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New Year's Eve
From the author of The Theory of Everything comes an engrossing family drama with touches of the supernatural. When an accident takes the life of her son, a young mother is astounded to learn that her twin sister's child claims to be able to communicate with him in heaven.
366 pages, Library Binding
First published December 17, 1996
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159 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Grunwald
19 books457 followersLisa Grunwald is the author of the novels The Evolution of Annabel Craig, Time After Time, The Irresistible Henry House, Whatever Makes You Happy, New Year's Eve, The Theory of Everything, and Summer. Along with her husband, former Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler, she edited the bestselling anthologies The Marriage Book, Women's Letters and Letters of the Century. Grunwald is an occasional essayist and runs a side hustle on Etsy called ProcrastinationArts, where she sells other things she makes with pencils and paper. She lives in New York City.
Photo courtesy of author website.
Photo courtesy of author website.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 3, 2019
I came to this novel off the back of abandoning another. The book concerned -- which shall here, as is my custom, remain anonymous -- was only 165 pages long so, although it looked potentially a bit uninspiring, I reasoned I should surely be able to get through it easily enough and the experience might be good for my moral fiber, or something of that nature. Alas, I'd underestimated how boring boring can be, so I lasted just forty pages before it was a case of either throw the book at the wall or seek counseling.
Whatever the case, New Year's Eve started off at an advantage because it wasn't the other book. It's also quite a lot longer and, being slightly atypical of my usual reading, reassured me that I was likely to get at least some threads of that moral fiber.
Erica and Heather are twin sisters, Heather being 22 minutes older and, since their childhood, the bossy one. Now that they're in their thirties, Erica and Heather give birth just a few weeks apart to two children: David (Heather's second) and Sarah (Erica's first). David and Sarah become inseparable: they're in effect another pair of twins. But then, when they're aged three, David is killed in a car accident.
Soon after, Sarah begins to claim she's in communication with David, who's living in a very unusual version of Heaven. At first everyone assumes that David has become Sarah's equivalent of an imaginary friend, but then . . .
I discovered a lot to like about this novel, and I certainly read it quickly enough, but oddly I found that this supernatural theme -- which I assume was the book's raison d'etre -- was more of a mildly irritating distraction than anything else, like static on a radio broadcast. Far more interesting were the portrayals of Heather and Erica and their retired dad, and the relationships between them. Heather, we learn pretty swiftly, is and always has been a bitch. The submissive Erica, a far more sympathetic and respectworthy character, has been wrong to kowtow to Heather all her life -- to feel that she must constantly earn Heather's love when in reality Heather lacks the ability to love -- and by the end of the novel Erica herself is beginning to realize this. Dad, who shares Heather's innate selfishness, is now showing signs of dementia, or something approaching it, and this is making it doubly difficult for him to appreciate that he no longer rules the roost.
One problem the book has is that, outside those three, the characters seem barely sketched in. Sarah seems like just rentachild; her elder cousin Jeffrey is even less in focus. The two women's husbands seem merely ciphers: Erica's Edgar is a good egg and Heather's Richard is an older stuffed shirt, but that's about it.
The chapters hop about in time quite a bit, with most of them being set on a New Year's Eve, sometimes during the girls' childhood, more often in the 1980s and early 1990s. I found this chopping and changing of the chronology worked very effectively in telling the story, with Erica being our constant narrator. I was less happy with the narration itself, which seemed to me ever-ready to default to a sort of slick readability at the expense of the kind of depth the tale was crying out for. This is obvious in the frequent instances of pages-long bits of dialogue that consist of rapid exchanges of very short sentences. As I say, it's slick -- these sections are very easy to read (they're also, as I know, incredibly quick to write) -- but it very soon becomes exasperating. Here's an example, chosen at random:
You may understand why, when I came to this one-line paragraph (p328), I rocked with laughter: "It was the kind of dialogue that can make grown people weep."
Yet, when Grunwald resisted the lures of such self-indulgence, the text often became quite powerful, with insights into characters and situations that kept me constantly engaged. And there were frequent little morsels to relish, such as, on page 361, little Sarah's version of a well known song:
You can bet that's the version I myself shall be singing from now on.
Whatever the case, New Year's Eve started off at an advantage because it wasn't the other book. It's also quite a lot longer and, being slightly atypical of my usual reading, reassured me that I was likely to get at least some threads of that moral fiber.
Erica and Heather are twin sisters, Heather being 22 minutes older and, since their childhood, the bossy one. Now that they're in their thirties, Erica and Heather give birth just a few weeks apart to two children: David (Heather's second) and Sarah (Erica's first). David and Sarah become inseparable: they're in effect another pair of twins. But then, when they're aged three, David is killed in a car accident.
Soon after, Sarah begins to claim she's in communication with David, who's living in a very unusual version of Heaven. At first everyone assumes that David has become Sarah's equivalent of an imaginary friend, but then . . .
I discovered a lot to like about this novel, and I certainly read it quickly enough, but oddly I found that this supernatural theme -- which I assume was the book's raison d'etre -- was more of a mildly irritating distraction than anything else, like static on a radio broadcast. Far more interesting were the portrayals of Heather and Erica and their retired dad, and the relationships between them. Heather, we learn pretty swiftly, is and always has been a bitch. The submissive Erica, a far more sympathetic and respectworthy character, has been wrong to kowtow to Heather all her life -- to feel that she must constantly earn Heather's love when in reality Heather lacks the ability to love -- and by the end of the novel Erica herself is beginning to realize this. Dad, who shares Heather's innate selfishness, is now showing signs of dementia, or something approaching it, and this is making it doubly difficult for him to appreciate that he no longer rules the roost.
One problem the book has is that, outside those three, the characters seem barely sketched in. Sarah seems like just rentachild; her elder cousin Jeffrey is even less in focus. The two women's husbands seem merely ciphers: Erica's Edgar is a good egg and Heather's Richard is an older stuffed shirt, but that's about it.
The chapters hop about in time quite a bit, with most of them being set on a New Year's Eve, sometimes during the girls' childhood, more often in the 1980s and early 1990s. I found this chopping and changing of the chronology worked very effectively in telling the story, with Erica being our constant narrator. I was less happy with the narration itself, which seemed to me ever-ready to default to a sort of slick readability at the expense of the kind of depth the tale was crying out for. This is obvious in the frequent instances of pages-long bits of dialogue that consist of rapid exchanges of very short sentences. As I say, it's slick -- these sections are very easy to read (they're also, as I know, incredibly quick to write) -- but it very soon becomes exasperating. Here's an example, chosen at random:
She shrugged. I stared.
"What?" she asked me.
"I didn't know---"
"What?"
"I guess I didn't know you believed in that stuff."
"In what stuff?"
"In life after death," I said. "That's what we're talking about, you know."
She shrugged again.
"Do you?" I asked.
"Do you?" she asked.
"No."
"Really?" [p214]
You may understand why, when I came to this one-line paragraph (p328), I rocked with laughter: "It was the kind of dialogue that can make grown people weep."
Yet, when Grunwald resisted the lures of such self-indulgence, the text often became quite powerful, with insights into characters and situations that kept me constantly engaged. And there were frequent little morsels to relish, such as, on page 361, little Sarah's version of a well known song:
Oh, Susanna,
Oh don't you cry for me,
For I come from Alabama
with a bandage on my knee.
You can bet that's the version I myself shall be singing from now on.
January 2, 2013
I read this appropriately titled novel on actual New Year’s Eve - it seemed a simply perfect choice to celebrate the New Year with as my husband and I quietly celebrated at home. And I really enjoyed this family drama - of course, any time a book involves twins of any ages, I know that I have a special predilection for like it. This New York-set story involved not only adult fraternal twins, but also a sort of supernatural twist. The relationships in the book between the various family members all felt very realistic and relatable - even the “otherworldly” interactions had a chilling quality of reality to them. It was an interesting read and surprisingly difficult to put down. It flipped back and forth through time - highlighting significant New Year’s Eves over the course of the twins’, Erica and Heather, lives. It added a lot to the story, and certainly set a festive mood for reading it right at the same time. While some of the characters were much more likable than others, it still made for an entertaining way to help bring in the New Year.
August 9, 2022
The story had my attention from the beginning. It was a total page turner, keeping me completely absorbed in the story. Twin sisters had me wondering how my grandgirls will be as they grown up. The loss of a child was heartbreaking but it introduced the mystery ... as unbelievable as it seems, Sarah seems to be hearing David ... and while the 'proof' seems irrefutable, the parents can't believe it and are worried for their child. Questions are raised and left hanging ..Is there a life after death ..what is it like..do we come back ..
I'd recommend this book to everyone. The author spins a good yarn. I want to read more of Lisa Grunwald. In fact - I was sure I'd heard of her before - perhaps read something else of hers ... but I don't know what.
I'd recommend this book to everyone. The author spins a good yarn. I want to read more of Lisa Grunwald. In fact - I was sure I'd heard of her before - perhaps read something else of hers ... but I don't know what.
September 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It was full of so many concepts. After the death of a small child, the book dives deep into the family’s coping of this death. The grieving and coping mechanisms of a child are so incredible to me. I found it fascinating. But the book also talks about the aging and the challenges of facing one’s own mortality, the challenges of marriages while raising children, and the complexity of relationships between siblings.
May 21, 2019
"Part comtemporary family drama, part ghost story" according to the flap of NEW YEARS EVE.
I'd add 'part exploration of what heaven means' since so much of this tale depends on the ability of one to let go and consider Heaven as a reality.
Main characters are a set of twins. One is first and always leads the way, the second is more reticent and vulerable. These girls grow, mature, marry and give birth within weeks of each other, a boy and a girl. This son and daughter grow up with closeness like the siblings their mothers were as children.
And then, the son dies in an accident, and the daughter begins to talk to him in heaven.
Her mother doesn't want to encourage the behavior but the mother of the dead son encourages her to share every detail of these chats with her son.
As you can imagine this all goes downhill quickly and the entire extended family is brought to their knees with the emotional wedge this brings to each and every member.
BTW-- there is one section explaining about the poem Auld Lang Syne (Old Long Since) as used each New Year's Eve. It gives a rough translation of what Robert Burns was conveying and is really quite tender and sweet.
I'd add 'part exploration of what heaven means' since so much of this tale depends on the ability of one to let go and consider Heaven as a reality.
Main characters are a set of twins. One is first and always leads the way, the second is more reticent and vulerable. These girls grow, mature, marry and give birth within weeks of each other, a boy and a girl. This son and daughter grow up with closeness like the siblings their mothers were as children.
And then, the son dies in an accident, and the daughter begins to talk to him in heaven.
Her mother doesn't want to encourage the behavior but the mother of the dead son encourages her to share every detail of these chats with her son.
As you can imagine this all goes downhill quickly and the entire extended family is brought to their knees with the emotional wedge this brings to each and every member.
BTW-- there is one section explaining about the poem Auld Lang Syne (Old Long Since) as used each New Year's Eve. It gives a rough translation of what Robert Burns was conveying and is really quite tender and sweet.
June 20, 2010
All I can say is Wow. Grunwald is such a good writer that her characters are fully fleshed-out---their personalities, their histories, their relationships to each other---in short vignettes. I don't want to spoil any of the plot by giving details, but it is an interesting story told both in present day and in flashbacks. With the perfect bit of dialogue or description of an interaction, Grunwald makes her characters and the situations they get themselves into real. I highly recommend it.
January 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, especially the dynamic between the sisters. It's interesting to hear what other peoples versions of heaven look like (even if it's in fiction) and this book has an interesting take from a childs point of view. I look forward to reading more by this author.
April 28, 2015
Very engaging
This was a psychologically true story that kept me interested and entertained all the way through. She has a good grasp of character and dialogue.
This was a psychologically true story that kept me interested and entertained all the way through. She has a good grasp of character and dialogue.
January 1, 2021
I read this book because I saw that the old Lifetime movie, Haunting Sarah, was based on it.
The movie and the book really aren't all that similar. I figured they wouldn't be, given that the movie is set around Halloween, and the book centers on New Year's Eve.
Character names are the same. Some of the same things (or at least similar things) happen. But the movie is a lot creepier ... and I think I like it better. The book leaves too many loose ends.
Still, it's an interesting read ... and an especially fascinating look at family life and relationships. If you read this before you see the Lifetime movie, you probably won't be nearly as disappointed as I was.
The movie and the book really aren't all that similar. I figured they wouldn't be, given that the movie is set around Halloween, and the book centers on New Year's Eve.
Character names are the same. Some of the same things (or at least similar things) happen. But the movie is a lot creepier ... and I think I like it better. The book leaves too many loose ends.
Still, it's an interesting read ... and an especially fascinating look at family life and relationships. If you read this before you see the Lifetime movie, you probably won't be nearly as disappointed as I was.
November 29, 2020
Intriguing family drama between twin sisters and family members.
I enjoyed the book very much but would have liked a more definitive explanation of the "David communication mystery" at the end. Would be a great book for a book club discussion!
I enjoyed the book very much but would have liked a more definitive explanation of the "David communication mystery" at the end. Would be a great book for a book club discussion!
January 1, 2022
I don’t write reviews very often, but this is simply one of the best books I’ve ever read. The story captured me from the very beginning and unlike a lot of fiction, it kept me guessing at what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to dig into more from this author.
January 12, 2019
Loved it!
January 3, 2017
I began reading "New Year's Eve" on exactly that - New Year's Eve of 2016, going into 2017. Lisa Grunwald's novel is part sibling rivalry tale, part ghost story. Heather and Erica are twins, who grew up relatively close and celebrated New Year's Eve as a big tradition with their mother and father. Though they stick close throughout their teen and adult years, they also have moments where they drift far apart and tension evolves. The book flips back and forth between past and present New Year's (the present being the late 1980's-early 1990's). In the present, Heather suffers a tremendous loss when her 3 year-old son, David, is killed in an accident. Erica's daughter, Sarah, close in age and in friendship with her cousin, suddenly believe she can talk to David from heaven. As she confesses this ability to her Aunt Heather, aunt and niece become eerily close, and tensions between Erica and Heather ratchet up several notches. An additional storyline of the twins dealing with their father's potential dementia throws in a comparative twist (dealing with the problems of the young - ie., Sarah - vs. dealing with the problems of the old with their father).
This book is a relatively breezy read, largely thanks to the frequent chunks where Grunwald wrote just pure dialogue. It moves at a good pace and conveys enough suspense to keep the pages turning. It's a decent enough book to kick off the new year and a reading challenge I am participating in with friends (I choose this as the book that "takes place on a holiday other than Christmas"). I'm not sure this book will prompt me to read the author's other novels, as her writing didn't particularly enthrall me, but it's really an interesting story and good read.
This book is a relatively breezy read, largely thanks to the frequent chunks where Grunwald wrote just pure dialogue. It moves at a good pace and conveys enough suspense to keep the pages turning. It's a decent enough book to kick off the new year and a reading challenge I am participating in with friends (I choose this as the book that "takes place on a holiday other than Christmas"). I'm not sure this book will prompt me to read the author's other novels, as her writing didn't particularly enthrall me, but it's really an interesting story and good read.
December 5, 2011
So I've loved all of Lisa Grunwald's books so, so much, but not this one. It felt really disjointed to me. None of the characters were likable or not likeable enough to care about (if that makes sense), and the plot line was creepy and not well-formed. Definitely one to skip.
December 31, 2016
Debated giving this 2 or 3 stars. It was a very engaging book, in spite of the first person narrative and the stilted "I said. She said" dialog. Kept me wanting to read more. However, the curt and unsatisfying ending ruined it for me.
November 15, 2009
Based on Haunting Sarah
December 30, 2010
I liked this one overall, but the resolution seemed a little too abrupt compared to how long it took the story to unfold.
April 26, 2011
Really enjoyed this book.
March 16, 2015
Interesting story. Real page turner.
June 8, 2009
Basis for my all-time favorite Lifetime movie, "Haunting Sarah"...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews