Play Book Tag discussion

Maybe a 3.5 rounded up? A story of a family, told in alternating timelines, current and then the subsequent years from Marilyn and David, the parents, meeting at university. From unexpected connections and difficulties of being a young couple to solid parents of 4 daughters who are all experiencing challenges in their personal lives. It is a story of family and finding oneself even if considered a proper adult. The story is a bit epic covering decades of a family of 6 and all the ups and downs of raising kids from babies to moody teens to young adults and parents themselves.

I've mixed feelings. On one hand, the story and writing was quite engaging and I was reluctant to put down the story, wanting to know what happened next. On the other hand, I honestly didn't really like any of them. Yes, some faced serious traumas but they all made really poor choices and reacted even worse to the challenges. The daughters especially were raised in a loving affluent household where they were valued and supported. The source of their problems: (view spoiler)[ they claimed major distress because their parents loved each other so much? (hide spoiler)] However some of the writing felt so true yet so much was like watching the Kardashians.

BWF Tenacious Trailblazers: Letter M bonus, Coming of Age x 15

Great review, Jen! As I read the book awhile ago, I reread my review to remember how I felt about it. I thought the author made the story more melodramatic than it had to be and wrote:

" While reading, I found myself liking the passages better that described the daughters less dramatically - the ones that captured them in quiet day to day moments. They came across more naturally."

The male characters were easier to relate to.

"My favorite characters in the story were male: David (the father) and Jonah (Violet's birth son). Their characters seemed the most relatable to me."

As to your spoiler, I remember thinking similarly to you.

Yes Holly, you captured it perfectly. The quiet day to day moments were the best part and are what kept me in. Much better than the melodrama of the overall story.

The guys were the best. I felt so terrible for Jonah. He was a kid, losing his parents and living in the foster system and these privileged adult women were not right in their interactions. (view spoiler)[ While I recognize that Grace was not a full on adult, I was livid that she spent the night out rather than check on a 15 year old kid after he ran away like that (hide spoiler)]

I have always been on the fence about this one. It’s stayed on my TBR, gone up and down. I guess I’m asking you guys who have read it, do you think it’s for me?

I'm not sure that it's for you, Amy. Do you ever read the first 40-50 pages of a library book to help you decide if a book is interesting enough to continue?

It's a messy, sprawling family drama where all 4 daughters in the family have issues. I know that Nicole R. loved it. The book itself is on the long side.

Here is my review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had my reservations. That’s really all I need to be able to take that and run with it.

I'm with Holly and on the fence for you as well. If you just want to immerse yourself in a sprawling family drama, it is engaging.

The daughters are so selfish that I was regularly annoyed with them even when I felt for them. Maybe they came around a little by the end. Maybe enough that you would enjoy?

Double the confirmation! Thrilled to lose it. It actually was off my list and then my friend Samantha said she really enjoyed it. Nope.

I loved this book. I live in Oak Park-the setting of this novel, and there were so many specificites that rang so true. There were some traumatic moments, but that felt true to life as well. I tend to think of life as 95% little moments, but certainly there are big moments that change the trajectories of our lives- a lie that gets out of control, an unplanned pregnancy, loss, jealousy. Isn't that what life is made of? At different points of the book, I disliked some of the characters-but that felt true to life too! I love my family, but they can drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, and Lombardo depicted that in a really truthful manner...if you're on the fence on this one, I implore you to give it a go. I was finishing grading a set of essays in a Panera and found myself crying at the last few pages.

This is on sale today as an ebook. I was tempted but looked at reviews and decided against it.