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protoman21's review
4.0
It was a very interesting experience to return to some of your favorite characters years later. Ann Brasharas has always reminded me of Anne Lamott and so it is appropriate that they both wrote books about their characters years in the future. Both books are centered around a fact that readers probably won't like because it ruins their happily ever after image that they choose to believe at the end of a beloved book/series. I too struggle with this phenomenon, but I feel like I am better about accepting this reality and moving on than some readers. I don't like thinking about the sweet Rosie that we used to know turning into this bratty and drug addicted teenager, but that is reality. Sometimes things go poorly. Sometimes people make bad choices. If there wasn't a conflict to resolve, then there wouldn't be a reason for the novel. I thought Elizabeth handled everything in a very realistic way. She denied things that were clear to see just like a real mother would do, and constantly chose peace over confrontation even though it was to the detriment in the long term. These characters still felt just as real to me today as they did when I read Rosie and Crooked Little Heart.
laila4343's review
2.0
Disappointing. Despite enjoying her last novel, Blue Shoe, I've realized I love her non-fiction so much more than her fiction. The characters were extremely annoying. One thing that really bothered me (and I know it's a minor concern) was how much the characters touched one another, petting each other, kissing each other, nuzzling... people who aren't lovers don't touch one another like that, at least not the people I know! Maybe it's a California thing. :)
anniewill's review
2.0
A more accurate rating would be 1 1/2 stars. Most of the time I couldn't wait to be done with this book! I didn't like the characters and found the story to be depressing and dreary. But, as with all of Lamott's writing, there were sections, sentences or even just a phrase that took my breath away with its beauty and clarity.
asurges's review
3.0
If you read Rosie and Crooked Little Heart, then you'll want to read this one, which is about the same family and people only, this time, Rosie is 17 and has a drug problem, and her mom is in denial about it.
The story lost me a number of times; it didn't fully grip me. Rosie is a snot, which I think is kind of brave of Lamott to do--she shows how truly awful teenagers can be, and she takes a big risk in almost goading you on to dislike Rosie but also understand where she's coming from. Some beautiful writing, though--there's one paragraph about music that I went back to six times.
The story lost me a number of times; it didn't fully grip me. Rosie is a snot, which I think is kind of brave of Lamott to do--she shows how truly awful teenagers can be, and she takes a big risk in almost goading you on to dislike Rosie but also understand where she's coming from. Some beautiful writing, though--there's one paragraph about music that I went back to six times.
littletaiko's review
1.0
This has to be one of the worst books I've attempted to read in a long time. I tried to finish it but found myself so disgusted by all the characters that I just couldn't bring myself to read about them any longer. Additionally, the writing style didn't help either. It jumped from random story to random story and was told from the perspective of someone who knew the inner workings of everyone's minds. Very distracting.
margaretmechinus's review
3.0
I read this book straight through to the end and finished at 2 am. There were parts I want to remember and share with others. There were other parts that were confounding and confusing. I don't have Anne Lamott on a pedestal anymore, like I did after Traveling Mercies and Bird by Bird, but I still find myself interested in what she writes. It does irritate me though, when I the reader find things that I think a good editor should have caught before it went to print.
amysbrittain's review
1.0
I'm extreeeeeemely irritated with Lamott and also with myself right now--with her for writing this in the first place, and for me for wasting time reading it after I realized how abysmal the story and writing felt. I could go on and on about how falsely intimate the characters feel toward each other, how incredibly annoying most of them are, how hatefully the young protagonist behaves while inexplicably garnering sympathy, how surprisingly and completely grating the hippie California mindset was. (No more rallies, no more mention of the "Parkade," no more seeking deep meaning in druggie kids milling around in the center of town!) I literally beat myself over the head with this book more than once when I realized how much time I was wasting with it.
I really love reading Lamott's nonfiction, but I've been burned for the last time by her mediocre fiction. Bleh.
I really love reading Lamott's nonfiction, but I've been burned for the last time by her mediocre fiction. Bleh.
zilliejr's review
2.0
Reading it, I felt like, "Wow, I really love how Lamont describes things." to turning a few pages later where I was like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah...enough with the analogies." The story itself was honest to a fault that it lacked drama (and sadly, intrigue), which was disappointing since the characters were so very dramatic.