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mschrock8's review against another edition
5.0
Now this is more like it. if I wasn't headed to a Super Bowl party,I'd dive right in.
Always love this author. Took my time to savor it.
Always love this author. Took my time to savor it.
sabw_books's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
tarajack's review against another edition
5.0
It's really good. It kept my interest and I enjoyed it.
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Set in 1956 with a central character that is living life definitely against the grain in the current time - a divorced single mom who is in the workforce and trying to raise her son in suburbia. One would say this could be historical fiction and I may agree because it is definitely not completely contemporary, but I enjoyed reading a story where I could imagine a woman getting heat for her lifestyle, it could compare to current social issues in the news. Her son's best friend goes missing and the story takes off after that!
Set in 1956 with a central character that is living life definitely against the grain in the current time - a divorced single mom who is in the workforce and trying to raise her son in suburbia. One would say this could be historical fiction and I may agree because it is definitely not completely contemporary, but I enjoyed reading a story where I could imagine a woman getting heat for her lifestyle, it could compare to current social issues in the news. Her son's best friend goes missing and the story takes off after that!
smderitis's review against another edition
4.0
Leavitt's novel is haunting and tragic, yet has traces of hope hidden within it. A great dissection of life, love, and loss.
stevienlcf's review against another edition
3.0
Ava Lark is scorned by her neighbors in her suburban neighborhood of Waltham, Massachusetts because, as one housewife observes, she is “divorced and Jewish, what a combo platter.” She toils as a typist in a plumbing company to support her son, Lewis, and to fend off a custody battle waged by her former husband, Brian, who, after a series of business reversals, simply abandoned the family and took up with another woman. Like a typical 12-year-old, Lewis is unaware of the sacrifices that Ava has made for him, and holds her responsible for Brian’s departure. Although Lewis yearns for his father, he has two friends, Jimmy Rearson and his older sister, Rose, who make him “feel anchored to the world.” They, too, are an anomaly in this 1950s suburban neighborhood as they are being raised by a single parent, Dot, since their father’s untimely death. Unlike the beautiful Ava who is hopeful that she will find love, Dot has given up since “no one wants leftovers.” The promise of suburban idyllic security is shattered when Jimmy vanishes. Months pass without any leads, and Dot and Rose move out of the neighborhood. The novel then moves forward seven years, and we see how Jimmy’s disappearance impacted the lives of these characters.
Leavitt is a bit heavy-handed in her characterization of the censorious neighbors who try to hold Ava responsible for Jimmy’s disappearance because of all the time that he spent in her home, but her depiction of 1950s suburbanites skillfully details the racism and anti-Communist fear that pervaded the era. Although the mystery of what happened to Jimmy is cleared up, unfortunately it is done so via two highly contrived revelations that undermine the story, and Ava, the most vividly rendered and most interesting character, is sidelined at the conclusion. There is an unremitting sadness that permeates this story that makes me reluctant to enthusiastically endorse it.
Leavitt is a bit heavy-handed in her characterization of the censorious neighbors who try to hold Ava responsible for Jimmy’s disappearance because of all the time that he spent in her home, but her depiction of 1950s suburbanites skillfully details the racism and anti-Communist fear that pervaded the era. Although the mystery of what happened to Jimmy is cleared up, unfortunately it is done so via two highly contrived revelations that undermine the story, and Ava, the most vividly rendered and most interesting character, is sidelined at the conclusion. There is an unremitting sadness that permeates this story that makes me reluctant to enthusiastically endorse it.
jenleah's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
This story sucked me right in. The plot was engrossing, the characters well developed.
I didn't realize this book centered around the disappearance of a boy. Normally I wouldn't read a book with that as a main plot point--I can't handle bad things happening to children! Glad I still gave this one a chance, it was a great, satisfying read despite the sad circumstances.
This story sucked me right in. The plot was engrossing, the characters well developed.
I didn't realize this book centered around the disappearance of a boy. Normally I wouldn't read a book with that as a main plot point--I can't handle bad things happening to children! Glad I still gave this one a chance, it was a great, satisfying read despite the sad circumstances.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
3 STARS
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"In 1956, when divorced working-mom Ava Lark rents a house with her twelve-year-old son, Lewis, in a Boston suburb, the neighborhood is less than welcoming. Lewis yearns for his absent father, befriending the only other fatherless kids: Jimmy and Rose. One afternoon, Jimmy goes missing. The neighborhood - in the era of the Cold War, bomb scares, and paranoia - seizes the opportunity to further ostracize Ava and her son.
Lewis never recovers from the disappearance of his childhood friend. By the time he reaches his twenties, he's living a directionless life, a failure in love, estranged from his mother. Rose is now a schoolteacher in another city, watching over children as she was never able to watch over her own brother. Ava is building a new life for herself in a new decade. When the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is unexpectedly solved, all three must try to reclaim what they have lost." (From Amazon)
Overall, I liked this novel but it was just okay. I would like to read another novel by this aut
"In 1956, when divorced working-mom Ava Lark rents a house with her twelve-year-old son, Lewis, in a Boston suburb, the neighborhood is less than welcoming. Lewis yearns for his absent father, befriending the only other fatherless kids: Jimmy and Rose. One afternoon, Jimmy goes missing. The neighborhood - in the era of the Cold War, bomb scares, and paranoia - seizes the opportunity to further ostracize Ava and her son.
Lewis never recovers from the disappearance of his childhood friend. By the time he reaches his twenties, he's living a directionless life, a failure in love, estranged from his mother. Rose is now a schoolteacher in another city, watching over children as she was never able to watch over her own brother. Ava is building a new life for herself in a new decade. When the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is unexpectedly solved, all three must try to reclaim what they have lost." (From Amazon)
Overall, I liked this novel but it was just okay. I would like to read another novel by this author.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"In 1956, when divorced working-mom Ava Lark rents a house with her twelve-year-old son, Lewis, in a Boston suburb, the neighborhood is less than welcoming. Lewis yearns for his absent father, befriending the only other fatherless kids: Jimmy and Rose. One afternoon, Jimmy goes missing. The neighborhood - in the era of the Cold War, bomb scares, and paranoia - seizes the opportunity to further ostracize Ava and her son.
Lewis never recovers from the disappearance of his childhood friend. By the time he reaches his twenties, he's living a directionless life, a failure in love, estranged from his mother. Rose is now a schoolteacher in another city, watching over children as she was never able to watch over her own brother. Ava is building a new life for herself in a new decade. When the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is unexpectedly solved, all three must try to reclaim what they have lost." (From Amazon)
Overall, I liked this novel but it was just okay. I would like to read another novel by this aut
"In 1956, when divorced working-mom Ava Lark rents a house with her twelve-year-old son, Lewis, in a Boston suburb, the neighborhood is less than welcoming. Lewis yearns for his absent father, befriending the only other fatherless kids: Jimmy and Rose. One afternoon, Jimmy goes missing. The neighborhood - in the era of the Cold War, bomb scares, and paranoia - seizes the opportunity to further ostracize Ava and her son.
Lewis never recovers from the disappearance of his childhood friend. By the time he reaches his twenties, he's living a directionless life, a failure in love, estranged from his mother. Rose is now a schoolteacher in another city, watching over children as she was never able to watch over her own brother. Ava is building a new life for herself in a new decade. When the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is unexpectedly solved, all three must try to reclaim what they have lost." (From Amazon)
Overall, I liked this novel but it was just okay. I would like to read another novel by this author.
danchrist's review against another edition
2.0
Flat characters. Flat prose. Flat story.
Could not get into it, so I set it aside.
Could not get into it, so I set it aside.