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bookwormbecky12's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book, many family's have secrets and uncovering this ones was fun and interesting.
I would read this again. I liked the many characters, and the storyline was easy to follow.
I would read this again. I liked the many characters, and the storyline was easy to follow.
ms_dzt's review
5.0
This was joy! And was perfect as a lockdown read, reminding us of the joys and tragedy of getting family together
jjv84's review
3.0
I really enjoyed reading this book as I could reflect with the characters about my family and own relationships. The characters were strong and showed what sibling rivalry is like. I liked reading chapters that came with the characters story or perspective on what was going on in the storyline. My only downfall was I wanted a little more at the end.
e11en's review
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up. A fun read, hitting all the major millennial touch-points I so love.
If 'dysfunctional families' can be a genre (can it please be a genre?) then I think it's my personal favourite, for books and film. Better still, 'dysfunctional families at a wedding'. I just can't get enough. And honestly, some of the wild sibling anecdotes Jabour has conjured up could have been stolen directly from my own life, my own wedding. It won't be the same for everyone, but I found a lot of it startlingly (and, hilariously) relatable.
The writing seems perfectly crafted at a sentence level, however the strings of deliciously perfect one-liners didn't seem to flow well together, and the overall feeling was that of reading an essay or think-piece and I was never able to relax and be truly absorbed into the story.
Also there were a LOT of characters for a 276 page novel and therefore not a lot of closure for many of them by the end, which was equal parts frustrating and endearing (if I may be so bold).
If 'dysfunctional families' can be a genre (can it please be a genre?) then I think it's my personal favourite, for books and film. Better still, 'dysfunctional families at a wedding'. I just can't get enough. And honestly, some of the wild sibling anecdotes Jabour has conjured up could have been stolen directly from my own life, my own wedding. It won't be the same for everyone, but I found a lot of it startlingly (and, hilariously) relatable.
The writing seems perfectly crafted at a sentence level, however the strings of deliciously perfect one-liners didn't seem to flow well together, and the overall feeling was that of reading an essay or think-piece and I was never able to relax and be truly absorbed into the story.
Also there were a LOT of characters for a 276 page novel and therefore not a lot of closure for many of them by the end, which was equal parts frustrating and endearing (if I may be so bold).
jnenifre's review
3.0
I'm not sure if this was the best book to read when I'm due to get married in less than two months
virgoreads_'s review
1.0
I picked it up because it was set in Australia and is essentially about a family consisting of four adult siblings and their relationships with each other. Claudia, one of the siblings, is getting married and returns to her home town to have the wedding. Whilst she should be looking forward to her wedding, she is hesitant about seeing her family especially since it feels like she is constantly walking around on thin ice with them. This story had great potential but ultimately it was just boring, plainly written and the ending was such a disappointment but you saw it coming from a mile away anyway. Something I would give credit for in this book is the characters who each have their own crafted personalities but the story just lacks something that could have come in the form of a familial plot twist.
samstillreading's review
2.0
I don’t have a snazzy opening line for this review so let’s be honest early in the piece. The Way Things Should Be is a book that on review of the blurb should have worked for me. It has millennials acting strangely, a highly dysfunctional family and a dry sense of Aussie humour. I love those kinds of things. But for me, this book didn’t let me in – I felt like an outsider, at the fringes of the cool group. I desperately wanted to be allowed into the sphere that the characters were in but I felt like a distant observer. Maybe it is because none of them are particularly likeable. Maybe it’s just because it didn’t involve Facebook and Snapchat. I felt like there was a firewall between me and the characters. Perhaps that is that way it’s meant to be – on the outside, looking in.
The book is brilliantly written. Bridie Jabour has a skill in making the absurd seem perfectly rational, which is a rare thing. Reading The Way Things Should Be, I was reminded repeatedly of another dysfunctional family (the Bennets from Pride and Prejudice). Jabour has the wit and the talent to write a skilled story. If I’d liked the characters or felt closer to them, this book would have been a winner for me.
I think one of my problems with this book was that I couldn’t really relate to any of them or feel sympathy. Claudia was the initial choice to be my book friend. She’s smart and is ticking off all the conventional boxes in life but still questions if that is what she should be doing. But sometimes she does really inexplicable things, almost self-sabotage, to try and make sure she doesn’t get too much happiness. I could understand her qualms about her wedding, but not the way she went about trying to convince herself either way. Sister Zoe was also a potential contender. She is almost glamourous, with a secretively cool job that has a lot of Instagram followers. She can also be an absolute bitch! Phinn and Poppy (the other brother and sister) weren’t as intriguing for me – Phinn is eternally nice and sunny (lovely in real life, but a bit too dull in a book where everyone is sniping each other). Poppy is mildly entertaining, but a little too prone to sulking. Claudia’s best friend Nora was my last chance. She’s nursing a secret heartbreak amongst the frivolity, but can she stay sober enough to hold it together? Nora tended to shy away from the big questions until it all exploded in a cringe worthy, can’t-look-away finale. Overall, the characters I’d hoped to barrack for were just a little too repugnant.
Other characters, such as Claudia’s mum and aunt are delightfully disgusting in their lack of tact and self-centredness. Claudia’s mum brings to mind Mrs Bennet, the 21st century version. Even Claudia’s dad is a little like Mr Bennet – happy to stay away from the action and complain mildly in the corner. Aunt Mary seems to come from something more grotesque as she’s just plain weird. Trying to steal from her sister, getting involved with family exes, always worming her way into her sister’s life. She’s plain creepy.
As you might have guessed by now, The Way Things Should Be is a character rather than plot driven novel. The plot is simple. Claudia’s family gathers in their rural home town in the lead up to her wedding. The action moves from sibling sniping to small town gossip and family issues. It’s entertaining, but my point of view felt too distant to be involved with or care about those involved.
Thank you to Echo Publishing for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The book is brilliantly written. Bridie Jabour has a skill in making the absurd seem perfectly rational, which is a rare thing. Reading The Way Things Should Be, I was reminded repeatedly of another dysfunctional family (the Bennets from Pride and Prejudice). Jabour has the wit and the talent to write a skilled story. If I’d liked the characters or felt closer to them, this book would have been a winner for me.
I think one of my problems with this book was that I couldn’t really relate to any of them or feel sympathy. Claudia was the initial choice to be my book friend. She’s smart and is ticking off all the conventional boxes in life but still questions if that is what she should be doing. But sometimes she does really inexplicable things, almost self-sabotage, to try and make sure she doesn’t get too much happiness. I could understand her qualms about her wedding, but not the way she went about trying to convince herself either way. Sister Zoe was also a potential contender. She is almost glamourous, with a secretively cool job that has a lot of Instagram followers. She can also be an absolute bitch! Phinn and Poppy (the other brother and sister) weren’t as intriguing for me – Phinn is eternally nice and sunny (lovely in real life, but a bit too dull in a book where everyone is sniping each other). Poppy is mildly entertaining, but a little too prone to sulking. Claudia’s best friend Nora was my last chance. She’s nursing a secret heartbreak amongst the frivolity, but can she stay sober enough to hold it together? Nora tended to shy away from the big questions until it all exploded in a cringe worthy, can’t-look-away finale. Overall, the characters I’d hoped to barrack for were just a little too repugnant.
Other characters, such as Claudia’s mum and aunt are delightfully disgusting in their lack of tact and self-centredness. Claudia’s mum brings to mind Mrs Bennet, the 21st century version. Even Claudia’s dad is a little like Mr Bennet – happy to stay away from the action and complain mildly in the corner. Aunt Mary seems to come from something more grotesque as she’s just plain weird. Trying to steal from her sister, getting involved with family exes, always worming her way into her sister’s life. She’s plain creepy.
As you might have guessed by now, The Way Things Should Be is a character rather than plot driven novel. The plot is simple. Claudia’s family gathers in their rural home town in the lead up to her wedding. The action moves from sibling sniping to small town gossip and family issues. It’s entertaining, but my point of view felt too distant to be involved with or care about those involved.
Thank you to Echo Publishing for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
camchorse's review
2.0
The Way Things Should Be is a character driven novel revolving around the upcoming wedding of Claudia and her interactions with her family. The relationships among Claudia's family members are fraught with jealousy, competition and conflict.
Many similar characters are introduced at the beginning of the book making it tough to keep them all straight. They all seemed to have some kind of major issue they are facing. Not one of them acted as the calm in the storm. Frankly, I found the characters to be unlikeable and self-centered. The only character that seemed like a halfway decent person is Claudia's fiancée and he actually plays only a small part in the book. I felt sorry for him getting tangled up with this crazy, dysfunctional family.
There is not much in the way of plot development at all in this book. That could be okay if the characters were at all likable or interesting. I also found several of the details of the book to be far fetched. Based on the description, I expected this book to be funny and light-hearted, but I found it to be a disappointment.
I wanted to quit reading this book early on, but to decided I had to see it through to honor Net Galley's request for a review in exchange for a copy of the book.
Many similar characters are introduced at the beginning of the book making it tough to keep them all straight. They all seemed to have some kind of major issue they are facing. Not one of them acted as the calm in the storm. Frankly, I found the characters to be unlikeable and self-centered. The only character that seemed like a halfway decent person is Claudia's fiancée and he actually plays only a small part in the book. I felt sorry for him getting tangled up with this crazy, dysfunctional family.
There is not much in the way of plot development at all in this book. That could be okay if the characters were at all likable or interesting. I also found several of the details of the book to be far fetched. Based on the description, I expected this book to be funny and light-hearted, but I found it to be a disappointment.
I wanted to quit reading this book early on, but to decided I had to see it through to honor Net Galley's request for a review in exchange for a copy of the book.
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