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jansbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
If I could give half stars this would be 3 1/2. I rounded it up because the pros outweighed the cons. Beautiful writing that gave an intimate feeling of knowing these siblings. It is a character driven novel with the plot being one I’ve read before.
I got distracted in the few chapters about the “current time”. It drew my attention from the characters to trying to figure out what exactly was going on in the world. Other than that, a book that kept me engaged with the family and the story.
I got distracted in the few chapters about the “current time”. It drew my attention from the characters to trying to figure out what exactly was going on in the world. Other than that, a book that kept me engaged with the family and the story.
etakloknok's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
miwawenzel's review
4.0
Wish I could give it 5 stars, but I kinda hated the story's resolution and final chapters 😞
figtree1963's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
msilkwolfe's review against another edition
5.0
It was a true privilege to be immersed in the lives of the Skinner siblings, and I’m honestly mourning the fact this book is done! I want it to go on and on. It’s a book about love, its wonderful, imperfect, wretched moments.
One of my favorite paragraphs: “We believe in love because we want to believe in it. Because really what else is there, amid all our glorious follies and urges and weaknesses and stumbles? The magic, the hope, the gorgeous idea of it. Because when the lights go out and we sit waiting in the dark, what do our fingers seek? Who do we reach for?”
One of my favorite paragraphs: “We believe in love because we want to believe in it. Because really what else is there, amid all our glorious follies and urges and weaknesses and stumbles? The magic, the hope, the gorgeous idea of it. Because when the lights go out and we sit waiting in the dark, what do our fingers seek? Who do we reach for?”
amytir's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
book_concierge's review
4.0
Digital Audio performed by Cassandra Campbell.
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. It begins with a tragedy – the death of their father, and their mother’s subsequent depression. Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona are basically left to their own devices over a summer, protecting each other and their mother from intrusion as much as they are able. The result of what they always refer to as “the Pause” is that they are fiercely loyal to one another. Two decades later that connection will be tested by another tragedy.
I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. In this case the siblings’ early experience makes them guarded and as the point of view shifts from character to character and from one time frame to another, that guardedness makes it easy to understand how outsiders (i.e. those outside the family) would be unaware of the need and/or unwilling to assist.
That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I recognized how the roles taken on by siblings in childhood often continue into adulthood; that’s certainly true in m own family, and we didn’t suffer the trauma of losing a parent during our formative years.
I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
Cassandra Campbell is a talented voice artist and does a marvelous job performing the audio. However, the complexity of the novel’s structure, with changing points of views and timeframes, made it a bit more challenging in this format. If I re-read it, I’ll do so in text format.
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. It begins with a tragedy – the death of their father, and their mother’s subsequent depression. Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona are basically left to their own devices over a summer, protecting each other and their mother from intrusion as much as they are able. The result of what they always refer to as “the Pause” is that they are fiercely loyal to one another. Two decades later that connection will be tested by another tragedy.
I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. In this case the siblings’ early experience makes them guarded and as the point of view shifts from character to character and from one time frame to another, that guardedness makes it easy to understand how outsiders (i.e. those outside the family) would be unaware of the need and/or unwilling to assist.
That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I recognized how the roles taken on by siblings in childhood often continue into adulthood; that’s certainly true in m own family, and we didn’t suffer the trauma of losing a parent during our formative years.
I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
Cassandra Campbell is a talented voice artist and does a marvelous job performing the audio. However, the complexity of the novel’s structure, with changing points of views and timeframes, made it a bit more challenging in this format. If I re-read it, I’ll do so in text format.
deanab's review
4.0
I truly enjoyed this book. I like the way that it was narrated as if it were someone telling their story. It was a warm feel-good story about the love and protectiveness of siblings with some suspense and tragedy. Makes you think just how far you will go to protect those siblings. It reminded me a bit of The Immortalists, which I also enjoyed. I am anxious to read Tara Conklin’s debut, House Girl. It has been added to my TBR.
okayletsread's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel torn with rating this literary fiction novel. On one hand, it's beautifully written with well-crafted prose that makes a slower-paced book feel like a breeze to read. However, there were certain details about the plot, formatting, and characters that, quite frankly, irked me.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the future timeline from Fiona was necessary. It didn't add enough to the book. I would have loved more stories from the four siblings' childhood—especially during "the Pause," as they called it—but most of the book explored their shared adulthood experiences.
Some readers enjoy a buttoned-up ending that tells you everything that happens to every character, but I am not that reader. I was hoping it would end on a less obvious note. Certain characters made wildly uncharacteristic decisions at the end, but I won't gold that against the book itself.
Still, the writing is so wonderful that it makes me very glad I spent time with the Skinner siblings. Fans of Ann Patchett and Richard Powers may be interested in this family tale.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the future timeline from Fiona was necessary. It didn't add enough to the book. I would have loved more stories from the four siblings' childhood—especially during "the Pause," as they called it—but most of the book explored their shared adulthood experiences.
Some readers enjoy a buttoned-up ending that tells you everything that happens to every character, but I am not that reader. I was hoping it would end on a less obvious note. Certain characters made wildly uncharacteristic decisions at the end, but I won't gold that against the book itself.
Still, the writing is so wonderful that it makes me very glad I spent time with the Skinner siblings. Fans of Ann Patchett and Richard Powers may be interested in this family tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Addiction