on topic because it makes my mind float, and I really wish these things were mentioned in the blurp to make literature more accessible.
I found the book to be either very boring or very depressing, which is probably an accurate depiction of life in a nursery home, but nothing I can stomach right now.
I did not get the feeling the author is a gamer themselves and the details about the game felt either wrong or so vague that you can't really comment on them. Another thing I had problems with was that the characters basically all felt the same and it was not easy to keep track of who is who.
So despite me dnf-ing it, I think it's a personal thing - mostly.
If you still think you might like it, I urge you to read other reviews.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
trigger warning
Two people died in a nursery home. What makes them different from their contemporaries is that they drowned under suspicious circumstances - normally, they would have needed help to navigate their wheelchairs down to the pond, and it looks like one tried to save the other and then drowned himself.
One of those deaths impacts the whole nursery home, because Robert was the sole developer of a kind of second life video game, tailored towards the gamer with all their memories and personal preferences. And on the day he dies, the laptop the server is on goes missing.
Main character is a dietary aide, meaning he helps in the kitchen and feeds residents who don't have the necessary control over their limbs anymore, which is how he befriended Robert, who in turn lost his mobility to ALS.
Nobody really knows anything, neither the police nor the nursery home staff nor the people living there, and the latter two are far too busy for a proper investigation. The nursery home is badly understaffed, which is the only reason nobody gets fired even when safety protocols get ignored on a weekend.
The prose is very near to stream of consciousness, which made it hard for me to stay on topic because it makes my mind float, and I really wish these things were mentioned in the blurp to make literature more accessible.
I found the book to be either very boring or very depressing, which is probably an accurate depiction of life in a nursery home, but nothing I can stomach right now.
I did not get the feeling the author is a gamer themselves and the details about the game felt either wrong or so vague that you can't really comment on them. Another thing I had problems with was that the characters basically all felt the same and it was not easy to keep track of who is who.
So despite me dnf-ing it, I think it's a personal thing - mostly.
If you still think you might like it, I urge you to read other reviews.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
July 23, 2022
Who needs an alternate reality more desperately than people in a nursing home? All the real world has to offer is a life sentence of institutional meals and fluorescent lighting.
The World of Pondside was the surprise read of the year for me so far. I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, but the slightly zany plot and lovable cast of characters won me over immediately.
Pondside is a nursing home and rehabilitation center where Robert Kallman, who suffers from ALS, has come to live out his days. With the help of the "kitchen boy," Foster, Robert creates a virtual reality computer game called The World of Pondside, which allows residents to relive their best memories. But when Robert is found dead in the pond, still strapped into his wheelchair, and The World of Pondside server goes dark, it's up to Foster and a motley crue of Pondside residents and staff to get the game back online -- and to find out what really happened to Robert.
The World of Pondside is an entertaining mystery, but it's also a respectful and compassionate exploration of the aging process and the elderly that really resonated with me. This book is about The World of Pondside the game -- a fascinating idea, even if the actual mechanics of the game are a bit muddled -- but it's also about the world of Pondside the nursing home itself, taking readers into the inner workings of the facility, introducing us to a cast of unforgettable residents with all their quirks, and the overworked staff committed to caring for them. Stefaniak's depictions of these characters are vivid, authentic, and heartwarming. Her writing is a balance of tenderness and whimsy, sad moments tempered with humorous ones. There's something so wholesome about this book.
There are a couple of mysteries to solve, a few unexpected twists, and even a romp across the globe to enjoy. But most of all, it's the characters that carry The World of Pondside and make it so special. What an unusual, unexpected, unforgettable reading experience.
May 24, 2022
This was a character driven novel. At the heart of it is a mystery and also the video game, The World of Pondside. The game was not only enjoyed by residents and staff alike, they were also the characters in the game. Mary Helen Stefaniak has done a wonderful job detailing the story of the staff, the residents and of life in general of Pondside Manor.
Pondside Manor is a nursing home. Everyone's ailments, idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses, warts and all, were convincingly told. Some residents were self-sufficient (as much as they could be in the circumstance) and some required different levels of care. These differences were not glossed over, but rather, they were explained so that a novice could understand what they were. Their variances, however, were set aside in the creation of their characters in the game.
It was obvious to me that Ms. Stefaniak did her research. I never knew how much I did not know about ALS. The struggle is real and was heartbreaking to read about. I don't claim to know anything about the coding world vis a vis video games. My son assured me that what was written about coding these games was accurate. I also don't claim to know anything about life in a nursing facility, but her descriptions and my having seen patients in these facilities were spot on.
Particularly memorable to me was an interaction between a resident, Edith Cole, and one of the daughters of Mary McIntyre, another resident. Edith, who never spoke to anyone, explained to the daughter the down side of living in a facility such as Pondside Manor. It was poignantly written and brought me to tears.
There were many fun and bright spots in this novel, especially with my favorite character Foster Kresowik. If a movie were ever to be made, I would be very disappointed if Foster were not played by Eric Andre.
Pondside Manor is a nursing home. Everyone's ailments, idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses, warts and all, were convincingly told. Some residents were self-sufficient (as much as they could be in the circumstance) and some required different levels of care. These differences were not glossed over, but rather, they were explained so that a novice could understand what they were. Their variances, however, were set aside in the creation of their characters in the game.
It was obvious to me that Ms. Stefaniak did her research. I never knew how much I did not know about ALS. The struggle is real and was heartbreaking to read about. I don't claim to know anything about the coding world vis a vis video games. My son assured me that what was written about coding these games was accurate. I also don't claim to know anything about life in a nursing facility, but her descriptions and my having seen patients in these facilities were spot on.
Particularly memorable to me was an interaction between a resident, Edith Cole, and one of the daughters of Mary McIntyre, another resident. Edith, who never spoke to anyone, explained to the daughter the down side of living in a facility such as Pondside Manor. It was poignantly written and brought me to tears.
There were many fun and bright spots in this novel, especially with my favorite character Foster Kresowik. If a movie were ever to be made, I would be very disappointed if Foster were not played by Eric Andre.
September 11, 2022
If I knew what this novel was really about I might not have skimmed the last 100 pages. It touches on too many topics - AI, old farts getting hip on computers, ALS, nursing homes, staffing issues, women as jealous beings, men as swearing adventurers - in their early days and spreading the word to the younger men as well, and what it's like to be old and put on a shelf while you wait to head for the pond yourself - if you can find a friend to get you over the hump!
Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't offended (and I'm old) by the nicknames, frustrations, and gruesome diets of the near-veggies that inhabited Pondside - that's how it is and like other settings - only sometimes cruel humor will get a person to show up for work the next day. Novels about other aspects of the broken US healthcare system do the same - point out the horrors and then leave it.
In the beginning - say the first 175 pages - the characters were well developed and interesting as individuals. We meet them in real time and on the World of Pondside - most of them. From there, the issue of too many topics became a problem - at least for me - and dragged the story to a crawl. If the author wanted us to feel how claustrophobic and heavy handed nursing/memory care places are - then well done. And then suddenly the Chinese are involved - aren't they and/or the Russians always worked in somehow? Did miss the required mention of Trump.
I read this book at the urging of a friend who had Mary Helen as a prof at Pacific U. Maybe that was part of her enthusiasm. Sorry to say, it didn't carry over for me.
Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't offended (and I'm old) by the nicknames, frustrations, and gruesome diets of the near-veggies that inhabited Pondside - that's how it is and like other settings - only sometimes cruel humor will get a person to show up for work the next day. Novels about other aspects of the broken US healthcare system do the same - point out the horrors and then leave it.
In the beginning - say the first 175 pages - the characters were well developed and interesting as individuals. We meet them in real time and on the World of Pondside - most of them. From there, the issue of too many topics became a problem - at least for me - and dragged the story to a crawl. If the author wanted us to feel how claustrophobic and heavy handed nursing/memory care places are - then well done. And then suddenly the Chinese are involved - aren't they and/or the Russians always worked in somehow? Did miss the required mention of Trump.
I read this book at the urging of a friend who had Mary Helen as a prof at Pacific U. Maybe that was part of her enthusiasm. Sorry to say, it didn't carry over for me.
May 11, 2022
The delightfully flawed characters in Mary Helen Stefaniak's story will charm you from the beginning. As the pages turn you will realize the video game in The World of Pondside is just a front created by Robert, a brilliant ALS patient who lives in house, The purpose of the game is to do far more than just entertain his housemates. Now he is dead, and solving the mystery of how that happened is just the beginning of the thrills. The game has gone dark, Robert's military buddy everyone thought was dead has showed up, and a lot of patients in the US disenfranchised from the drugs they hope will save them have lost their hero. Does anyone know how to solve the secrets of the game? And, who will negotiate the secret trip to China now that Robert's elderly mother is in the hospital? Much is at stake, and it is all on the shoulders of this unlikely group of hacker-sleuth international spies fighting dementia and/or self-dought to the end. I will admit I had to reread and rethink a few layers of this mystery before I could settle my thoughts about the characters' fates - and that is exactly what made this a mystery unlike any other I had read - and I loved it! Narrated by George Newbern with just the right voice to make this quirky and humorous tale come alive.
Thank you Net galley and Blackstone Publishing Audio books for providing this ARC in exchange for a fair review.
Thank you Net galley and Blackstone Publishing Audio books for providing this ARC in exchange for a fair review.
November 10, 2021
Full of unexpected twists and unreliable narrators, what seemingly begins as a mystery becomes a complicated morass of confused purposes. The set up: at a nursing facility, computer scientist Robert, dying of ALS, creates an online game that replicates--to tiny detail--places and memories of the other patients, allowing them to spend time with late spouses, far away children, and in places cemented in their memories. But when Robert dies, his friend Foster, a facility employee, is supposed to recover Robert's laptop and give it to Robert's mother. But the laptop is missing, and thus begins a wild goose chase for it, various passwords, secret levels of the game, and more. What has the game really been about? Smuggling drugs in from China, where Robert has a connection to a lab making experimental medicines for ALS. There are layers upon layers here, dreams that seem real and memories that are subject to dementia, making for an ultimately less than satisfying conclusion, albeit a noble effort to clean up what had become a big mess in the middle.
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