Play Book Tag discussion

I usually sit on a review for a couple days to collect my thoughts, but I can't contain my excitement about this book!

I'll leave the extended synopsis to the experts and just say that this book is about several interconnected people whose stories all come together, some direct others tangentially, in beautiful ways set in Brooklyn in late 1969.

There's some mystery, intrigue, suspense, heartbreak, tragedy all leading to small heart-warming triumphs along the way ... such is life.

There were several moments that tugged at my heart strings, and others where I thought I might cry.

The ending was just superb.
I absolutely love this book and I am so sad it's over.
I'm gonna miss everyone.

Get to know the complex characters of one of Brooklyn's projects and the complicated, interwoven relationships between them with a little dash of mystery. Not as much plot driven as it is character driven... what will happen to them? Where will they end up? So clever and simply a pleasure to read.
Highly recommend.
If you don't love it, don't tell me about it because you might just break my heart! (kidding, of course)

I would love to see this book come alive on the small or big screen!

So glad you loved it Meli. I did too.

Great review.

It would be good as a movie or series. Some of the parts really lend themselves to excellent acting.

Booknblues wrote: "So glad you loved it Meli. I did too.

Great review.

It would be good as a movie or series. Some of the parts really lend themselves to excellent acting."

Yay, I'm glad you loved it as well.
The characters just really came alive for me.
I feel like this is the first time in a while where I could "hear" the character's voices to vividly without making much effort.
Normally I might think "oh this is Hettie" and get in my Hettie headspace but this was different.

My heart is full 🥰

Yes, it was 5 stars for me as well.

Karin wrote: "Yes, it was 5 stars for me as well."

WOOHOO!
I feel like you don't give those out too often either.

Damn. Gonna have to get to this one.

Have this on the TBR-your excitement motivates me

We talked about this in my book club last night and I think, based on those that didn't LOVE it like I did, if you don't feel invested in the main characters McBride won't knock it out of the park for you. The little nuggets of mystery aren't so much a mystery early on as much as the how of everything coming together.

So that is my lil disclaimer.
My love of the book was definitely tied up in really caring about these characters.

But if you both give it a read, I hope you like it!

Meli wrote: "Karin wrote: "Yes, it was 5 stars for me as well."

WOOHOO!
I feel like you don't give those out too often either."

True, and he got one for each of the books I read by him.

BUT at the start of this book I didn't like it that much--it grew on me. I stuck with it because one of my longtime GR friends started off the same way with this one and then gave it 5 stars since I read a few reviews when I was stuck a bit.

This is a story that the further you get, the more you get to know the characters and more is revealed, the better it is. I wasn't all in for the first 70 or so pages.

Meli wrote: "This is a story that the further you get, the more you get to know the characters and more is revealed, the better it is. I wasn't all in for the first 70 or so pages."

Precisely.

I liked two of his other books - and I trust you guys. Onto the TBR its goes.....

Meli wrote: "This is a story that the further you get, the more you get to know the characters and more is revealed, the better it is. I wasn't all in for the first 70 or so pages."
LOL. I just read 50 pages or so before deciding I didn't think I'd care about the main characters. I should have trusted McBride based on other reads I loved. (Unfortunately, it was a long waitlist, so reversing course no so timely)

Michael wrote: "Meli wrote: "This is a story that the further you get, the more you get to know the characters and more is revealed, the better it is. I wasn't all in for the first 70 or so pages."
LOL. I just rea..."

Oh no, you were so close!
There was someone in my book club who read the whole thing and never really connected with the characters, so it could definitely go either way.

I am still trying to figure out what it is that is tipping the scales for people and I think it might be the devices McBride uses to reveal more depth of his characters. Some readers are going to think it is meandering and unnecessary interludes... maybe, just a thought.

For example, there is a whole March of the Ants interlude that I loved, but for other readers it was unnecessary mundanity that served no purpose. I felt like it added another layer of depth to the neighborhood.

I'd say give it another try, Michael! At least to 70 pages or so. Maybe a hundred.

Meli, I'm one of the ones who gave up after reading about 70 pages or so in. And, I tried doing this twice. Instead, I watched an in-depth video of McBride describing his book. I enjoyed the interview so much! His life experience, good nature and sense of humor poured through. With this book, that's as close as I'm going to get. That said, I've read and enjoyed other books of his: The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, The Good Lord Bird and Five-Carat Soul.

@Holly you gave it a fair chance and that's all you can do! I understand. I do love to hear McBride talk. He is an interesting man and also kinda a curmudgeons which I appreciate. He was interviewed on The Stacks and was like "What kinda name is Beyonce? That isn't a real name!" Uuuhhhhh 😂

Holly R W wrote: "Meli, I'm one of the ones who gave up after reading about 70 pages or so in. And, I tried doing this twice. Instead, I watched an in-depth video of McBride describing his book. I enjoyed the interv..."

Ah, and for me it didn't get better until AFTER the first 70 pages. Not that you have to go back and try a third time