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apostrophen's review
3.0
This book is a bit of a mixed bag. I liked it, let me say that before anything else, but I can see how many wouldn't. It is character driven to the point of being nearly plot-less, so if you're looking for some sort of complete story, it isn't here.
The tale follows the life of Isabel whose mother almost in passing, expresses a death wish. When Isabel's mother then commits suicide shortly thereafter, it spins Isabel's life in a new direction. Alternately free and flighty, grounded and lost, Isabel's life unfolds in sections titled after a day: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening.
Tea is a theme, but not so central a one as to make the title self-evident. The others in Isabel's life seem nearly void of self confidence or self esteem or even self control at varying times, and her outsider point of view is both eloquent and sometimes infuriating. The book is written beautifully, and I found myself enjoying the way it was written more than the story itself.
A difficult review of a difficult book to pin down, but like I said, I did like it.
The tale follows the life of Isabel whose mother almost in passing, expresses a death wish. When Isabel's mother then commits suicide shortly thereafter, it spins Isabel's life in a new direction. Alternately free and flighty, grounded and lost, Isabel's life unfolds in sections titled after a day: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening.
Tea is a theme, but not so central a one as to make the title self-evident. The others in Isabel's life seem nearly void of self confidence or self esteem or even self control at varying times, and her outsider point of view is both eloquent and sometimes infuriating. The book is written beautifully, and I found myself enjoying the way it was written more than the story itself.
A difficult review of a difficult book to pin down, but like I said, I did like it.
abookishaffair's review
1.0
Meh, I didn't like this book. It's supposed to tell the coming of age story of Isabel, a girl whose mother kills herself when Isabel was very young. The author misses a key place to tell a story about how children cope when parents commit suicide (something that unfortunately happens entirely too much). Isabel is cliched and never really moves much.
purlewe's review
2.0
This book had so much potential. Daughter makes her mom a cup of tea and waits for her downstairs, while her mom commits suicide upstairs. The rest of the book is her life without her mom, either as a hole in her life, or as a mom shaped place in her mind. She finds herself feeling love for both men and women, and how she finds that was lovely, but could have been fleshed out more. The end of the book was devoid of emotion. And could have given the reader a stopping point, but didn't. This isn't worth being on my shelf.
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