The version represented here is only a guess, a wish, in some ways, that my uncle, and others like him—people who felt unimportant here on earth—real The version represented here is only a guess, a wish, in some ways, that my uncle, and others like him—people who felt unimportant here on earth—realize, finally, how much they mattered and how much they were loved.
It's hard not to love a novel that opens with a dedication as heartfelt as this. There's something about a story that's written from personal experience, or for a very real person in one's life, that resonates with readers in a way not many other stories do. But keeping this in mind complicates the rating, because this story isn't exactly perfect, or even close, but does it have to be to serve its purpose?
Simply put—thematically, this story felt like it bit off more than it could chew. It bears some similarities to plotlines like It's a Wonderful Life or Before the Coffee Gets Cold in the way that it attempts to use a cast of static characters to make sense of another's life, teaching him lessons along the way. The issue was because this book is only a little over 100 pages, most of the conclusions to those mini character arcs (in a way) either felt rushed or open-ended. I would've loved to see more time spent on each of the lessons so the growth would feel more gradual. The one that personally felt the most realistic was Eddie learning to forgive his father and see his actions from another perspective, which, not gonna lie, had me tearing up a bit.
However, the writing throughout each chapter was simultaneously simplistic and insightful (somewhat reminiscent of Fredrik Backman), and I appreciated the author's insight to detail in a way that made the book feel like a slice of real life even while it was intermixed with fantastical elements.
Overall, a solid story from Albom, and I'd probably read more of his books as they all seem to deal with complex questions and human emotions.
Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - a mother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives. ...more
“Do you think we’ll be able to make peace with this town in the end? Just come back and live here as if nothing happened?�
THIS Re-read | July 2024
“Do you think we’ll be able to make peace with this town in the end? Just come back and live here as if nothing happened?�
THIS BOOK. This terrible, terrible, but also miraculously healing book. This book that spans almost 700 pages and somehow manages to wrap up all the loose threads of the characters I have come to love. This book that absolutely DEMOLISHED me in January of 2024 so naturally, I had to read it again.
And no, I still can't decide whether I love or hate it, and even if I hate it, it'd be for all the right reasons. Because the ending is everything.
That's all you need to know.
Kira doesn't run toward the fire, she ran after the children. Behind her comes Tess, soon other women will come, from all directions, in red and green jackets, some even in black. They wrap their arms around each other, in circles, ring after ring, forming a wall around Alicia. Nothing that happens to the girl in the rest of her life will ever be worse than this. But in the very worst moment, in the midst of the greatest terror, mothers and big sisters from the whole forest ran here to protect her. No one can fight against evil. But if it wants to take Alicia, it's going to have to go through every last one of them first.
Good luck being a reader and not going to pieces when you read that.
Original Review | January 2024
"This hurts too much to touch with words."
I can't think of a quote that more accurately sums up the conclusion of this series.
It's beautiful, the way all the woven threads of foreshadowing within Beartown & Us Against You come to fruition in this final book.
But it's also painful. So painful. I legitimately cried over the ending, and the worst thing is—from a writer standpoint, it made sense to end the series this way, as much as I wish it didn't.
I've always somewhat found the notion of being overly attached to fictional characters slightly ridiculous—mostly because I've never experienced it myself—but this book took those presuppositions and shattered them into pieces, along with my heart. Backman is a master in the way that he can develop characters and their motivations (even the broken and antagonistic ones) to the extent that you see yourself in every single character. You see the way they are trying to fix things, trying to do right, trying to protect those they love.
(view spoiler)[ Also can we just scream about Bobo and Tess?? I'm not a romantic whatsoever, but they are ADORABLE and so sweet and wholesome. I love how the author decided to showcase a good, healthy relationship in contrast to the other abusive ones that play such a big role in this entire series. (hide spoiler)]
But sometimes, just like in real life, it isn't enough. Characters will die. Others will fight to wrong injustices and fail. Others will take their first stumbling steps into a world where they're stripped of their identities & attempt to assemble new ones from the ashes. And still others will run straight towards fire. Unafraid of the consequences.
But in spite of it all, there is hope and there is forgiveness and there is life, and this series expresses that so beautifully. Despite the hatred and the enmity, there is goodness and healing for people who have spent lifetimes trying to destroy each other.
It is for that reason that I'd daresay this entire series is worth a read.
Right off the bat, Backman introduces us to a character we can't help but take a strong disliking to. He's seProbably my favorite read of 2023 so far.
Right off the bat, Backman introduces us to a character we can't help but take a strong disliking to. He's set in his ways, hates cats, carries constant anger, and isn't afraid to speak (or shout) his mind. But as the story unfolds, the layers of Ove unfold and we realize there is much more to his bitterness than meets the eye. That etched within the creases of his hands is a tale of values and love and loss and grief that has shaped him into the person he is.
It's slow at times, and very character-driven, and you might disagree with Ove's actions and the way he tended to prematurely judge people (I certainly did), but the main thing that I appreciated about this story was from the very first page, it dripped with realism. From the way Ove spread newspapers around the seats of his car to the chaotic neighbors, Backman used tiny details to enhance the setting even more. There are no romanticized situations here. Characters die in this book. Others damage their cars and end up in hospitals for ridiculous reasons. A flicker of romance begins awkwardly. Small children do not behave.
And y'know, maybe the fact that I have been thoroughly sick and tired of romanticized and unrealistic YA made me appreciate this book even more, as a writer and just as a person. It also made me think too—how many Oves have I met and prematurely judged because I failed to understand them? What if under the surface, they struggle to carry the weight of a past that did not treat them kindly?
Basically—I cried over this book. I also laughed at parts (I was on a plane, too). There are things I definitely disagreed with, but I got the impression the author was not trying to push an over-romanticized, idealistic world and message. He wrote about the world the way Ove saw it, with all its grit and madness.
And the cat made it 10x better. Fight me.
CWs: 3 suicide attempts (on-page; (view spoiler)[ in which a character attempts to hang, poison, and shoot himself (hide spoiler)]), some cursing (mostly d**n and h**l, may have been one f-bomb), suicidal ideation, train accident...more
I genuinely don't have many other words, and that's ... considerably rare?
I expected a slow, rambly read, but instead met a sTwo words: that. ending.
I genuinely don't have many other words, and that's ... considerably rare?
I expected a slow, rambly read, but instead met a story right up my alley—murder mystery plot, unreliable narrators, and an ending to figure out for yourself. (The very best kind of ending, in my opinion, and the author has my respect for somehow managing to pull it off).
THE STAR THAT ALWAYS STAYS is a beautifully-written story exploring themes of identity, true courage, and family.
The main character, Norvia, started THE STAR THAT ALWAYS STAYS is a beautifully-written story exploring themes of identity, true courage, and family.
The main character, Norvia, started off as extremely sympathetic. I could relate to her perpetual state of overthinking, frequent social anxiety, and sensitivity, so right off the bat, I was rooting for her to adjust to the multitude of changes in her life.
I appreciated the author's subtle, L. M. Montgomery-style of storytelling, which paired well with the main character and her delicacy. Johnson also did a wonderful job breaking the mold with step-family stereotypes in fiction, showing the contrast between healthy and unhealthy relationships and how step-families are not always evil despite what Disney tells us. (Who knew?)
While this isn't what I'd personally classify as a heavy read, there are a lot of tense relationships and adjusting that really moved the story along. There were also moments that literally made me tear up, possibly due to the fact that I was very emotionally invested in these characters.
(Also, Vernon. LOVE HIM.)
Overall, a beautiful read displaying the complication of family dynamics and adjusting to things life throws at us all. Would highly recommend.
(Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own)...more
First things first: This book brought me out of my reading slump and I am forever grateful.
With that said, I didn't expect to like this book so much. First things first: This book brought me out of my reading slump and I am forever grateful.
With that said, I didn't expect to like this book so much. After all, months of reading and getting annoyed with one's own book selections makes one rather cynical. But I read this book in ONE SITTING and yes, I can confirm it's a beautiful and *CLEAN* story.
I love how the author didn't shy away from the pain of that night many years ago, in fact, she only made it so much more real. Painful, yes, but also real. The author skillfully threaded the emotion through the pages, but rather than letting it bog the story down with darkness, she chose to weave a story of hope from the shattered pieces. Through the eyes of Kate, a passenger on the Titanic, and Arthur, the captain of the Carpathia, we see a story of great pain, but we also see a story of hope, of people coming together in the end to uplift and serve one another.
Guys. Not gonna lie, we need more books like this.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an HONEST review....more
"The pact seemed so long ago, struck by an entirely different person. One who hadn't had her body riven in two—from the pain of childbirth and the in "The pact seemed so long ago, struck by an entirely different person. One who hadn't had her body riven in two—from the pain of childbirth and the inexorable suffering of child loss. That girl seemed so innocent, standing on the brink of limitless possibility, mercifully unaware that she would have to morph herself and sacrifice her ambitions to persevere in the world." —Chapter 28
Benedict provides us with a beautifully written, thought-provoking fictionalized account of the other Einstein—Albert Einstein's forgotten but controversial first wife, Mileva Maric. And while I found I could not relate to Mileva's warring love for science and a man, and her marital frustrations that arose later down the road, I found that sympathizing with her wasn't impossible, as the author wrote her emotions with profound impact. I could FEEL her disillusionment. Her struggle to find purpose in her situation. Her attempts to harden herself to do what she believed was right.
Who knows if the real, living Mileva Maric dealt with similar emotions? Her fictional situation was certainly drawn from elements of truth. Her story is a sad one, and even this story doesn't necessarily lend her a happy ending, I can't help but hope that the real Mileva Maric found peace later on in her life....more
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