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jeslyncat's review
2.0
I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway, it played no part in this review.
I tried, I really tried to enjoy this book. I overlooked some over-done, dry political stabs, I ignored the terrible characterization at the beginnng of the book, I even kept going when the writing took underwritten turns that made little sense and made my head spin. But, even with all the effort, this book was just not great. It was less than middle-of-the-road. I'm sure it would be a novel to offer comfort to a woman in the same shunned situtation as Evvie, I'm also sure that if you were looking for a book you could put down over and over and read over the course of months where you did not notice the lack of consistency, I'm also sure it would make a great book for a friend who won't read it. I honestly don't even feel the author is fully to blame here, any editor could have just cut out the first fifty pages and made the book a great deal better.
I tried, I really tried to enjoy this book. I overlooked some over-done, dry political stabs, I ignored the terrible characterization at the beginnng of the book, I even kept going when the writing took underwritten turns that made little sense and made my head spin. But, even with all the effort, this book was just not great. It was less than middle-of-the-road. I'm sure it would be a novel to offer comfort to a woman in the same shunned situtation as Evvie, I'm also sure that if you were looking for a book you could put down over and over and read over the course of months where you did not notice the lack of consistency, I'm also sure it would make a great book for a friend who won't read it. I honestly don't even feel the author is fully to blame here, any editor could have just cut out the first fifty pages and made the book a great deal better.
kdurham2's review
2.0
There are books that are about sad or deep topics that make you think, but don't bring the mood down and then there are books that just quite bring the mood to the pits. This one is of the latter group. What a debbie downer that left me hoping that no one would compare me with Evvie and her crazy antics to get her estranged husband back.
Evvie went to the ends of the earth to try to repair her marriage that was holding on by a string until the string broke. She went above and beyond, hence the title to try to get her husband back in their home and in love with her. I respect her ideas to try to repair, but she did some crazy things.
I rarely read reviews of books before or during reading it, but this one made me stop and see if I was the only one that wasn't enjoying Evvie and her craziness. Maybe I am.
Has anyone else read this? Am I alone in my thoughts?
Evvie went to the ends of the earth to try to repair her marriage that was holding on by a string until the string broke. She went above and beyond, hence the title to try to get her husband back in their home and in love with her. I respect her ideas to try to repair, but she did some crazy things.
I rarely read reviews of books before or during reading it, but this one made me stop and see if I was the only one that wasn't enjoying Evvie and her craziness. Maybe I am.
Has anyone else read this? Am I alone in my thoughts?
nataliewmeow's review
4.0
Very weird story. The woman is a little weird and when her husband wants to separate, she goes off the deep end. She tries everything to get him back and when she see's her husband with another women, she gets desperate. She tries something that is insane and alters their lives forever!
THe story starts out kind of slow but by the middle, picked up and couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
THe story starts out kind of slow but by the middle, picked up and couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
nataliew2's review
4.0
Very weird story. The woman is a little weird and when her husband wants to separate, she goes off the deep end. She tries everything to get him back and when she see's her husband with another women, she gets desperate. She tries something that is insane and alters their lives forever!
THe story starts out kind of slow but by the middle, picked up and couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
THe story starts out kind of slow but by the middle, picked up and couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
brooke_review's review
3.0
An odd little book. As the reader, you spend most of the time in the heads of the characters and the way they look at their relationships. The character of Evvie was one of the most unique & puzzling that I have come across in recent times. This book left me scratching my head by the time I had finished, as it had taken me from here to there & back again multiple times, never giving me a full grasp on what was going on & where it was going.
bookshand's review
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It’s a story about divorce alright, but it goes from sad to sadder in such a bizarre way.
jillgriff74's review
3.0
Sort of like halfway through, the writers of Breaking Bad took over an episode of Dharma and Greg.
cheryl1213's review
4.0
Switching between characters, this novel tells the story of a marriage ending and shows one partner unravelling as the other begins to move forward. In early chapters, I related a bit to some of the descriptions of Evvie from Ben's viewpoint but she quickly began to deteriorate and a troubling underside to her became clear. She has trouble accepting Ben's departure and her sanity begins to crumble over time. Ben is concerned but is trying to walk the line between being supportive and giving her false hopes or falling back into old habits himself.
I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about this novel as I progressed. There's a key story element that I won't reveal but that I just didn't enjoy at all. Despite that, I am giving this novel (provided to me by Harper) a solid four stars for the deep psychological study of a woman shaken to the core. The author shows that the roots of Evvie's disturbance went deep (vs. having her just crack one moment) and I think both partners are well explored. I'd very much like to remove the one storyline that felt like too much of an add-in (I can see how the author got caught by the concept, just think it'd be a better novel without it) but it is a worthwhile read as it stands. Good for folks who like compelling character-driven studies of personality and psychology.
I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about this novel as I progressed. There's a key story element that I won't reveal but that I just didn't enjoy at all. Despite that, I am giving this novel (provided to me by Harper) a solid four stars for the deep psychological study of a woman shaken to the core. The author shows that the roots of Evvie's disturbance went deep (vs. having her just crack one moment) and I think both partners are well explored. I'd very much like to remove the one storyline that felt like too much of an add-in (I can see how the author got caught by the concept, just think it'd be a better novel without it) but it is a worthwhile read as it stands. Good for folks who like compelling character-driven studies of personality and psychology.